Gerow, G, Poierier, M B, Alt, R · Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics · 1992
This study describes a 36-year-old woman who came to her doctor with severe fatigue and symptoms that looked like an immune system problem, but was eventually diagnosed with ME/CFS instead. The doctors used specific criteria to confirm the diagnosis. The patient reported feeling somewhat better after receiving chiropractic treatment, though this was only one person's experience.
This study contributes to understanding how ME/CFS can be distinguished from other conditions that produce similar symptoms, particularly immune deficiency presentations. It also documents an early clinical observation about a complementary therapy approach, which may encourage further investigation into symptom management strategies for ME/CFS patients.
This single case cannot establish that chiropractic manipulation is an effective treatment for ME/CFS, as there is no control group, blinding, or objective outcome measurements. The improvement reported could be due to placebo effect, natural disease fluctuation, or other concurrent factors. One patient's positive experience does not prove the treatment works for the broader ME/CFS population.
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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