Awareness and Perception of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Among Pain Specialists: A Questionnaire-Based Study.

Observed Findings

• Only 39.6% of pain specialists surveyed had heard of myalgic encephalomyelitis.
• Approximately 37.7% of participants believed ME/CFS is a subtype of depression.
• Over half of participants (50.9%) agreed that chronic fatigue improves with intense aerobic exercise.
• 65.9% of physicians stated they rarely or occasionally considered the relationship between fatigue and orthostatic intolerance when evaluating patients.
• When considering ME/CFS diagnosis, 32.1% most frequently referred patients to physical medicine and rehabilitation departments.

Inferred Conclusions

• Pain specialists in Turkey lack sufficient awareness and accurate knowledge of ME/CFS, with significant misconceptions about its relationship to depression and the appropriateness of aerobic exercise.
• Physicians who were unaware of ME/CFS nomenclature and those who disregarded dysautonomic components were more likely to endorse harmful treatment recommendations.
• Standardized clinical guidelines and targeted education for pain specialists are needed to improve ME/CFS recognition and management.
• Pain medicine may be an underutilized specialty for ME/CFS management, particularly for widespread pain symptoms, if specialists receive adequate training.

Remaining Questions