This scale is from ‘The Doctor’s Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’, by David S Bell, pages 122-123.
Copyright in the following excerpts remains with David S Bell, MD.
The attempt is to document as accurately as possible the severity of symptoms, the degree of activity impairment with both activity and rest, and the functional ability regarding full-time work … This disability rating scale has been developed in our office and any physician wishing to use it may feel free to do so.
- 100
- No symptoms at rest. No symptoms with exercise; normal overall activity level; able to work full-time without difficulty.
- 90
- No symptoms at rest; mild symptoms with activity; normal overall activity level; able to work full-time without difficulty.
- 80
- Mild symptoms at rest, symptoms worsened by exertion; minimal activity restriction noted for activities requiring exertion only; able to work full-time with difficulty in jobs requiring exertion.
- 70
- Mild symptoms at rest; some daily activity limitation clearly noted. Overall functioning close to 90% of expected except for activities requiring exertion. Able to work full-time with difficulty.
- 60
- Mild to moderate symptoms at rest; daily activity limitation clearly noted. Overall functioning 70%-90%. Unable to work full-time in jobs requiring physical labor, but able to work full-time in light activities if hours flexible.
- 50
- Moderate symptoms at rest; moderate to severe symptoms with exercise or activity; overall activity level reduced to 70% of expected. Unable to perform strenuous duties, but able to perform light duty or desk work 4-5 hours a day, but requires rest periods.
- 40
- Moderate symptoms at rest. Moderate to severe symptoms with exercise or activity; overall activity level reduced to 50%-70% of expected. Not confined to house. Unable to perform strenuous duties; able to perform light duty or desk work 3-4 hours a day, but requires rest periods.
- 30
- Moderate to severe symptoms at rest. Severe symptoms with any exercise; overall activity level reduced to 50% of expected. Usually confined to house. Unable to perform any strenuous tasks. Able to perform desk work 2-3 hours a day, but requires rest periods.
- 20
- Moderate to severe symptoms at rest. Severe symptoms with any exercise; overall activity level reduced to 30%-50% of expected. Unable to leave house except rarely; confined to bed most of day; unable to concentrate for more than 1 hour a day.
- 10
- Severe symptoms at rest; bedridden the majority of the time. No travel outside of the house. Marked cognitive symptoms preventing concentration.
- 0
- Severe symptoms on a continuous basis; bedridden constantly; unable to care for self.
Details of the book:
‘The Doctor’s Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’
by David S Bell.
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Mass.
Copyright © 1994, 1995.
All I can saw is some ME patients dont fit at all into the severity scales like this out there. My ME flares with activity and flares so severely and rapidly that I cant really do much activity at all. Im probably well below 30% with my physical activity level which would put me in that aspect as a 10 on that scale but I have NO SYMPTOMS usually at rest.
Im so sick with the dysautonomia (POTS) part of the ME that Im unable to do enough exercise/activity to cause post exertional fatigue/malaise nowdays as I collapse and and go unconsious or into like a seizure on slight activity. My POTS activity level threshold is nowdays lower then my ME activity threshold (thou of cause the POTS is also part of my ME).
With collapsing thou (which I do recover from fast as its POTS) but it leaves me with being unable to really over exert in the ME kind of way any more of then having the post exertional symptoms. So hence I wake up in the morning feeling okay and usually without symptoms which I wont get at all unless I try to do something then POTS stops me.
I only get out of my house to do basic shopping and doctors appointments and need to have someone with me at all times when out due to the collapses. At home I basically rest all day, sitting with legs up.
I can get away with staying out of bed during the day as long as I dont do physical stuff eg dont shower, dont get dressed and I just sit all day with legs up, dont cook all my meals, talking to someone face to face for 2 hrs is physical for me and can collapse me… As as i only do those things twice a week..Im not confined to bed.
So where does one who can basically remain symptom free by doing hardly anything, fit on these scales????
……