CF Wellness Program Sessions for Fatigue

Sleep deprivation, sleep debt, sleep quality, fatigue, psychosocial and other factors are intertwined with fatigue. There is growing evidence that sleep hygiene can mitigate fatigue.

The most common treatment for fatigue is pain remedies (e.g., medication, or rest) as well as activity management. Other common treatments include cognitive-behavioral therapy, biofeedback, exercise, and relaxation techniques.\n

About 19 million Americans are bothered by fatigue at least at least a few times a month, or about 1 in 20 US adults experience this debilitating symptom to some extent during a given month.

The symptoms of fatigue vary, and may vary across different populations. It is not always clear what causes symptoms such as weakness or low energy, and whether a symptom is due to fatigue. In one study of patients who suffer from fatigue, fatigue is said to be related to symptoms such as lethargy, reduced cognitive ability, and decreased general sense of wellbeing. Fatigue is also correlated with insomnia, headaches, physical pain, increased mood and anxiety. Other associated symptoms also include dizziness, weight loss, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances including insomnia and night terrors.

The most common symptom of fatigue was 'exhaustion'. Fatigue is a subjective feeling of being tired and exhausted; it is often caused by excessive and sustained physical activity; however, it can also be caused by prolonged periods of rest. In the vast majority of cases, there is no underlying medical condition to blame; fatigue can be a symptom of low mood, low exercise level, sleep deprivation or sleep disorder, chronic illness or illness. On a more formal level, fatigue is experienced by almost half of the global populace who are suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome.

Results from a recent clinical trial supports the feasibility of a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing fatigue from the perspectives of patients, caregivers, health professionals and industry.

Average age of fatigue onset was 38 years old (mean +/- SEM = 40.4 +/- 3.0 yr, range = 32.2-45.4 yr) in this retrospective multicenter study based on 1,092 patients from multiple centers recruited from a single country. Although the average person gets fatigue at 40 years of age, it was observed as early as age 24 (10.8%) and as late as age 83 (9.5%). Older individuals might benefit from treatments, such as sleep supplements, or the enhancement of nutrition.

The findings of the present review provide evidence for familial clustering of many fatigue-related characteristics. However, the specific characteristics of these familial clusters are largely debatable because of the lack of a sufficiently large sample size, the lack of control sequences, and possible selection, ascertainment bias, and population heterogeneity.

Most common side effects included nausea, abdominal pain, and increased fatigue. Symptoms were not more severe than for any other period of therapy. Exercise should be performed at least once daily. Exercise during treatment may improve symptoms.

The inclusion of participants in the Cf wellness program resulted in a trend to improved QoL in the total sample and in the subgroups of women and of those with moderate-to-severe fatigue. In addition, at the end of the 6-months follow-up, the subgroup of those with moderate-to-severe fatigue and controls had the greatest improvement in the subscales for fatigue and, presumably, in quality of life (physical and mental) when compared with the other samples.

The findings suggest that when patients complete the Cf program (either alone or in combination with one or more treatments), there are no clinically-important changes in fatigue, quality of life, overall functioning, or treatment outcomes (primary or secondary prevention) one year following program completion. Additional research on clinical and cost effectiveness of Cf programs is warranted.