Conceptualizing the benefits of a group exercise program developed for those with chronic fatigue, 2019, Strassheim, Deary, Newton et al

[They do subgroup analyses comparing those with and without CFS]

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638288.2019.1636315

Original Article
Conceptualizing the benefits of a group exercise program developed for those with chronic fatigue: a mixed methods clinical evaluation
Victoria Strassheim, Vincent Deary, Deborah A. Webster, Jane Douglas, Julia L. Newton & Katie L. Hackett
Received 12 Feb 2019, Accepted 22 Jun 2019, Published online: 09 Jul 2019

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  • Download citation
  • https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1636315

Abstract

Purpose:

Fatigue is a disabling and prevalent feature of many long-term conditions.

Orthostatic dizziness is a commonly experienced by those with fatigue.

The purpose was; to evaluate factors contributing to successful delivery of a novel group exercise program designed for people with chronic fatigue and orthostatic symptoms and identify targets to improve future program content and delivery.

Research methods:

We used group concept mapping methodology.

Participants of the exercise program with a long-term physical health condition and chronic fatigue- contributed ideas in response to a focus question.

They sorted these ideas into themed piles and rated them for importance and success of the program delivery.

Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were applied to the sort data to produce ideas clusters within a concept map.

Value ratings were compared to evaluate the success of the program.

Results:

The resulting concept map depicted seven key themed clusters of ideas: Exercises, Group atmosphere, Physical benefits, Self-management of symptoms, Acceptance and Education.

Value plots of the rating data identified important and successful conceptual ideas.

Conclusions:

The concept maps have depicted key concepts relating to the successful delivery of a novel exercise program for people with fatigue and identified specific targets for future program enhancements.

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  • Implications for rehabilitation
  • Orthostatic symptoms are common in those with fatigue and might be a target for group-based exercise programs.
  • People with fatigue value a group-based exercise program that targets orthostatic symptoms.
  • The key concepts of a group-based exercise program valued by those with fatigue are the exercises, group atmosphere, physical benefits, self-management support, acceptance, education and support with looking forwards following the program.

Keywords: Fatigue, exercise, dizziness, physical therapy, mixed-methods, concept mapping, evaluation, long-term conditions

 

Sci hub link, https://sci-hub.se/10.1080/09638288.2019.1636315

Thought I remembered Vincent Deary from something, https://www.s4me.info/threads/not-a...facts-of-life-an-article-for-clinicians.1993/

 

So, despite all the patient evidence of harm, on the basis of PACE, they are taking a mixed group of patients with fatigue, so quite possibly including pwME, and giving them GET...

And here we see the blinkered view that they are building up about their approach.

So no attempt to collect the view of those who didn't complete the program then, to find out if there are any issues with their approach.

And they only got a 55% response from those they asked.

I'd heard from somewhere that Julia Newton doesn't appreciate the fact that patients don't wholeheartedly support her - when she's involved in this kind of rubbish I don't think she should be surprised.

 

Isn't there any real work to be done anywhere?

 

I'd argue the bit in bold makes it GET.

 

If I may quickly rant about another pet peeve of mine, feel free to ignore though:

Every exercise program tends to include some kind of progression because the underlying assumption always is that you adapt and then have to increase the stimulus to adapt further. Predicting this progression correctly is probably the most complicated thing when designing training programs that are not based on autoregulating this aspect because you have to correctly guess the future without knowing it. People who are unaware of this (to me, most doctors and - using the term broadly - researchers in psychological sciences seem to fall under this category) tend to assume the training response is a given and deliberately increasing exercise volume from week to week is always correct and simple.

Whether or not something 'is GET' is hard to quantify because the term does not mean anything, or at least it means something different to everyone using it. Some people think of any progression in load/volume/intensity as GET while the PACErs pretty specifically seem to talk about increases in volume of aerobic exercise. The problem with the last bunch is that they claim it is tailored to the patient while the very core of the their program dictates that it is not and volume be increased even if there is no training effect happening because they say that is how it has to be and reality is wrong if it challenges their thoughts.

It is difficult to always tiptoe around what a bunch of people who are too lazy to look up what the words they are using are supposed to mean want you to think in any given moment, so I'd suggest we are simply mindful that any exercise program with a built-in progression will be able to trigger PEM for us (I could to that by increasing my volume of watching TV due to the cognitive demands, so maybe we can even scratch the 'exercise' bit) no matter if someone chooses to call it 'GET' on that day. This gets rid of the 'is this guilty-by-association-type-GET' play-on-words-trap.

The program here definitely has a progression through the sitting -> standing vector, so for all intents and purposes carries the same dangers as the 'GET' programs studied before, and as already mentioned apparently comes with a 50%+ dropout rate.

 

Vincent Deary creeps me out whenever I come across something from him.

 

Well she is one of AfMEs medical advisors; clearly a good 'fit'.

see this thread:
https://www.s4me.info/threads/pps-n...persistent-physical-symptoms-02-10-2018.6732/

both JN and VD (unfortunate initials) involved.

 

This is arrogance on the part of the professionals. Why do they assume that people with ANY fatiguing illness aren't already functioning at their maximum level.? It's demeaning to patients.