Nijs, Jo, Adriaens, Jan, Schuermans, Daniel et al. · Physiotherapy theory and practice · 2008 · DOI
This small study looked at whether some ME/CFS patients have a breathing pattern problem where their chest and belly don't move together smoothly (asynchronous breathing). Researchers found that about 1 in 4 ME/CFS patients had this pattern, and a single 20-30 minute breathing retraining session helped these patients breathe more slowly and deeply right after the session.
Breathing dysfunction may contribute to symptoms in some ME/CFS patients, and identifying specific breathing abnormalities could help tailor treatments. If asynchronous breathing affects a meaningful subgroup, targeted breathing retraining might offer a non-invasive intervention avenue worth further investigation.
This pilot study does not establish that asynchronous breathing causes ME/CFS symptoms or that a single breathing retraining session produces lasting improvements beyond the immediate post-intervention period. The small sample size and lack of long-term follow-up data limit conclusions about clinical significance or durability of effects.
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
Nijs, Jo, Adriaens, Jan, Schuermans, Daniel, Buyl, Ronald, & Vincken, Walter (2008). Breathing retraining in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.. Physiotherapy theory and practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593980701429406
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-nijs-2008-breathing-retraining,
author = {Nijs, Jo and Adriaens, Jan and Schuermans, Daniel and Buyl, Ronald and Vincken, Walter},
title = {Breathing retraining in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.},
journal = {Physiotherapy theory and practice},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1080/09593980701429406},
note = {PubMed: 18432511},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nijs-2008-breathing-retraining},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nijs-2008-breathing-retraining
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