Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Robert P. Abrahamson O.M.D., L.Ac.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a disease characterized by disabling fatigue and exhaustion together with a diverse range of symptoms. The typical symptoms are mental and physical exhaustion, muscle pain and weakness, insomnia, palpitation, lack of concentration, eye pain and light sensitivity, gastrointestinal disturbance and abdominal pain, fever, chills and night sweats, etc. Because of the confusion over the definition and diagnosis of this disease, it has acquired many different names: Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Chronic Epstein Barre Virus Syndrome, Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Causes of M.E. in Terms of Chinese Medicine
Pathogenic dampness, complicated by antibiotics, is a root cause of CFS in terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dampness is heavy and turbid in nature. A damp disease is usually marked by heavy sensations such as lassitude, heavy sensation of the head and body, and aching and sluggishness of the limbs. Pathogenic dampness is differentiated into exogenous dampness and endogenous dampness. Exogenous dampness is usually due to damp climate, wading in water or being caught in a rain, as well as damp dwelling environment. Endogenous dampness is usually caused by the dysfunction of the spleen in transportation leading to the impairment of water metabolism. Exogenous and endogenous dampness can influence each other and are interdependent.

Some other factors are also due to the accumulation of interior dampness. Over consumption of dairy products is a typical one. Dairy products are usually damp in nature and are of high protein. They burden the stomach and spleen in one aspect and attack directly to cause the dysfunction of the spleen in fluid transportation and transformation and retention of dampness within the body. The over use of antibiotics during virus infection can be another factor to cause the accumulation of interior dampness. They are always cold in nature because of their intended function, an exception being the Sulphonamides. In terms of TCM, such persistent cold disturbs the spleen and stomach and therefore results in the deficiency of spleen. This is why we feel upset in our stomach when taking them.

The pace of our lives in today's increasingly competitive society contributes greatly to the high occurrence of CFS cases. Today, we tend not only to over use our body and brain but also to try to break the physiological balance we human being need for our lives. We sleep less, eat unhealthy food, become addicted to smoking and drinking, exercise less and less, work more and more, and are stressed more and more. The result of such actions is to cause the deficiency of spleen Qi and this, in turn, results in the accumulation of dampness in the interior.

Treatment
Both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine can be of immense benefit in treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In my 29 years of practice, I have had great success in helping many people who suffer from this disease. Please call me for more information.

Self-help
Patients should try to live their life in a more sensible way, plenty of rest, appropriate diet, and appropriate physical exercise if possible, trying to avoid being exposed to dampness.

For damp-heat type, eat less hot food such as chilli, curry sauce, lamb, etc., avoid any smoking and alcohol, and try to control bad temper.

For cold-damp type, keep warm in general, use moxibustion or oil to warm and relax muscles, and avoid taking any cold drink and very cold food.

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