Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) Is Only Indirectly Caused By Exercise! - MECFS

Many people who experience post-exertional malaise become afraid of exercising and using their muscles. Many treatments focus on gradually increasing your exercise intensity to overcome this fear. Unfortunately, the mechanical methods (such as pacing) to gradually increase your exercise rarely work. Part of the reason for this is that we make exercise dangerous in our minds.

Luckily, exercise only indirectly triggers PEM. Okay, you are moving your muscles, but there is something else going on at an unconscious level. Once we find this other stressor and allow you to focus on it, you will experience PEM immediately. In other cases, movement loosens a stressor from your tissue and muscles. If you come home after exercise and experience PEM, you can connect with the stressor. After a successful release, the PEM will vanish instantly.