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Using Manual Lymphatic Drainage with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - a treatment breakthrough!Rapid relief from even years of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)Manual Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Find energy you thought you'd lost forever Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a fairly common disorder generally defined by persistent fatigue which is unrelated to exertion and not substantially relieved by rest. It is usually accompanied by the presence of other specific symptoms and lasts for a minimum of six months. By the time patients present for treatment, I often find they have been suffering with this problem from between 2 to 10 years, and so they are already very conversant with all the treatments that don't work for the relief of CFS. 
The disorder is sometimes referred to as Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS), when the condition arises following a flu-like illness, or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), or by several other terms. Aside from CFS, some other names used include Akureyri disease, benign myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome, chronic infectious mononucleosis, epidemic myalgic encephalomyelitis, epidemic neuromyasthenia, Iceland disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis, myalgic encephalitis, myalgic encephalopathy, post-viral fatigue syndrome, raphe nucleus encephalopathy, Royal Free disease, Tapanui flu and yuppie flu (considered disparaging). The disease process in Chronic Fatigue displays a range of neurological, immunological, and endocrine system abnormalities. Although classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) under Diseases of the nervous system, the causes, or origin, of CFS is currently unknown and there is no diagnostic laboratory test or biomarker.Characteristic symptoms in a previously healthy and active person include post-exertional malaise; unrefreshing sleep; widespread muscle and joint pain; cognitive difficulties; chronic, often severe, mental and physical exhaustion; 
and other symptoms including muscle weakness, hypersensitivity, orthostatic intolerance, digestive disturbances, depression, poor immune response, and cardiac and respiratory problems. It is unclear if these secondary symptoms occur together with the primary condition or whether they are the cause of the disease.For unknown reasons CFS occurs most often in people in their 40s and 50s, more often in women than men, and is less prevalent among children and adolescents. The majority of CFS cases start suddenly, usually accompanied by a "flu-like illness" while a significant proportion of cases begin within several months of severe adverse stress. In my own practice, I have noticed a distinct slant toward the previously athletic, business owners, sporty types, who often hold down 2 jobs, are married with children, and on the committee of several organizations like the PTA and the local council. It just seems to me particularly tragic that CFS can seek out and hit people who were previously so vibrant, creative, and energetic, and who worked 18 hours a day, only to go down with such a bang. I can only guess at the frustration this must cause. What are the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? 1). A new onset (not lifelong) of unexplained, persistent fatigue unrelated to exertion and not substantially relieved by rest, that causes a significant reduction in previous activity levels. 2). Four or more of the following symptoms that last six months or longer:
Why do you use Manual Lymphatic Drainage to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Because it seems to work! Please read this article I wrote several years ago about using MLD for the treatment of CFS which details how and why this treatment approach came to fruition, and take note of the research behind this wonderful discovery. There you will read about the benefits and some recent case histories. 
Bear in mind that by the time I see many of the patients that come to The Haven, they have tried everything their doctor has recommended, and some they haven't, and have begun to believe there is no cure for their condition. They have been suffering for years and the light at the end of the tunnel is looking decidedly dim. Most have tried various diets, physiotherapy, dietary supplements, antidepressants, pain killers, pacing, complementary and alternative medicine, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), graded exercise therapy (GET), the list goes on and on.For all the hype, CBT has been criticised by patients' organisations because of negative reports from some of their members that have indicated that CBT can sometimes make people worse, a common result across multiple patient surveys. Graded exercise therapy (GET) and Pacing are the object of the same criticism. What these all fail to realize is that CFS is not caused by a lack of exercise, muscle atrophy or laziness. On the contrary, patients normally have no issue with taking exercise, it is the inability to sustain exercise and movement that is the problem. They have nutritional energy, they have oxygen, they have circulation and everything they need to function normally, so building up endurance is not going to be a cure. So why do CFS patients feel so exhausted all the time and why is MLD the answer, do you think? In a nutshell, it has to do with the lymph system and its ability to 'cleans' the body of toxins and waste in a timely manner, before they can build up to the point of literally poisoning the body. 
When we move, by walking, stretching, exercising, or breathing, our muscles move and so our lymph moves too. In fact, movement drives the lymph to collection points in the body, where it is stored, treated, flushed and recycled. It is true that inactivity causes the body to atrophy and for the fluids to stagnate. This causes breakdown and toxification of muscles, organs and cells. Our demand for oxygen and nutrients is high if we are to recover, but the pain of CFS means our ability to breathe efficiently is reduced and so there can be an oxygen deficit, leading to palpitations, sweats, fainting, headaches, sickness, mood swings and other symptoms.
As Manual Lymph Drainage stimulates the circulation of lymph and superficial blood flow, effectively removing the toxic and stagnant lymph and replacing it with 'clean' lymph, the cells of the body receive a shot of water, nutrients and oxygen, at normal pressure, that they can use to repair themselves and restore normal function. In addition, an active lymphatic system, flexes the immune system muscles, and this may increase our ability to detect and eradicate viruses, one of the most often cited causes of CFS. We saw earlier that Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome is CFS caused by viral invasion. But, there is another circulatory system that is seperate from the lymph system, but behaves in a similar way. That is the Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF). The cerebrospinal fluid is a protective nourishing fluid that circulates around the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system. Cerebrospinal fluid has 3 important functions: 1. it delivers nutrients to the structures of the nervous system and removes wastes from the brain and spinal cord, detoxifying the environment of the nervous system. 2. Shock absorption. The CSF protects the brain and spinal cord from trauma brought about by movement, falls or blows, etc. And, 3. That of pressure regulation. When the pressure around the brain and spine builds up, the fluid and waste is removed via outlets at the nerve junctions, and around the skull, equalizing the pressure, so that new fluid can replace the old in a constant cycle. The research here: http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2093441&resultClick=1 attempts to make a case for the Cranial Rhythmic Impulse (CRI), and in so doing goes some way to demonstrating that the central nervous system — the brain and spinal cord — somehow plays a role in CFS. The WHO have already classified CFS as a disease of the nervous system, so it makes sense that a breakdown in the Cerebrospinal Fluid circulation will have a detrimental effect on the nerves and the bodies ability to send a clean signal to the muscles and limbs via nerve impulse. This is what I am attempting to stimulate when performing Manual Lymphatic Drainage on the head, neck, shoulders, back and spine. By paying particular attention to these areas, you can increase the effect of circulation and remove any blockage or stagnation of the Cerebrospinal Fluid, which enters the normal lymph system for reabsorbtion by the body, or elimination of the waste. A vibrant lymph system, by its nature, operates more efficiently by vacuum and so stimulating that system, will produce a 'draw' on the rest of the body, thus upping the cleansing efficiency of the spinal fluid, and producing a beneficial effect to the symptoms and prognosis of CFS. Please click the link to learn more about Manual Lymph Drainage, or here, for using MLD in the treatment of CFS. What can you do to help my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Approximately 250,000 people in the UK are affected with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome illness according to the National Health Service (NHS). If you're one of them, I hope you can see the potential benefits of using MLD for CFS. See the appointments page for how to give this a try for yourself or a family member. If you live in the Bristol or South West area, appointments and a treatment price list are available by clicking here. I look forward to welcoming you soon where we can talk about a treatment plan structured around your needs. Phil. But Phil, I live miles from The Haven Centre - How can I get to you on a regular basis? Don't worry if you live a long way away, I have arranged a solution. Please visit what to do if you live miles from The Haven Centre to find a possible solution that fits in with your plans for recovery. Hardly a week goes by without the phone ringing by someone deperate for hope from the pain and misery of chronic fatigue. Often they live so far away it is impossible for them to come here regularly. So the plan is for you to fly or drive here only once and take away the means to continue with your own recovery. Find out about this by clicking here. Let's make this extraordinary treatment plan work for you! Please share this page with your friends. Thank you.
Note: DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. It's a small investment in yourself, but could be a life-changing experience you will cherish forever. |
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