Jo Nijs

Jo Nijs, PT, MT, PhD, is an associate professor in Physiotherapy, Human Physiology, and Anatomy at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium. He is a physiotherapist/manual therapist at the University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium and holder of the Chair 'Exercise immunology and chronic fatigue in health and disease' funded by the European College for Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy. He runs the international research group [www.paininmotion.be Our Pain in Motion] which studies the interactions between pain and body movement and focuses on central sensitization in various chronic pain disorders including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Notable studies

• 2018, Cerebral Blood Flow and Heart Rate Variability in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Randomized Cross-Over Study (Full Text)
• 2014, Altered immune response to exercise in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a systematic literature review (Full Text)
• 2013, The role of mitochondrial dysfunctions due to oxidative and nitrosative stress in the chronic pain or chronic fatigue syndromes and fibromyalgia patients: peripheral and central mechanisms as therapeutic targets? (Abstract)

Talks and interviews

• 2015, Exercise therapy for chronic pain: retraining mind & brain
• 2014, Treatment of central sensitization pain: targeting bottom-up or top-down mechanisms?

Online presence

• RearchGate
• The World Confederation for Physical Therapy Biography

Learn more

• Institution

cerebral 1. of or relating to the brain or the intellect 2. of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum.

heart rate variability (HRV) - A measurement of the variability of the heart rate over time. When the heart rate is consistent, there will be a low heart rate variability. When the heart rate is constantly changing, there will be a high heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is often used by ME/CFS patients to monitor their autonomic nervous system, as high heart rate variability is associated with the sympathetic nervous system and low heart rate variability is associated with the parasympathetic nervous system.

mitochondria Important parts of the biological cell, with each mitochondrion encased within a mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondria are best known for their role in energy production, earning them the nickname "the powerhouse of the cell". Mitochondria also participate in the detection of threats and the response to these threats. One of the responses to threats orchestrated by mitochondria is apoptosis, a cell suicide program used by cells when the threat can not be eliminated.