Bourke, Julius · Advances in psychosomatic medicine · 2015 · DOI
This article discusses how fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are common conditions that were previously dismissed or not taken seriously by doctors, causing patients significant suffering. Recent scientific discoveries have improved our understanding of how these conditions work in the body and what treatments may help. While complete recovery is not common, moderate improvements in symptoms and quality of life are achievable with proper management.
This article is important because it directly addresses the historical dismissal of ME/CFS and validates these as legitimate medical conditions worthy of serious clinical attention and research investment. It emphasizes that therapeutic pessimism has harmed patients and advocates for improved management approaches grounded in emerging neurophysiological evidence.
As an editorial rather than a primary research study, this article does not present original experimental data or rigorous evidence for specific treatments. It does not establish which particular interventions are most effective, nor does it define the mechanisms of ME/CFS at the molecular or cellular level.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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Primary citation
Bourke, Julius (2015). Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: management issues.. Advances in psychosomatic medicine. https://doi.org/10.1159/000369087
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-bourke-2015-fibromyalgia-chronic,
author = {Bourke, Julius},
title = {Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: management issues.},
journal = {Advances in psychosomatic medicine},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1159/000369087},
note = {PubMed: 25832515},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bourke-2015-fibromyalgia-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bourke-2015-fibromyalgia-chronic
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