Goldenberg, D L · Current opinion in rheumatology · 1997
This review examines three related conditions—fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and myofascial pain syndrome—and discusses ongoing challenges in diagnosing and treating them. The study found that psychiatric conditions are not a core feature of these diseases, but rather reflect that people with these conditions are more likely to seek medical help. The researchers identified that a blood pressure problem called neurally mediated hypotension may play a role in ME/CFS, and that treating patients in multidisciplinary groups (rather than in isolation) showed more promise than traditional individual treatments.
This study addresses fundamental diagnostic and treatment questions that remain relevant for ME/CFS patients struggling with recognition and care. By challenging psychiatric-centric explanations for these diseases, it supports the biological basis of ME/CFS and validates patient experiences. The finding that multidisciplinary group treatment shows promise offers practical guidance for healthcare providers seeking more effective management strategies.
This review does not establish causation between neurally mediated hypotension and ME/CFS—only an association. It does not prove that psychiatric comorbidity is entirely absent in these conditions, only that it may be secondary to medical illness and healthcare-seeking rather than primary. The review does not provide definitive treatment protocols or demonstrate that any specific intervention is curative.
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 →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Goldenberg, D L (1997). Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.. Current opinion in rheumatology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9135918/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-goldenberg-1997-fibromyalgia-chronic,
author = {Goldenberg, D L},
title = {Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain syndrome.},
journal = {Current opinion in rheumatology},
year = {1997},
note = {PubMed: 9135918},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/goldenberg-1997-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/goldenberg-1997-fibromyalgia-chronic
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