Short CommunicationThe effects of repeated thermal therapy for two patients with chronic fatigue syndrome
Introduction
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness characterized by disabling fatigue lasting for at least 6 months. There are many controlled trials and case-control treatment studies that utilized immunological substances, pharmacological products, nutritional supplements, physical therapies, and cognitive behavioral therapy [1]. Because of the unclear etiology, diagnostic uncertainty, and the resultant heterogeneity of the CFS population, there are no firmly established treatment recommendations for CFS [2].
Recently Peckerman et al. [3] found that patients with severe CFS had significantly lower stroke volume and cardiac output than controls did. We reported that thermal therapy using far-infrared ray dry sauna increased stroke volume and cardiac output in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Furthermore, the therapy improved the quality of life, sleep quality, and general well-being of these subjects [4]. Sauna bathing also alleviated pain and improved joint mobility in patients with rheumatic disease [5]. We hypothesized that thermal therapy may improve the subjective symptoms in CFS patients and performed this therapy on two patients with CFS.
Section snippets
Case 1
A female patient was admitted to our hospital, at age 26, with a 3-year history of general fatigue, femoral myalgia, low-grade fever, and sleep disturbance. The symptoms appeared after tonsillitis. The antinuclear antibody (ANA) level was 320-fold. The patient had attempted treatment with prednisolone (PSL) for 3 years, with no effect. She had stopped working for 3 years before admission. When she was admitted, she was periodically taking an oral dose of 5 mg of PSL daily and an analgesic, as
Results
In Case1, because the patient had increased myalgia and difficulty in walking from 1 week after the discontinuation of PSL, she was prescribed an analgesic that was taken three times daily. After 20 sessions of thermal therapy, her myalgia improved, thus, her analgesic medication was discontinued after 25 sessions. Body temperature was less than 37 °C after 15 sessions, and general fatigue improved after 20 sessions (Fig. 1). In Case 2, general fatigue and myalgia temporarily worsened after the
Discussion
Repeated thermal therapy was performed on two patients with CFS, and, after a dramatic improvement in their subjective symptoms, they became socially rehabilitated 6 months after discharge. After undergoing PSL therapy for 3 (Case 1) or 5 years (Case 2), both patients recovered remarkably, even after PSL medication was discontinued. Low-dose hydrocortisone may be efficacious in significant reduction in fatigue and disability in patients with CFS [15]. However, the side and long-term effects of
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