---
title: "Non‑pharmacological interventions for fatigue in chronic musculoskeletal conditions: scoping revie"
id: "bmj-open-3-non-pharmacological-interventions-for-managing-fatigue-across-the-lifespan-of"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-3-non-pharmacological-interventions-for-managing-fatigue-across-the-lifespan-of"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "General"
source_name: "BMJ Open"
source_url: "http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/8/e108929?rss=1"
published_at: "2026-08-04T10:36:42.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Non‑pharmacological interventions for fatigue in chronic musculoskeletal conditions: scoping revie
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-3-non-pharmacological-interventions-for-managing-fatigue-across-the-lifespan-of
- **Specialty:** [General](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/general.md)
- **Primary Source:** BMJ Open
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/8/e108929?rss=1)
- **Published At:** 2026-08-04T10:36:42.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- This scoping review mapped evidence on non‑pharmacological interventions targeting **fatigue** in people with chronic **musculoskeletal (MSK)** conditions across the lifespan. It aimed to summarise intervention types, participant characteristics, theoretical bases and required clinical competencies. - The review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and searched AMED, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHLPlus, EMBASE, SCOPUS and Cochrane databases for studies published from 1 January 2007 to 1 February 2026. - Peer‑reviewed primary studies were included if they described a non‑pharmacological intervention intended to reduce MSK fatigue or its impact. Title/abstract and full‑text screening were performed in duplicate by two reviewers. - A total of 337 studies met inclusion criteria. The most frequently studied conditions were **fibromyalgia**, **rheumatoid arthritis** and **systemic lupus erythematosus**. - **Physical activity** was the most common intervention type. Most studies involved adult participants and approximately 82% of participants were female. - The majority (245) of included studies evaluated single‑component interventions. Only 80 studies reported an explicit **theoretical basis** or the **clinical competencies** required to deliver the intervention. - Common exclusion criteria across studies were physical comorbidities, psychiatric disease or unstable health conditions, and cognitive impairments, indicating many populations were omitted. - The review identified gaps: limited investigation of combined or multi‑component interventions for person‑centred fatigue management, underreporting of theoretical underpinnings and clinician skills, and exclusion of diverse patient groups. - The authors highlight the need to understand how individual characteristics interact with needs, to define intervention theory and clinician skills, and to adopt more inclusive eligibility criteria. Priorities for research and practice were to be identified in collaboration with patient and public involvement groups.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
Objectives Fatigue is an important and distressing symptom for many people living with chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. Non-pharmacological interventions designed to reduce fatigue have been investigated but the evidence is disparate across MSK conditions and across the lifespan. This scoping review aimed to create an overview of the current knowledge of non-pharmacological interventions for fatigue in MSK conditions across the lifespan, including their theoretical bases, the characteristics of participants and the clinical competencies of those delivering interventions. It aimed to use these findings to identify priorities for research and practice in collaboration with patient and public involvement groups. Design A scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Data sources AMED, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHLPlus (EBSCO platform), EMBASE (Ovid platform), SCOPUS and Cochrane databases were searched for studies published between 1 January 2007 and 1 February 2026. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Peer-reviewed primary research studies describing a non-pharmacological intervention with either the intention or effect of reducing MSK fatigue and its impact were included. Data extraction and synthesis Title and abstract and subsequent full-text review were performed by two independent reviewers in duplicate. Data were charted in categories according to types of intervention, participant characteristics and theoretical bases. Descriptive analysis of the results is presented. Results 337 studies met the criteria. Conditions most frequently studied included fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Physical activity was the most common intervention type, most participants were adults and approximately 82% were female. 245 studies reported single component interventions, and 80 included a theoretical basis or the clinical competencies required to deliver them. Common exclusion criteria were physical comorbidities, psychiatric disease or unstable health conditions and cognitive impairments. Conclusions Few studies have examined how combining single-component interventions can support person-centred fatigue management, and many populations have been excluded from research. To tailor interventions for people with MSK conditions, it is essential to understand how individual characteristics interact with health needs, define the underlying theory, identify the clinical skills required for effective delivery and have more inclusive inclusion criteria.
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