Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is also called as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), CFIDS – Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, PVFS – Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome etc.
What is the etiology for ME?
- Nobody knows the causes of CFS, but scientists are investigating whether it is related to virus, stress, food substances (or) allergy, toxicity, nutritional deficiency, psychological dysfunction.
- Some studies explains CFS always become multifactoral, there is no proper etiology for CFS.
What are the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ?
- Chronic Fatigue
- Extreme fatigue ability of muscles
- Aching of muscles and joints
- Low grade fever
- Headache
- Very cold extremities
- Sleep disturbances
- Sore throat
- Gastro-intestinal discomfort
- Depression and emotional distress
- Lack of Appetite
What are the Biochemical and Biological abnormality with CFS ?
- Raised serum antibody level
- A fall in T-helper lymphocyte level
- Disturbed muscle membrane conduction
- Abnormally increased acidification of muscles
- A unique metabolic derangement in energy production in muscle are shown by Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI)
Hydratic Measures or Management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
1. Antipyretic measures for fever
- Cold or Tepid Affusion (87-97°F) for 45 mins
- Cold Immersion Bath with friction (50-75°F) for 4 sec – 20 mins.
- Tepid or neutral bath (92-97°F) for several hours.
- Graduated Bath (Start with 4°F below the temperature, of patient, finish with 86°F; every 3 min we can reduce temperature by 1°F)
- Cooling wet sheet pack (60-70°F) for 3-4 mins
- Cold shower pack (60-70°F) for 3-4 mins
- Wet towel Rub (60-70°F) until the area becomes red
- Cold application to head, spine, heart, abdomen for 3 mins
- Tepid (or) cold enema (87-97°F) duration 5-lOmins
Effects of Antipyretic measures
- Helps to dilate the peripheral blood vessels
- Improves the movements of Blood current towards the periphery
- Improves the heat elimination
- Decreases the heat production
2. Restorative measures for muscular fatigue
- Daily neutral bath (92-97°F) for 1 -3 hrs
- Sweating bath for short duration (3-6 minutes) followed by suitable cold application (1 -2 minutes)
- Copious water drinking
- Revulsive Sitz bath (bath begins with 100°F gradually increasing the temperature upto 115°F-120°F for 3-8 minutes)
- Cold percussion douche to spine (45-55F) for 1-3 mins
- Alternate douche (Hot than cold equally 15 seconds)
Effects of Restorative measures
- Improving the functional capacity of muscular system
- Exciting the muscular activity
- Improving the energy shortage of muscle tissues
- Enhances the nutritional supply to muscular system
- It helps to produce powerful circulatory reaction
- Improves the elimination of toxic materials from muscles
- Reduce the nervous irritability
- Produce sedative influence to muscular system, so good for relieving muscular spasm.
- Bring back the normal state of muscular system.
Cold : 60-70°F
Hot : 110-120°F
3. Analgesic measures for Aching Joint and Muscles
- Sweating bath
- Fomentation over painful area followed by well-protected heating compress
Fomentation – 120-130°F (3-4 mins)
Heating compress (until the surface warm)
- Water drinking
- Hot enema
- Hot trunk pack
Preventive measures for permanent damage of joints
- Alternate compress application over the joints
- Alternate douche for whole body – 3 times/day
- Well protected heating compress
- Massage douche (locally)
Effects
- Powerful exciting influence of the nervous systems
- Helps to stimulate tissue activity
- Improve the nutritive supply to affected area
- Encouraging the absorption of pain causing metabolites
- Temporary benumbing effect due to diminishing nerve impulse of cutaneous nervous system.
- Increases the functional activity of the leucocytes so helps for repair
- Stimulates the vital resistance of the area
4. Derivative measures for headache
- Hot foot bath (102-110°F) for 5-30 mins
- Hot leg back (110°F) for 45 mins
- Heating compress to leg (60-70°F) for 30-40 mins
- Alternate foot bath
- Hot : (110-120°F) for 2-3mins
- Cold : (60-80°F) for 1 min
- Revulsive compress over spinal cord
- Hot (100-110°F) for 4-5 mins
- Cold (60-80°F) for 20-40 seconds
Effects
- Balancing the circulation by dilation of blood vessels of legs
- Relieving the congestion of brain and other organs in upper half of the body
- Helps to overcome active and passive congestion
- Improves the tone of the blood vessels
5. Antiphlogistic measures for sore throat
- Steam inhalation for 10 mins
- Heating compress to throat (60-70°F) for full night
- Fomentation to throat – 3 times/day followed by cold compress changed every 15-30 minutes
- Hot water gargle for few minutes if throat is very sensitive
- Ice bag to throat if inflammation is intense
Effect of Antiphlogistic measures
- Reduce the nervous irritability
- Produce powerful hypnotic and sedative influence of nervous system
- Reduce excessive stress of the nervous system
- Helps to maintain the normal nerve cell activity
- Improves the accumulation of lymph in cerebrum
- Entire soothing of nervous system
- Helps to tone the nervous system
6. Hypnotic & Sedative measures for sleep problems
- Neutral wet sheet pack (92-97°F) for 45 mins.
- Wet sheet pack may continued for heating and sweating stage. We can apply 2 times a day.
- Neutral douche for 3-15 mins. (92-97°F) at bed time with 5-10 pound pressure.
- Scotch douche to legs (Hot 102°F – 2 mins, Cold :60°F-15 seconds)
- Prolonged neutral bath (92-97°F) at bed time.
- Neutral enema
- Copious neutral water drinking at Bed times.
Effects
- Reduce the nervous irritability
- Produce powerful hypnotic and sedative influence of nervous system
- Reduce excessive stress of the nervous system
- Helps to maintain the normal nerve cell activity
- Improves the accumulation of lymph in cerebrum
- Entire soothing of nervous system
- Helps to tone the nervous system.
7. Peptogenic measure for lack of appetite
- Cold douche over stomach area (cold : 60-80°F) for 1-3 mins
- Cold water drinking 30 mins before meals
- Fomentation -application over stomach area 30 mins after food
- Alternate hot and cold application over spinal cord Hot : (100-110°F) for 3-5 mins — Cold : (60-70°F) for 1-2 mins
- Scotch douche
- Cold spinal bath (60-70°F) for 30 mins
- Cold spinal spray (60-80°F) for 20-30 mins
Effects
- Improves the quantity of digestive juice
- Improves the blood circulation to digestive glands
- Increasing secretory activity of digestive gland
- Improves the structure and functional capacity of digestive glands
8. Hydratic measures for alteration of mood
- Charcot douche (60-80°F)
- Neutral bath (92-97°F) for 5 seconds – 1 min
- Alternate spinal sponging
- Neutral pack
Effects
- Calms down nervous system
- Produces powerful relaxing and tonic measures of nervous system
- Improves the vital power and resistance
Conclusion
Drugs mostly modify the internal environment. But application of water to the skin stirs the whole body fabric to its deepest foundation, every cell and fibres vibrates in response, so to speak, and quivers new life.
Water is a primary source to produce Rejuvenative and Restorative processes in which the recovery of the sick chiefly depend.
“Water therapy is a superior one among all the Remedies”
