Treat Chronic Fatigue with Chinese Medicine
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a debilitating illness that’s gone largely unexplored until fairly recently. The exact cause remains unclear, with evidence showing that it may be a result of past illness, an uncommon consequence of injury, particularly to the head, or even psychologically derived. There are reports that in some cases brain scans of individuals who are suffering from CFS will show changes while others won’t.
This inconsistency in diagnosis, difficulty qualifying symptoms and lack of identifiable causes has made CFS challenging for Western medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine has recognised chronic fatigue as a disease entity for millennia and provides a comprehensive set of treatment options to help with it. In fact some of the first references to chronic fatigue, and detailed herbal medicine treatments for it, were in a major classical text written over two thousand years ago.
Dr Christopher Booth (Chinese medicine) has seen many chronic fatigue patients in both Sydney and the Central West over the years and provides and extensive treatment plan, including not just acupuncture and herbal medicine but also diet and lifestyle interventions.
The Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CFS can be difficult to diagnose, and care should be taken not to directly confuse it with anxiety or depression. While these often occur alongside chronic fatigue, or as a result of it, the condition is usually bigger than a purely mental health issue. Similarly, there are many illnesses that can make a person feel exhausted but are not chronic fatigue syndrome.
In general, chronic fatigue syndrome should be recognised by several months of excessive physical fatigue, such as might ordinarily follow intense exertion, but often without explanation. In mild cases, this impacts a person’s life by preventing them from performing regular activities. In severe cases, a person may be mostly housebound, and struggle to perform basic tasks like cooking. In the most severe cases, a person will be mostly bedridden and require assistance with daily functions. In severe cases it can be difficult for people to attend regular health appointments, which adds further challenges to treatment.
Dr Christopher Booth has treated a large number of patients with chronic fatigue in Sydney and Orange NSW and offers over-the-phone consultations for those too ill or remote to attend the clinic in person.
This treatment is not limited to those with CFS/ME but also applies to other forms of debilitating fatigue including that which comes with adrenal fatigue / adrenal exhaustion, post viral fatigue, and hypothyroidism.