By michael - February, 18th 2014

The list goes on and on. So how do we address the issue? What can be done to rectify the problem? Before we can offer any solutions, we have to identify the problem. Fatigue is closely interrelated to other problems in that it can be a symptom of them, or it can be the cause. The most obvious cause of fatigue would be a lack of sleep, but other factors would include stress, anxiety and poor health. It can also be a cause of these problems. Furthermore, fatigue can be the symptom of other problems such as hypoxia and dehydration.

The claim: Hypnosis plus cognitive behavioral therapy is enough to thwart fatigue for six months or longer, says a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The research: In the study, 200 breast cancer patients on a six-week radiotherapy course at Mount Sinai Hospital were randomly scheduled to receive either cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnosis (CBTH) or meeting with a psychologist twice a week for 15 minutes. On their last day of radiation, the women participated in one last 30-minute session of CBTH. When the researchers checked in four weeks later, the group undergoing CBTH felt 79% less fatigue than the control group—and that feeling lasted for six months.

What it means: Fatigue is what is known as a non-volitional outcome—or, “you don’t try to feel tired, but you just do,” explains study author Guy H. Montgomery, PhD, director of the Integrative Behavioral Medicine Program Cancer Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Hospital. And according …

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