Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or M.E. is described as a 'mystery illness'. Some medical professionals believe that it is a virus that the body is unable to shake off, others believe it is a product of a depressed mind. Not so long ago it was reported in the press that British medical scientists have found a relationship between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and lack of blood supply to the brain stem in the neck.

I agree with this fact but also that CFS can be the product of a virus or a depressed mind or even a physical body whose architecture is largely askew.

One thing I have learnt for sure after working with CFS patients for many years is that this illness can not be classified under one banner and just as the symptoms of the illness can vary from sufferer to sufferer so can the cause.

I am an SLM Bodywork practitioner (Myotherapy), that is, I work on the physical body, hands on using massage and acupressure as my tools with a thorough knowledge of which areas of the body need to be worked on to affect the various symptoms. I recommend other forms of therapy along with my treatments, such as naturopathy, homoeopathy, acupressure, counseling, hypnotherapy, even surgery, when I feel it is what my patient needs. Whilst working on CFS sufferers I have made my own observations and as a result have developed a theory on how Chronic Fatigue develops for many sufferers and how to solve it.

I originally developed an interest in CFS in the course of completing a subject at college I was required to do a major assignment on an illness of my choice. I chose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome because I knew a sufferer. When speaking to them about their early signs and symptoms I was very surprised at how what seemed like simple tiredness and physical aches and pains that weren't addressed properly many years earlier, turned into such a debilitating condition over a number of years. I started thinking about what would have happened if this person had received treatment in the early stages on the physical aches and pains and how that may have changed the progression of the illness.

I contacted the M.E. Society in NSW and through them and some word of mouth referrals I started treating a dozen or so diagnosed sufferers. I noticed one physical similarity that was common with nearly all these people, they had a pelvic imbalance showing up as one leg shorter than the other (in most cases the left leg) and as a result of this an enormous amount of tension and blockage being generated into their body in everything they did except lying down. I also noted that the two areas first affected by this tension and blockage were in the lower back/ lumbar area which corresponded to the body's vital energy points for the liver and stomach, and down the back of the legs, the line of the large intestine meridian that affects the digestion and also the stomach. Interesting I thought, as digestion and energy problems are often the start and basis of Chronic Fatigue, (the body has very little energy and can't digest the goodness out of food to build more up).

When a person has a pelvic imbalance one side of their body doesn't line up evenly with the other putting enormous pressure on their spine, the body's nerve centre, as well as many of the other joints. It also creates a lot of pressure around the sacrum which affects the sacral pumps ability to pump cerebral spinal fluid to the brain.

I started thinking about the relationship between this tension and blockage and the chronic fatigue condition and found that by working on the body using acupressure and massage to re-balance the pelvis and release the tension and blockages that had built up, the symptoms began to subside. As long as I continued to work on the physical body the sufferer felt a lot better. Sometimes the improvement lasted a week , sometimes less sometimes more and in a few cases it provided a permanent cure. Of the people I have worked on some have made a complete recovery very quickly, (probably not CFS sufferers in the true sense of the word) some have improved slowly, some with ups and downs along the way, but all do improve at the same rate as the balance and stress levels in their physical body improves.

Another interesting thing that I began to notice was with many people who came to me in the course of my normal work, with various pain and injury. They had a similar imbalance in their pelvis and although they didn't have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, they did have a chronic sore back or tight shoulder or headaches etc, but all did report about a 20 or 30% loss in their normal energy levels. After their body was treated and their muscles rebalanced to get rid of their back/ shoulder problem etc, they reported a fairly immediate return to normal energy levels.

I describe CFS as a physical breakdown. Like a mental breakdown where the mind can no longer cope with what is expected of it, a physical breakdown is where the body can no longer cope.

Many health professionals believe stress to be the major cause of illness in people and I agree, but stress can come from other things besides too much mental pressure. It can be the result of pushing the body too hard, physically, whether through work or exercise, and not supporting it properly with a good diet and plenty of relaxation and sleep. In fact anything that unbalances the body physically, mentally or chemically will cause stress.

In Eastern medicine it is believed that the spine is an important area of the body to do with a persons health, and along with the stomach area, it is where vital energy centres exist that effect the smooth function of all the body's organs and systems. Its only natural that if tension around the spine is allowed to build up through muscle imbalance the body's general health is going to suffer in some way.

Having a muscle imbalance that tilts or rotates the pelvis is very common and the older we get the more common it is. It is a very difficult thing to control much like getting a puncture in your car tyre. You can keep new good quality tyres on all the time and be careful to avoid pot holes etc but eventually something unforeseen will happen. The most concerning thing is that, with keeping a body balanced and free of stress being so important in us maintaining good health the medical profession doesn't seem to be aware of its significance and does not appear to know how to diagnose or treat this condition.

Some health practitioners pick up a muscle imbalances by recognising a short leg in people but they don't have the expertise with the soft tissue to effect a permanent change and at best are only able to effect a change for a very short time which won't go deep enough to help chronic cases. Some recommend a lift be put in one shoe to build up the difference and balance the body that way, but, from my experience its not very successful in most cases, especially with very active people. By placing a lift in the shoe you are supporting the imbalance that is present but not doing anything to correct it or remove the damage it has already caused.

People often develop an imbalance in their pelvis in their more active years, 15 to 25 or so, yet I have treated a patient 5 years old who was suffering stomach pains from a pelvis imbalance.

Its amazing, even in children, the effect a short leg can create in increasing the susceptibility to colds, runny noses, irritability, and tiredness, it's like there are buttons along the spine and when pressure causes them to be 'on' the body reacts. I have seen tired irritable children change instantly after having their body loosened and their muscles rebalanced.

People in their 60s or 80s could have had the problem for 40 or 60 years. These people have soft tissue as hard as bone as a result of the many years of building up tension and a lack of blood supply to the soft tissue, often accompanying this condition is every health problem `under the sun'. Yet others, who have never had the problem of an unbalanced pelvis are supple, sprightly and healthy well into their later years.

If you know anyone who has a history of chronic pain or bad health, check their leg length whilst they are in a relaxed position lying on their back. You will find one leg looks longer than the other when you line up the heels or if they finish at the same length then the pelvis, indicated by prominent hip bones at the front, will be fixed in a crooked position.

The amount of discrepancy in leg length can vary from 1mm to 30 or 35 mm which is about the worst I've seen, and the problems will often escalate as the discrepancy gets larger. I have treated some young people (under 20 yrs) who have a fairly large discrepancy and show no particular symptoms at all other than occasional pain in the lower back, but that is simply because they have youth, elasticity, strength and flexibility on their side and one day the problems will begin to affect them and they won't be able to get rid of them through normal medicine or treatments and wont be able to understand why.

Of all the people I have treated for Chronic pain over the years which would amount to thousands, most, between 80 to 90% have problems that were the result of a muscle imbalance causing their pelvis to be rotated or tilted.

They all reported being pain free or very much better when the imbalance was corrected permanently. Although that is a huge percentage, our medical profession appears to know very little about this condition, they don't diagnose it or treat it and consequently they have little success treating chronic pain successfully. I have found illness and physical problems are generally more the product of deterioration of the body due to lifestyle, rather than aging.

When a person starts to develop pain or bad health into their 40s or 50s the diagnosis they invariably get is "well your getting old and you have to realise you can't do all the things you used to be able to do". People accept this because no one can give them a solution but I'm sure they get confused when they look around them and see their friend who is much older and doesn't have the same problems or the 70 year old they see on T.V. competing in triathlons or another physical activity. Why is that? Everyone's different you might say, True, but not all that much different, at least not initially but our lifestyles are what makes us different. What people don't realise is that the negative effects of our lifestyle can be removed from our body as regularly as need be by balancing the body, releasing stress and tension, cleansing the system and improving our diet.

The mind affects the body. This is nothing new and it is the belief of most health professionals, myself included, but I would also add that the body also affects the mind. There are areas of the body that if they become blocked from years of accumulated stress and tension cause, confusion, memory and concentration loss. These are some of the symptoms of CFS even in very young sufferers, and when the critical areas in the body are loosened up so as to remove stress and improve circulation they quickly get a lessening of these symptoms. As the body deteriorates the mind deteriorates, it is extremely rare to find a person who sufferers badly physically from pain and/or ill health who is clear and sharp in the mind, nor will you find older people who are healthy, active and sprightly physically that are also vague, forgetful or confused.

Just as accumulating problems in the body will eventually have negative effects on the mind, not living true to oneself, constantly suffering mental pressure and stress will cause the body to deteriorate.

People who are under a lot of stress are encouraged to exercise regularly and they will tell you they cope with their stress much better when they are fit, just as people under repeated stress who neglect things, diet and exercise, will often have a mental breakdown or major failure of a vital organ.

There is a strong relationship between mind and body this is more and more obvious the more I work on people physically. I find some patients with a stressful job and playing competitive sport who get more than their fair share of injuries often the best cure I give them is to take up relaxation classes, learn how to turn their mind and body off sometimes during the day and night and it can make a big difference. All over worked equipment, just like our body and mind need regular servicing if we want them to last more than 50 years or so. Regular exercise, a good diet and getting the physical body balanced and tension released every few months will look after the physical side and taking holidays , enjoying good friendships and living in a happy and relaxed environment will take care of the mental side. But of all of this, the fastest road to destruction both physically and mentally is allowing stress and tension to build up in the physical body over a long period of time.

I'm sure all of this information is of interest to Chronic Fatigue sufferers but you are no doubt more interested to learn how I believe you can better manage CFS yourself.

In my search to solve the CFS 'big picture' I came across a fantastic Herbalist and Naturopath who both helped me to further work out the puzzle. Five years down the track I am now confident that any sufferer who rigorously follows the program I set for them will eventually get better, some sooner others later. There is no average time because every case is usually so unique, it depends on so many things such as age, length of time as a sufferer, past lifestyle, fitness level, etc.

The aim is to get your body into a balanced and unblocked state and there are 5 things within your control that can help you achieve this; diet/ nutrition, exercise, posture, your mental state and your bowel.

Firstly diet, obviously you need to eat only healthy high energy foods which I know most CFS sufferers are doing but you also need to be aware of your acid/alkaline proportions in your food, that is what percentage of your food is acid producing and what percentage is alkaline producing.

The correct diet is 80% alkaline to 20% acid foods, but most western diets are the reverse of this, 80% acid and 20% alkaline because they contain too much meat, sweets, white flour, dairy products and alcohol which are all acid producing. Too much acid in the body produces stress, tension and blockages in the muscles and heightens the body's sensitivity to pain. I can supply you with an acid/ alkaline information sheet that lists the acid and alkaline foods and every effort should be made to eat in the correct ratio of 80% to 20%. (contact me at steve@myotherapy.com.au for a free copy) Another good tip for CFS sufferers with diet is to eat more raw, fresh unprocessed foods and less processed, cooked and preserved foods. It is also a good idea to eat small meals lots of times during the day rather than 3 big meals, eat slowly and chew the food very well. This will help you get more value out of the food you are eating. Also try to eat soon after activity/exercise. When digestion is a problem , which is generally the case with CFS sufferers, fresh vegetable juice is a great addition to the diet on a daily basis. About 1 litre per day is a good amount to drink. It should be drunk fresh and not refrigerated (see formula on Acid/Alkaline Food Chart). In addition to a healthy diet for those trying to recover from CFS a special supplements program is necessary especially amino acids, in some cases protein powder, or hormone balancing (especially for women). This is because CFS weakens the body by breaking down the cells in search of back up energy. You need to rebuild the strength of the cells and a good nutrition/ supplement program is often the best way of doing this. Recently researchers at the Newcastle Hospital in NSW have been recommending a supplement program using probiotics, from Japan that has been giving CFS sufferers I know who are using them good results. A great probiotic I have come across is a product called Vitagest, and I would recommend every CFS sufferer consider taking it, regardless of what else you might be taking. It is available from my shopping cart www.backpain.com.au/zen under health products. For those who prefer to consult the expert Naturopath make sure you find one that comes highly recommended.

When looking for a therapist to balance your body, look for someone who works on the whole body each session, does deep tissue work even though it will hurt somewhat. An SLM practitioner will know what is required but as this is not a widely known or practised therapy you may have to settle for something more general such as acupressure, myotherapy or similar. If you can't find any of them just get regular (weekly) deep tissue massage.

Exercise is a problem for CFS sufferers because it usually makes the person feel worse. The important thing is to find a level of exercise that you can cope with and do it regularly. The aim here is to get all the muscles in the body moving through their range of motion gently and regularly to begin with. About 20 minutes per exercise session, up to three times a day (morning, midday and afternoon) is a good length of time and duration to aim for. Even if you need to lie down for an hour after exercise it is a good trade off to get through the exercise and try to eat or drink some juice before you lie down. If you can't cope with much exercise, start with just one session and over time build it up slowly. Remember though you need to make the muscles work, straight out stretching is not good enough and not recommended. I would suggest you look at things like Yoga or Palates.

Other exercises you could try are Tai Chi, Qi Gong or Hydrotherapy (exercises in a warm pool). These are all gentle and concentrate on working your whole body in harmony and minimise the gravity effect of the imbalance in your pelvis and spine. Moving on to other exercises comes much later and you can then look at walking on the beach and swimming as extras. Walking, jogging, riding a bike etc when you have an unbalanced pelvis will only make the tension worse. The important thing to realise is that you wont get any fast results with the exercises and you may feel worse before you feel better, but it's important to keep at it and in time you should see a positive result.

In practice so far I have found that generally people with CFS who, due to their lifestyle, have to keep working and pushing themselves along in life (only to a point of course) respond positively to treatment much faster than those who live their lives around CFS and rest whenever they feel they need to. Keeping even a basic level of strength and fitness is an important platform from which you recover and that includes feeding yourself properly so your muscles can build strength from your food.

Posture is an important part of combating CFS because it is something effecting you in everything you do, sitting, standing, walking, etc every hour of every day. Consciously keeping your body posturally correct during this time will eventually help stabilise your body in a balanced way. I believe the Alexander Technique or Feldenkris are therapy's that work on posture and gets some good results.

Try either of them if you can find a practitioner near you.

Once you have taken care of the physical body or better still while you are doing that, there is another no less important consideration for Chronic Fatigue Sufferers and that is the bowel. The collection of waste in an inefficient bowel can be a definite limiting factor in a person recovering fully after they have fixed their pelvic/ muscle imbalance and got onto a healthy diet and exercise program. Bowel cancer is a major problem in the western world. This would logically indicate that potential problems exist from our diet and lifestyle. In practice I have found that it is a major contributing factor in nearly all the sufferers I have seen. Even people who were sure they have no problems with their bowel. The completion of a cleansing program at a colon health clinic, in some cases, or better still using ' In Liven' a fantastic product we sell through our clinic which can make a significant difference on its own, especially older sufferers (<30 y.o.) who have had the illness for a long time. As a typical example I am treating a lady at the moment who has had CFS for 3 years now and has gone from being bed ridden, to just coping with part time work and doing very little or no housework after seeing herbalists and naturopaths and sticking to a good diet for a couple of years when she came to see me. I put her on the Vitagest and the improvement has been amazingly fast and permanent to the point where she has been totally symptom free for a couple of months now and needing no more rest than the average person. It was the missing link and she previously had no indication that she had any problem in that area.

The final thing you need to focus on doing with all this is de-stress your mind though meditation, a happy lifestyle or if you need it counseling or hypnotherapy. It is up to you to recognise whether you have a problem with worrying about things too much or getting too wound up about nothing. If you do then dealing with this is very important in the overall management of CFS.

The aim of all this information is to help give you an idea of how you can minimise the down time you have with CFS and prepare your body for SLM treatment with me or another therapist who can re-balance your pelvis.

I can't give any guarantees and I take no responsibility if these tips alone don't help. However, combined with SLM treatment I am very confident they will lead you to recovery.

Your speed of recovery from CFS will depend largely on your past lifestyle, i.e. diet, exercise, stress levels etc over the years you have lived to date. As I mentioned earlier the aim is to get your body into a balanced, unblocked and strong condition and I believe if you follow the suggestions I have made you will eventually achieve this or get close to it.

Good Luck.

Tags: back pain, CFS, chronic fatigue, foggy brain, tired all the time

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