Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) first gained the attention of the public in 1980s. The difficult with defining the syndrome is with the fact that it is easier to identify what the syndrome excludes than what it includes.
Although CFS had been found to occur to children, teenagers, and people in their fifties, sixties, and even seventies, the most prone to the illness are adults from their mid-twenties to their late forties. Women are afflicted anywhere from twice to three times as often as men, although there are indications that cases among men are rising.
Some common causes of CFS are nutritional deficiency, acquired toxicity ( from environment, food and drugs); poor stress-coping abilities; over dependent on vitamins; drugs addiction. Other factors that contribute to CFS might be recurrent viral and bacterial infections; reaction of immune system to vaccination and immunization; bowel toxemia and infestation of fungi, protozoa, and parasites and lifestyle factors ( inadequate sleep, exercise and relaxation).
The result, is a slow process of depleting the body’s energy – qi, thus weakening the body and making the body vulnerable to viruses.
Base on the TCM concept supported by books written in the year 259 namely AB Classic Of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, in the 3rd Century – The Classic Of Sphymology and the year 1220 – Enquirer On Acupuncture & Moxibustion Therapy and many others, have all proven that related CFS symptoms are neurasthenia, lost of memory, irritation, globus hystericus and “Ben Dun” which is a feeling of masses of gas ascending within the abdomen like running piggies, usually seen in cases of gastro-intestinal neurosis which indicated in the acupuncture channel as due to Chong meridian disorder.
CFS also belongs to the categories of ‘shi mian’ (insomnia); ‘dou men’ (dreamful sleep); ‘xuan yun’ (dizziness); ‘yang wei’ (impotence), ‘yijing’ (spermatorrhea); etc. Such symptoms will gain special benefit and relieve from acupuncture, acu-massage tendon manipulation therapy since ancient time.
In the modern TCM practice, stress, anxiety associated with fatique, laziness, insomnia and hypersomnia could be due to overworked and exhaustion, vitamin / medicine / drug dependent producing a immune system disorder known in the chinese concept as insufficient of “Zhen Qi”.
This also includes symptoms like post influenza virus attack, post operation and many other chronic discomfort. However base on chinese medical concept, this disease can be divided into the following five types, each related to malfunction of one or more of the vital organs in our body:
1) Deficiency of the Liver-yin and Kidney-yin.
Symptoms includes:
Fullness and dizziness in the head, tinnitus, amnesia, irritability and excitability, lumbago, dry throat and mouth, red tongue with thin and yellow fur, wiry and rapid pulse.
2) Insufficiency of both the Spleen and Kidney
Symptoms includes:
Pale face, listlessness, pain in waist and debility of legs, anorexia, light coloured urine, chilliness and cold limbs, insomnia and unsound slumber, impotence, premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, pale tongue, and deep, thready and feeble pulse, etc.
3) Breakdown of the Normal Physiological Coordination between the Heart & Kidney
Symptoms includes:
Palpitation and dysphoria, insomnia and amnesia, spermatorrhea, tinnitus, lassitude in loins and legs, dry mouth, dysphoria with feverish sensation in the chest, palms and soles, red tongue tip and thready rapid pulse.
4) Blood in the Deficiency of Qi and Heart and Spleen
Symptoms includes:
Excessive dreaming and unsound slumber, palpitation and amnesia, fatigue and weakness, poor appetite, pale complexion, pale tongue with whitish coating and thready weak pulse.
5) Stagnation of the Liver-qi
Symptoms includes:
Mental depression, stuffiness in the chest, hypochondriac pain, abdominal distention and eructation, poor appetite, vomiting, nausea, abdominal distention and pain, sensation of impediment in the pharynx, white fur and taut pulse.
The latest treatments used by TCM practitioners are Tendon / Muscle Meridian Therapy and Acu-Massage Therapy which gives the patient comfort and refresh the condition of the body giving it a positive response, hence encourages patient to continue treatment on a course of 10 – 15 sittings. Besides, Acupuncture, Taiji, Qigong and herbal tonnification prescriptions are also suitable therapy recommended for this
kind of complaint.
Self-Massage For Health
Using E-SYSTEM brain and kidney acupoints Sp6, St36, Yintang and Qihai
Book references:
Hope & Help for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
K. Feiden, 1990, Simon and Schuster Inc.
Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide
Burton Goldberg Group, 1994, Future Medicine Publishing, USA
Chinese Massage
E. Q. Zhang et. al., 1990, Shanghai