Cramer, C R · Journal of athletic training · 1998
This article reviews what we know about ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, two conditions that cause severe fatigue, muscle pain, and sleep problems. The authors looked at medical research and government health information to summarize how these conditions affect people, especially athletes. They discuss various treatments being tested, including exercise, relaxation therapy, and medications, and emphasize the importance of careful medical evaluation and psychological support during diagnosis and treatment.
This editorial provides an important overview for athletic trainers and sports medicine professionals encountering ME/CFS and fibromyalgia in athletic populations, acknowledging that these conditions can devastate promising athletic careers. By synthesizing available evidence and documenting the evolution of diagnostic criteria, it contributes to clinical recognition and legitimacy of these syndromes at a time when they were often dismissed or misunderstood. The emphasis on comprehensive evaluation and psychological support reflects emerging understanding of the need for holistic, multidisciplinary care.
As a narrative review and editorial, this article does not present original research data, clinical trial results, or comparative effectiveness evidence for any specific treatment. It cannot establish causation or prove efficacy of recommended therapies, and the proposed mechanisms of disease remain speculative. The prevalence estimates cited are not rigorously validated in this paper, and the article does not demonstrate that any single intervention is superior to others.
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
Cramer, C R (1998). Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: an update for athletic trainers.. Journal of athletic training. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16558535/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-cramer-1998-fibromyalgia-chronic,
author = {Cramer, C R},
title = {Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: an update for athletic trainers.},
journal = {Journal of athletic training},
year = {1998},
note = {PubMed: 16558535},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cramer-1998-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/cramer-1998-fibromyalgia-chronic
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