Fatigue is a common and often debilitating issue for individuals living with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD).
Despite its prevalence, the underlying causes of fatigue remain somewhat mysterious and can vary from person to person and even change over time. For those experiencing it, fatigue significantly disrupts daily life and must be addressed as a top priority.
Recognizing the substantial impact of fatigue on patients, there has been growing awareness in recent years. However, effectively managing fatigue is a complex challenge.
While some approaches have shown promise, there have been no official recommendations to guide healthcare professionals and patients in this regard, leading to inconsistent and fragmented fatigue care and support.
In response to this critical need, EULAR (the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology) has developed new recommendations for fatigue management in individuals with Inflammatory RMD.
These recommendations were presented at the 2023 EULAR congress and published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
The development of these guidelines was informed by two systematic literature reviews, which examined both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions aimed at reducing the severity and impact of fatigue while assisting individuals in developing effective coping strategies.
The newly released publication encompasses four overarching principles and four specific recommendations. These principles emphasize that healthcare professionals should recognize that fatigue is linked to a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.
Therefore, individuals with Inflammatory RMD should routinely monitor their fatigue levels, and management options should be integrated into their clinical care.
Crucially, the choice of fatigue management should result from a shared decision-making process involving the person with Inflammatory RMD and their healthcare professionals.
Furthermore, fatigue management strategies should be tailored to the individual’s unique needs and preferences. This approach should consider their disease activity, other coexisting health conditions, as well as individual psychosocial and contextual factors.
The specific recommendations highlight when fatigue assessments should be conducted and zero in on two primary types of interventions: physical activity and psychoeducation.
These interventions have demonstrated their effectiveness in helping manage fatigue, although the evidence for other approaches remains limited.
EULAR’s aspiration is that these recommendations will serve as a valuable starting point for healthcare professionals to address fatigue in people with Inflammatory RMD.
By providing guidance and a structured framework, these recommendations aim to empower healthcare teams to assist their patients in recognizing and effectively managing fatigue, thereby enhancing their overall quality of life.
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The research findings can be found in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
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