Naturally Treating CFS

[SilverInfinity]

Naturally Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

[To] the average overworked, overstressed American, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) doesn’t sound like a disease. It sounds like reality.

But people with CFS aren’t just tired. Their exhaustion is so severe and persistent that normal activity is impossible. Chronic fatigue won’t go away after a good night’s sleep.

Other symptoms of CFS include fever, sore throat, muscle pain, sore lymph nodes and depression. Some patients also report dizziness, poor memory and difficulty concentrating.

Scientists still don’t know what causes CFS. Because the disease appears to weaken the immune system, many researchers suspect a virus that impairs immune reponse. The natural remedies in this chapter—used in conjunction with medical care and with your doctor’s approval—may help treat the symptoms and underlying causes of CFS, according to some health professionals.


See Your Medical Doctor When...

• You suffer unexplained tiredness that lasts for at least two weeks.
  
• You notice other symptoms such as muscle aches, pain, fever, nausea and depression.

Acupressure

Boost your physical condition to cope with the tired, weak feeling of CFS by stimulating point CV 6, says Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points. CV 6 is also called the Sea of Energy and is situated three finger-widths below the navel. (For help in locating this point, refer to the illustration on page 564.) Dr. Gach says to close your eyes and relax, breathe deeply and hold the point for two minutes. Pressing this point can also alleviate the dizziness and confusion sometimes experienced with this condition, he says.

Food Therapy

“CFS appears to be, at least partially, a cellular injury affecting many tissues and organs. A good place to start is to clean out the liver,” says Michael A. Klaper, M.D., a nutritional medicine specialist in Pompano Beach, Florida, and director of the Institute of Nutritional Education and Research, an organization based in Manhattan Beach, California, that teaches doctors about nutrition and its relationship to disease. “Get on a lean, clean, vegetable-based diet with little or no saturated fat. And increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods and essential fatty acids, such as those you get from nuts and grains.” (For good food sources of magnesium, see “Getting What You Need” on page 142.)

“What you put in your body makes all the difference in how well your immune system functions,” says Cherie Calbom, M.S., a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington, and co-author of Juicing for Life. Calbom speaks from experience. She and her husband fought CFS and won, a recovery she credits largely to dietary changes and fresh juices. She advises people with CFS to cut out caffeine, junk foods and foods made with refined flour (whole-grain breads are fine).

So what’s left to eat? “Raw, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean protein and juices,” says Calbom. “They’re loaded with nutrients that build the immune system. And by eliminating processed foods from your diet, you may discover hidden food allergies, which are common in people with CFS.”
Calbom’s CFS diet is made up of 50 to 75 percent raw foods. “Make half of that amount raw fruits, vegetables and salads and the other half raw juices,” she suggests.

Finally, Calbom advises CFS patients to limit or eliminate sugar, honey, corn syrup and even sugar substitutes. “Sugar weakens the immune system and encourages the buildup of bacteria in the system, which is why so many people with CFS are prone to yeast infections and candidiasis,” says Calbom. “Even fruit juices should be taken in moderation, and some patients can’t handle them at all. If you stick to vegetables and vegetable juices for the first month or two and introduce fruits gradually, you’ll be able to tell if they make your symptoms worse.”

Hydrotherapy

At Uchee Pines Institute, a natural healing center in Seale, Alabama, co-founder and co-director Agatha Thrash, M.D., a medical pathologist, treats CFS with a three-pronged approach of strict diet, gentle exercise and a 15-day regimen of therapeutic baths. By elevating the body temperature to 102°F for at least five minutes every day, the baths increase the number and activity of white blood cells, jump-starting the depressed immune system of the CFS patient, Dr. Thrash says.

Here are Dr. Thrash’s instructions for preparing the bath: Fill a bathtub halfway with comfortably warm water. Sit in the tub and immediately finish filling it with water that’s as hot as you can tolerate. Keep a basin of cold water within easy reach, so you can sponge off your face periodically. After soaking for about 10 minutes, begin taking your temperature at regular intervals. Once your body temperature reaches 102°F, usually within 20 to 25 minutes, stay in the tub for as long as you’re comfortable—up to another 45 minutes—adding hot water as necessary to keep your temperature at 102°.

While the 15-day regimen brings results in some patients, others find that their symptoms return when the series is finished. In such cases, start another 15-day series of baths, suggests Dr. Thrash.

In addition to the baths, Dr. Thrash recommends a vegetarian diet made up of whole grains, nuts, seeds and fresh fruits and vegetables; no meats, eggs or dairy products should be eaten. Dr. Thrash also advises her patients to take a daily walk at a comfortable pace, increasing the speed and distance as they become stronger.

Imagery

Close your eyes, breathe out three times and go inside your body, suggests New York City psychiatrist Gerald Epstein, M.D., in his book Healing Visualizations. Imagine yourself playing a flute while riding a polo pony and carrying a polo mallet in your saddle. Coax the viruses out of your organs by playing music, then kill them with the mallet. Then open your eyes.

Dr. Epstein suggests that you practice this imagery three times daily, three minutes a session, for nine cycles of 21 days on and 7 days off.

Sound Therapy

Listening to relaxing music for 20 to 30 minutes each day can ease stress and help build resistance to chronic fatigue, says Steven Halpern, Ph.D., composer, researcher and author of Sound Health: The Music and Sounds That Make Us Whole. To get started, he says, turn on the music, then sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Dr. Halpern suggests that you wear headphones to focus your full attention and avoid distraction. He recommends, however, that you keep the speakers playing, so your body absorbs the sound energy. While the music plays, let your breath slow down and become steady. Listen not just to the notes but to the silence between the notes. Dr. Halpern says this will keep you from analyzing the music, which will allow it to relax you.

For suggested pieces to relax by, see “Sailing Away to Key Largo” on page 129. Dr. Halpern especially recommends Spectrum Suite because, he says, it helps activate the body’s natural ability to balance and heal itself. Many of the works are available in music stores. For mail-order information, refer to the resource list on page 642.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

Flaxseed oil is an essential fatty acid that could help people with CFS, says Michael A. Klaper, M.D., a nutritional medicine specialist in Pompano Beach, Florida, and director of the Institute of Nutritional Education and Research, an organization based in Manhattan Beach, California, that teaches doctors about nutrition and its relationship to disease. His advice: Take up to two teaspoons a day, along with a magnesium supplement of 400 milligrams. Flaxseed oil is available in liquid and capsule form in most health food stores. If you choose to take the capsules, Dr. Klaper suggests following the label directions for dosage, but keep in mind that about three capsules equals one teaspoon of the liquid.

Use the food sensitivity diet (see “Food Sensitivity: How to Discover the ‘Healthy’ Foods That Can Cause Disease” on page 52) to eliminate any foods that might have a role in causing chronic fatigue, suggests David Edelberg, M.D., an internist and medical director of the American Holistic Cen ter/Chicago. He also says people with chronic fatigue may want to use the following nutritional regimen to help control the problem: one tablet of multi-amino acids three times a day; 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C twice a day; and 400 milligrams of magnesium aspartate a day. Multi-amino acids are available in most health food stores.

Yoga

Yoga gives more energy than it takes, so it’s a perfect way to combat CFS, according to Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. She recommends a daily routine that combines 5 minutes of the complete breath exercise (see page 152), 10 to 20 minutes of med i tation (see page 153) and your choice of three or four yoga poses from the Daily Routine, which begins on page 606. The poses will push more oxygen through your system and release muscle tension, according to Christensen. And, she says, the meditation will teach you how to conserve energy and build self-confidence.

See also Drowsiness; Fatigue

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Book.../21/80.cfm

[DreamTime]

Thank you SI, for taking the time to find out all of this information on CFS and posting it here.

[SilverInfinity]

Sure. I needed this information too. My schoolwork is not at top notch anymore because I always feel the need to lay down. If I don't, my muscles and breathing would feel heavy and concentrate wades while I try to read, write, or talk.

Hopefully everyone who has CFS can find a way to cure themselves or go inward and begin the process of creating a better situation. It's a disappointment that peers don't seem to understand and just label you lazy. It also gets in the way of life.

Btw, the CV 6 in the post seems to work somewhat in relieving CFS symptoms for me. It works even better if I used my right hand's three fingers (thumb, forefinger, and middle) against that point, placed my left hand's palm behind my neck, and imagine energy coursing thru from the fingers to the palm on every exhale. One to three cycles really rejuvenate me up. It doesn't alleviate any subtle dizziness sensations or headaches though. But push the point below the wrists at the middle on both hands. And then on both hands as well, push the top fold between thumb and forefinger. That should alleviate dizziness and headaches respectively.

Eye sensations or other physiological problems may still cause some lag feeling. Follow the Bates Method's shutting eyes tight, opening eyes wide, and frequent blinking. Finally, rotate the head clockwise and counter-clockwise at the neck, and then lean against each side of the shoulders, lean forward with the chin touching chest, and finally arc the head back. The reason why I said CV 6 worked somewhat is it doesn't fix up all symptoms.

The CFS patient should not take this as substitution for medical attention though doctors know no cure for CFS. You should perform these quick alleviations between 30 seconds to 2 minutes for every point. While these alleviations may work for you, work towards a permanent solution by going thru your diet and heading inwards to attract a different experience.

[DreamTime]

I'll have to try some of these next time I'm feeling tired or dizzy. :big grin:  I know more and more people I know are hearing about and praising acupuncture. Even my sister, who is skeptical about most things, is considering it after hearing how well it worked for her elderly neighbor. I just don't like the thought of all those needles in me. :eek:

[SilverInfinity]

Acupuncture probably works better than acupressure. :mad2:

But try out acupressure first and see if it works for you. I have tolerable results with the latest acupressure tip (the CV 6).

[PurpleParrot]

I think both are effective..yesterday I had a nasty headache for erm an obvious reason...I thought I could temporarily alleviate it by color therapy flushing/reiki..but when I was about to do it..my friend suggested acupressure on me..so she pressed on the point between my thumb and pointer finger..and another point on the palmar area near my thumb...the pain subsided..and I was like wow! Lol

i have gone for reflexology of the feet..it works too...

yoga helps me get through my life....

nearly everyday i have done at least a half hour of it for the past two or three weeks..if not longer when i attend classes that are an hour and forty five minutes long. i feel great afterwards...

if i didn't do it i wouldn't be feeling tone in my body,etc. i also feel more sensitive to auric fields as well....it makes me feel happy doing this....experiencing awareness and alleviating body tensions and pains...when my mind tunes into every stretch and releases what is felt there.

[SilverInfinity]

Stimulating Acupoints Helps Alertness
(via WebMD) Applying pressure of a nonacademic sort may help keep students awake during sleep-inducing lectures.

A new study shows that applying pressure to acupressure stimulation points during class can increase alertness in people who have to sit in a classroom all day, such as college and medical students.

Researchers found students attending all-day lecture classes who practiced a regimen of self-acupressure that focused on stimulation points were less sleepy than those who applied the same technique on acupressure relaxation points on their legs, hands, feet, and heads.

“Our finding suggests that acupressure can change alertness in people who are in classroom settings for a full day—which could be very good news for students who have trouble staying alert at school,” researcher Richard E. Harris, PhD, of the University of Michigan Health System’s Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, says in a news release.

Tapping and Massaging

In the study, which appears in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, researchers compared the effects of applying pressure to points on the body considered to trigger relaxation or stimulation according to acupressure techniques.

The 39 students were participating in three days of all-day lecture classes.

Acupressure stimulation points were:

The top of the head
The top of the back of the neck on both sides
On the back of the hands in between the thumb and forefinger
Just below both knees
On the bottom of the feet—at the center just below the balls of the feet

Acupressure relaxation points were:

Between the eyebrows
Just behind the earlobes
On the front of the wrists
On the lower legs above the ankles and toward the midline
On the top of the feet in between the large and second toes

The routines consisted of applying pressure to these points with light tapping of the fingers and massaging with the thumbs or forefingers.

Half of the students applied the stimulation acupressure regimen at lunchtime during the first day of class followed by two days on the relaxation regimen, and the other half followed the reverse schedule.

More Alert

The results showed that students reported significantly less sleepiness and fatigue on the days they used the acupressure stimulation regimen.

“The idea that acupressure can have effects on human alertness needs more study, including research that can examine the scope of influence acupressure can have on alertness and fatigue,” notes Harris.

“Ideally, research in the future will help us determine whether acupressure also can have an impact on performance in the classroom as well.”

SOURCES: Harris, R. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, August 2005; vol 11: pp 673-679. News release, University of Michigan Health System

http://www.thrivingnow.com/for/Health/category/Fatigue

[SilverInfinity]

Neuro Programmer 2 seems to help as well. I looped a frequency preset thru my entire sleep yesterday. Today I can focus better and it took more for exhaustion to set in. Dissociation became less frequent as well. It was clear my chronic fatigue improved. This was unexpected and non-placebo since the original intention with NP2 was to trigger a deep sleep state. But I know the effects were not exclusively attributed to "better sleep."

I heard 18 Hz is specific for treating CFS, and I have yet to test it personally.

[PurpleParrot]

I'm aware that there are lots of ways to treat an illness or a problem....but I thought of suggesting looking through ayurveda sites/books too..that could help with the CFS...they suggest doing certain things at certain times of the day depending on your constitution to increase your energy and alertness...

certain types of ayurvedic constitutions(vata, pitta,kapha)will be energetic at particular times of the day during specific seasons.

well it would be great to explore all things out there...

I just thought I would throw this in there..but always use discernment/proper judgment/intuitive feelings and be careful.

 

[SilverInfinity]

That's very interesting. I think it's possible that thru certain times of the day certain energy is activated. Like for instance, I don't know if this fits the analogy, but male hormones are supposedly at their peak at 10am.

On that note, I will look into what you mentioned when there's time. Thank you, Purple Parrot.

And on another note, my CFS has immensively improved. I didn't need to nap all day. :big grin::thumbsup:

However, I still suffer from panic attackst from left to right. It occasionally hurts that people would stare at me because of my many health conditions. Although they don't have these conditions, they should be more compassionate. Instead, people around me talk about who is successful and look down at me. I understand this very well because I used to be looked up to when I was psychic. Yet I never even looked down on people because they used to envy me. Then I used my powers to place a curse on myself.

But I have enough of being everyone's learning object for compassion now! This is just another thing to add to my manifest-away list permanently. Still, it will take some time to correct my thinking patterns to manifest good things at will. :mad2: My only encouragement is the smaller things that came true recently and those childhood experiences.

In all honestly, others around me will envy me again. And I hope they will learn when I don't look down at anyone. And since I could have done it in the begining, I'll set things right again by encouraging a nwo-less future ~ since I am to blame for not knowing about the nwo any earlier.