Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Hi Bluefloppy

So sorry to hear your daughter has CFS - so restricting and debilitating (don't I know it!!!) There is a lot that can be done to help. Food intolerances often play a part, imbalanced gut bacteria, viral infections (see boosting the immune system, - about antiviral function). A nutritional therapist will help to support her and unpeel the layers that have built up to cause the problem.

There is also much that has been posted on HP in the past on CFS and if you read the info I posted on and want to know more then please ask. I received no help whatsoever from the NHS, apart from diagnosis. Unfortunately it's a question of searching oneself. There are various dedicated websites with lots of info on them if you Google it.

Wishing her improved health.

Hello there,
I am sorry to hear of your daughters CF.

so restricting and debilitating (don't I know it!!!)

Me too, what I do today, I pay for the days that follow.

I follow a very healthy diet and have learnt to accept that 'it's the way it is' - I know this is no real help for your daughter but often I find pacing myself helps.

Best wishes.

Hi Guys,

Looking for a bit of advice - my daughter has just been diagnosed as having CFS. We saw a very helpful nurse yesterday - but I am looking for alternative therapies that could help.

She has been ill since December and we only managed to get the surgery to refer her last month!

Anyways - I am a massage therapist, as well as practice reiki, reflexology and other massage therapies
I saw a thread about the spine and the thorasic muscles being tender - not really sure massage is appropriate

Any ideas with regards to diet?

Any help would be gratefully received

Hi, i deal with chronic fatigue symptoms as a massage therapist and would highly recommend it.
It is common to have tender pain in the spinal regions as many of the health points for the whole body are situated here.
I would suggest , as mentioned to accept it for what it is. Basically you are dealing with extreme low energy, or a malfunction of the body to maintain an optimum level to function.
Please, please, try not to get into the 'habit' of accepting the label it has been given 'CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME!:eek: as this can deter you away from seeing it in its many parts. I also treat sufferers of M.E. which in 'chinese medicine' is seen as CFS, but because it has been given this 'label' it can give rise to even more low feeling than is needed.

As you are dealing with energy i would recommend seeing and energy worker i.e. acupuncturist, but try to find one that practices Tuina too, as this can also remove any muscular tension that usually show with these symptoms.
A good therapist will be able to manage the dietry aspect too, if not a dietition would be good.

3 components to be mindful of:

1. energy balancing - acupuncture
2. physical balancing - tuina
3. Nutritional balancing - Diet.....it is good to begin to discover 'power' foods that will help sustain energy levels while the body repairs itself. I remember a patient that kept a food diary for a week once, it seemed very back to front! all that was needed was to swap her daily meals arounds to account for energy usage throughout the day and this little thing made a huge difference.

There is a possibility that homeopathy might help in the initial stages.

Also fitness can decline, so i would whole heartedly recommend Tai Chi to maintain physical health as this will cultivate and gradually build energy without the energy expenditure of other means. Theres always a decent teacher near by.

A good thing to remember is that we all suffer from the same things at one point in our lives, just to different degrees.

"A man who makes matchstick houses, does not require the energy of an athlete!" (if you get my meaning).

Good luck

INDO

Thanks for your comments everyone - I had, after reading a few posts that I would do back massage as I read the thoratic spine was usually painful - she has been told to eat little and often.

I am trying to get her an appointment with a healer I know who is very good, that should be at the beginning of September.

All your comments and hints are very gratefully received!

She has been suffering since December and took us over 6 months to get a referral - was told on Thursday that Children should be referred after just 3 and adults after 4 months!

Thank you!

Hello,

Sorry to hear about your daughter. I can sympathise, having suffered from CF for nearly two years after a bout of Glandular Fever. This was 20 years ago.

I remember having an aromatherapy massage and that gave me some temporary but welcome relief and energy but what really sorted it for me was homeopathy. I saw a renowned homeopath in Amersham - PM if you want his details. As well as the remedy he gave me, he also recommended cutting out red meat, wheat and coffee. I went the whole hog and cut out all meat. Cutting out wheat was actually quite easy although the coffee was harder to do.

Within 6 months I was so much better. I continued to have the occcasional bout of tiredness every few months but this only lasted another couple of years and I could easily deal with it, and was back to my normal routine.

So I would definitely recommened homeopathy and nutrition for CF, even above the therapies I practice.

Hope this helps.

Hiya, have posted many times on this about my own and the experiences of client's too.. do peek at the previous posts, there are many out there, many real experiences and ideas from folk in the know.

One thing to be aware of is the impact of any therapy on a CFS sufferer.

I would suggest the following website, also linked it before in other posts..

Heavy metal toxicity can be of interest too... which is in the above link.
As a practitioner of natural healing, I can vouch for this technique and its use with any fatigue disorder.. there are specific protocols for this which your daughter may find very beneficial. For many, it is sensitivity to the environment, be it emotional or physical and these techniques can help to address that.

THe above has a list of practitioners, my geography isn't great, so unsure who is closest, if you can travel, I can vouch for Steve Bishop and Del Jonyes as practitioners. I've not met Sabina Zielinska, but she has developed some of the techniques and would therefore be very knowledgeable.

Above all, get her drinking LOTS of fresh water, get her diet sorted and get her to never use more than 70% of her energy before resting.. let her travel towards a recovery plan in her own time, this is part of the process and it is important she can take ownership of it. (This is hard as someone who cares for her, but key). This is a journey that can be taken with support.. but at a pace not overwhelming..

There is also a book called Why Me? They stock it on Amazon.. it's a good read and very inciteful for both sufferers and carers and offers an honest insight..

Please let us know how she is going .. hope all turns out well for her.. and you..

Chronic Fatigue

I have posted some information which may help you - please view via this link:

Helpful therapist

Hi,
Take a look at [url]Embracing Nutrition - Jo Gamble - Nutrition Therapy Coventry Midlands[/url], Jo's daughter had multiple auto immune diseases and so Jo studied nutrition therapy to help her. She is now highly qualified in the subject and offers consultations via her clinic or by telephone or skype. There is also an article relating to chronic fatigue syndrome on the news page of her website [url]Latest Nutrition News - Coventry Midlands - Jo Gamble[/url] . Hope this may help.