What
is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disorder that causes
inexplicable tiredness or lack of energy for a period longer than six
months, that cannot be ascribed to any known medical condition. It
affects millions of people, occurring mainly in adults aged 20 to 40
years and in twice as many women as men. Life events such as childbirth
and menopause as well as socially imposed roles, may confer unique
vulnerability to women. Primary
Signs and Symptoms of CFS:
In
addition to persistent fatigue, not caused by other known medical
conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome has eight possible primary signs
and symptoms. These include: - Loss of
memory and/or concentration
- Chronic
sore throats
- Painful
and mildly enlarged lymph nodes in neck or armpits (axillae)
- Unexplained
muscle soreness
- Pain
that moves from one joint to another without swelling or redness
- Headache
of a new type, pattern or severity
- Sleep
disturbances
- Extreme
exhaustion after normal exercise or exertion
People
suffering from CFS, have reported various signs and symptoms that are
not part of the official definition of the condition as determined by
the International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study Group. These include:
- Abdominal
pain
- Alcohol
intolerance
- Bloating
- Chest
pain
- Chronic
cough
- Diarrhoea
- Dizziness
- Dry eyes
and mouth
- Earache
- Irregular
heartbeat
- Jaw pain
- Morning
stiffness
- Nausea
- Night
sweats
- Psychological
problems, such as depression, irritability, anxiety disorders and panic
attacks
- Shortness
of breath
- Tingling
sensations
- Weight
loss
Contributing
factors to CFS:
- Metabolic
energy deficiency or NAD Energy Deficiency (NED)
- Environmental
stressors, atmospheric chemical and electro-magnetic pollutants and
radioactive outfall
- Prolonged
psychological and emotional stress
- Chronic
septic foci, like sub-clinical dental pathologies
Treatment
of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Many
years of experience proved that a sustained multi-disciplinary approach
is the most successful method of treatment. Such a
multi-disciplinary approach will focus on:
- Lifestyle
- Physical
therapy
- Diet and
nutrition
- Homeopathy
- Homotoxicology
- Phytotherapy
A
healthy well balanced life-style is of great importance and has to be
established and maintained. This should include:
- Sufficient
sleep and rest
- Relaxation
activities and moderate exercise are most beneficial. This includes
yoga, Pilates, a daily walking program, water aerobics etc.
- Reading
positive and life-enriching works
- Caring
for a pet
- Regular
religious activity
- Physical
therapies can benefit CFS sufferers immensely
In our
practice we use: - Regular
osteopathic treatments
- Regular
full-body massages with aromatic oils as dictated by the individual
case.
- Electromagnetic
field therapy can be of considerable value and we recommend daily
sessions initially until symptoms improve, followed by maintenance
sessions.
Diet and
nutrition A
healthy diet is crucial for building the immune system to overcome CFS.
Avoid all fast foods i.e. foods low in nutrients and high in sugar and
fat. Rather concentrate on high nutrient, high protein (fish, free
range poultry and nuts), complex carbohydrate foods like vegetables,
whole grains and legumes. (Avoid poultry treated with antibiotics and
fed with hormonal growth stimulants.) Eight
to ten glasses of pure natural water have to be taken daily (if reverse
osmosis water is used, make herbal teas or enrich the water by adding
freshly-made vegetable or fruit juice to it). If
candidiases is present, the four-phase diet is recommended. This diet
excludes all sugar, alcohol and refined carbohydrates, milk products
(lactose), honey, and dried as well as some fresh fruits. No
caffeine-containing substances should be taken. The fourth phase of the
4-Phase Candida Diet has proven to be of great value to many CFS
sufferers. If food
allergies or food sensitivities are present such allergens should be
excluded from the diet. An
in depth-evaluation of nutritional deficiencies is a necessity,
preferably by electro-dermal screening and relevant blood tests.
Deficiencies should be corrected with high quality supplements.
In
CFS it is imperative to measure NAD and NADH levels by having the
relevant blood tests done to establish if a metabolic energy deficiency
exists, so that the correct NAD nutritional supplementation can be
prescribed. Allergy
testing by electro-dermal testing and blood tests, IGE, phadiotop and
relevant Rast test are invaluable to eliminate allergens in the diet
and the environment to assist with the efficacy of the therapy in
general. If the patient presents with a leaky gut syndrome, there is an
established protocol that will be implemented to treat this.
Homeopathic
treatment: We
endeavour to find the homeopathic similimum; that is, the homeopathic
remedy that will cover the symptom picture of the patient in totality.
Homotoxicology
Homotoxicological
protocols for CFS are well-established and has proved to be of great
benefit; again the individual symptom picture dictates the remedies of
choice. Phytotherapeutical
treatment Depending
on the symptom picture and the condition of the patient a treatment
protocol will be planned and the appropriate herbal remedies
prescribed. Numerous phytotherapeutic remedies are indicated in the chronic fatigue syndrome
treatment program. | 
