Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME
Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ ME
Spontaneous recovery from CFS / ME occurs in 80-90% of patients eventually.
Conventional treatment of CFS / ME
Conventional treatment tends to centre round antidepressants and pain-killers which only help some people. Depression occurs in a surprisingly small number of patients and anti-depressants do not always improve fatigue. Rest is an important part of the management of CFS / ME and graded exercise within the individual’s capacity is beneficial. Too much exercise can cause relapse so the key word is ‘pacing’ – always operating within energy limits and never hitting or passing those limits if possible.
Complementary treatment of CFS / ME
Acupuncture can help but many treatments may be needed. Most patients have nutritional deficiencies, apart from magnesium, and adequate replacement of these can result in significant clinical improvement. ATP abnormalities can indicate major specific deficiencies in Vitamin B3. Classical homeopathy can be helpful with constitutional and pathological approaches and the use of ‘nosodes’ is often important. Complex homeopathy can help eliminate the effects of old viral infections and ‘organ-support’ can be provided for those organs which appear to be functioning least well – usually liver and large intestine. Dealing with food intolerances, healing and treatment of abnormal gut fermentation can all improve the function of the ailing immune system and move the patient towards recovery. As with our approach with other conditions, selecting the best combination for each CFS / ME patient gives the best results.
