Monday, September 28, 2009

RES: Treatment survey results from 695 members of ME Action (1990)

[I know Co-Cure generally likes up-to-date information but I think most
people won't have seen this survey before and treatment surveys must be one
of the topics that most interest people]

In June, I sent out a message with details of the responses to 10 surveys
organised in various countries (the UK, the US, the Netherlands, and
Norway), with a particular focus on the rate of adverse reactions to Graded
Exercise Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy programmes. This was my
draft submission on the CDC draft 5-year plan. I requested details of
surveys in other countries but was not sent any. This article is now neatly
laid out on the website of ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc (SA=South Australia):
http://tinyurl.com/GETsurveys
i.e.
http://sacfs.asn.au/news/2009/09/09_20_adverse_reactions_to_get.htm


I thought I'd send out details of another survey that I forgot to include.
It's appended below.


Tom Kindlon


================
In 1990, ME Action (now Action for ME www.afme.org.uk) conducted a survey
amongst its members of treatments they had tried, which received 695
responses.

This list is sorted by the percentage who found a treatment useful, in
descending order

Column 1: % Useful
Column 2: % No effect
Column 3: % Harmful
Column 4: % Trying this therapy
Column 5: Number of answers on this therapy

Therapy

Rest 94.5 5.2 0.3 88.9 618

Hydrotherapy (warm baths etc.) 79.6 11.1 9.3 15.5 108

Relaxation techniques 79.5 20.2 0.3 49.1 341

Diet 73.2 24-1 2.7 80.1 557

Massage 64.2 17.6 18.1 29.4 204

Natural anti-candida treatment 55.4 38.3 6.4 42.9 298

Healing 54.4 44.0 1.6 26.2 182

Aromatherapy 50.9 45.4 3.7 23.5 163

Antidepressants 49.4 22.9 27.7 48.3 336

Vitamins and Minerals 49.2 48.0 2.8 87.2 606

Colonic Irrigation 47.5 45.9 6.6 8.8 61

Enemas 47.4 39.5 13.2 5.5 38

EPD Allergy Desensitisation 47.0 42.2 10.8 11.9 83

Anti-candida drug therapy 46.5 37.9 15.6 36.8 256

Evening Primrose Oil (EFA's) 45.8 50.2 4.0 72.8 506

Probiotics (Acidophilus etc.) 43.4 50.0 6.6 43.5 302

Reflexology 43.2 40.9 15.9 19.0 132

Oxygen sleep apnoea treatment 42.9 57.1 0.0 1.0 7

Homeopathy 42.1 48.1 9.8 45.4 316

Desensitisation 42.0 44.0 14.0 7.2 50

Herbal Remedies 40.8 51.8 7.3 35.3 245

Gamma Globulin 40.0 41.7 18.3 8.6 60

Acupuncture/Acupressure 40.8 48.7 10.5 27.5 191

Sleep treatment Charing X 33.3 50.0 16.7 0.9 6

Dental Amalgam Removal 32.7 60.0 7.3 7.9 55

Amino Acids 26.6 62.6 10.8 20.0 139

Germanium 18.9 64.9 16.2 21.3 148

Royal Jelly 15.3 73.0 11.7 44.2 307

**Graded exercise programme 37.0 13.4 49.6 18.3 127

Tranquillisers 36.6 23.2 40.2 16.1 112

Fasting 32.9 22.4 44.7 12.2 85

Steroid drugs 14.3 20.4 65.3 7.1 49

Antibiotics 11.3 16.7 72.1 29.4 204

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