The AAO Journal, 2025/06, 35(2):14. doi: 10.53702/i2375-5717-35.2.13, type of study: ,cr,

Full text    (https://aaoj.kglmeridian.com/view/journals/aaoj/35/2/article-p13.xml)

Keywords:

case report [736]
chronic fatigue syndrome [16]
female [655]
myalgic encephalomyelitis [8]
OMT [3925]
osteopathic manipulative treatment [3946]
women [608]

Abstract:

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, multi system disease affecting 1.3% of the U.S. population according to the CDC. The hallmark symptom is post-exertional malaise (PEM), an inability to recover energy after exertion leading to extreme fatigue and pain, and there are currently no treatments for it. A proposed mechanism of action discovered for ME/CFS in 2021 suggests that OMT could be an excellent therapy. Our patient is a 30 year old female with ME/CFS whose PEM symptoms we successfully treated with muscle energy and MFR to the thoracic and lumbar spine, as well as lymphatic drainage. No other treatment option this patient had followed had previously helped with her PEM symptoms. This case demonstrates that OMT can be a viable treatment for these painful and exhausting episodes that drain quality of life based on subjective patient feedback since objective measures to show improvement of ME/CFS symptoms do not exist, and recommends the use of OMT in the clinic for patients suffering from ME/CFS.