Aggressive rest therapy

Aggressive rest therapy or ART is a behavioral treatment developed for ME/CFS involving choosing to rest, even at times when the person has enough energy that they feel able to do some activity.

Gregg Fisher, who coined the term Aggressive Rest Therapy describes it has:

Theory
Aggressive rest therapy was devised by the father of an adult patient with ME/CFS, based on the observation that activity made patients worse, medication and experimental treatments were not a cure, and only rest seemed to make symptoms less severe. It was thought that rest may not only lessen symptoms but may be a potential cure for ME/CFS.

Gregg Fisher states that he and his wife had both spent considerable energy seeking out and trying experimental treatments, and the energy spent on this had not allowed them time to rest.

Evidence
No clinical trials have been conducted on the effectiveness of aggressive rest therapy. Only very limited accounts of individual patient experiences exist.

Costs and availability
Free. No equipment is needed.