The effect of physiotherapy on fatigue and physical functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a systematic review

Objective. The objectives of this work were to fill the gap in the scientific literature and to evaluate the results of physical therapy treat- ments in individuals affected by chronic fatigue syndrome, considering only studies that employed a randomized controlled trial. Methods. A systematic review was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. Three bibliographic databases were searched: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and PEDro. The minimum prerequisites for papers to be included in the systematic review were that they had to (a) employ a randomized controlled trial; (b) be published in English; and (c) be published during the last ten years (2007–2017). The studies were evaluated according to Jadad score. Results. Four studies were included. This systematic review sug- gests that a treatment that is more effective than all the others cannot be defined. This conclusion is related to the low number of investigated studies; therefore, the collected results cannot be generalized. Conclusion. Chronic fatigue syndrome is not yet a well-understood pathology, and the physical mechanisms that influence the outcomes still need more study. Rehabilitation programs that promote physio- therapy techniques such as exercise, mobilization, and body awareness (e.g., MRT and GET) are the most effective in reducing medium and long-term fatigue severity in CFS patients.