Ayurveda CFS/ME

ME/CFS -Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Consultation

We listen to you; your symptoms, medical history, medical test results and your concerns.

We assess your condition and ensure that your diagnosis of CFS/ME is accurate. We refer to the Canadian guidelines definitions and characterisations in conjunction with your personal experience of the disease in order to be as certain as possible that you have the correct diagnosis. We discuss issues about the most effective course of treatment amongst colleagues and then with yourself.
This process is the consultation process, there is no charge for the consultation. You may decide to proceed with treatment, enter into specific treatment paths or decide not to go ahead with treatment. SM Ayurveda is an ethical institution. We will not provide interventions if they are not relevant to your healing, neither will we undertake non-beneficial treatment even if the patient requests it.

Accommodation

We have accommodation on-site for severely ill patients. Alternatively, there are a number of reasonably priced hotels within a few minutes ‘walk.

Treatment

We plan a course of treatment that targets your symptoms and desired outcomes. Procedures are tailored to your individual medical needs. CFS/ME manifests in different ways and no two individuals will have exactly the same symptoms. For example, myalgic pain might be a dominating symptom in one patient and severe cognitive dysfunction in another. However, there are symptoms common to most CFS/ME patients such as disabling exhaustion, ‘brain fog’ and non-refreshing or disrupted sleep patterns.
We prepare to initiate treatment. Procedures will not begin until the patient is ready to commit to a course of treatment subject to the Doctor’ approval. The patient must be aware at this stage that ayurvedic medicine is not a one pill and walk away fix. The ayurvedic approach is much more holistic and requires the co-operation of the patient to follow advice on for example diet, activity restriction and timing of taking medicines and treatment.
The most beneficial health outcomes for patients occur when patients adhere to procedures correctly. This is part of getting well! Follow your Doctor’s advice! If you are advised to reduce your intake of cigarettes or meat, please try. If you are advised not to do particular activities, please try your best to follow instructions.
Detox (Panchakarma) usually precedes any medical treatment and is an essential element in the process of recovering from CFS/ME. Detox can take place over 2 to 7 days with 4 days being the average. Over these days you will eat fresh, usually organic vegetarian food twice a day at the clinic. It is tasty without being exotic, you will enjoy your meals with us! There is no extra charge for meals, this is a fundamental part of the treatment. Fasting occurs between meals but there is no prolonged period of fasting.
Detox involves drinking a medicated drink first thing in the morning. You will be given 2 0r 3 litres of warm mineral water in a flask to drink between this time and midday. At midday, you will undergo massage with oils on the high massage bench administered by a qualified therapist. You will then have steam treatment to bring toxins to the surface and hence out of your body. This process is closely monitored by the therapist. Then it’s lunch time. Your afternoon is free until about 5.00pm.
Detox involves drinking a medicated drink first thing in the morning. You will be given 2 0r 3 litres of warm mineral water in a flask to drink between this time and midday. At midday, you will undergo massage with oils on the high massage bench administered by a qualified therapist. You will then have steam treatment to bring toxins to the surface and hence out of your body. This process is closely monitored by the therapist. Then it’s lunch time. Your afternoon is free until about 5.00pm.
If we or you express a need to alter or stop detox for a while, then we take appropriate action prior to recommencement of treatment. Your welfare is our primary concern and improvements in your health and well-being our primary target. Most patients benefit enormously from the detox programme (boosted energy levels and greater stamina) and are now ready to commence the treatment path.
The features of your individually engineered programme are specifically tailored to ensure maximum benefit to you. Treatment will last between 10 and 15 days for CFS/ME patients. Techniques such as nasyam and shirodhara may be used in conjunction with other treatments during this part of your treatment.
We are very conscious of two facts pertinent to you the patient; one is concerned with time-you may have limited time to undertake treatments and we will modify regimes accordingly and two, we are conscious of the fact that you have to pay for your treatment. We will never recommend treatment that does not contribute to the goals agreed by Doctor and patient.

Outcomes

SM Ayurveda has very successfully treated CFS/ME with the result of remission in one patient of over 3 months with a very gradual movement to mild symptoms. This patient has returned for a further 2 weeks of treatment and we are excited to see how this ‘second stage trial’ works out. Another patient, aged 52, with 17 years of the disease jumped from moderate to the top of the mild scale. CFS/ME can fluctuate in its intensity but generally may be characterised as severe, moderate or mild. We are confident that we can treat you successfully given your compliance with the advice of Doctors and Therapists. We are currently treating a severely ill male patient with long-term ME/CFS who is responding very well to treatment.
However, even though you may be in remission or very much improved when you go home, you will take with you a 90 day supply of specific ayurvedic medicines to prolong and refine your healing process.
Ayurveda is not a one pill silver bullet! Ayurveda requires time to bring its full power to bear, but the results are deep and lasting and without the side-effects found in pharmaceutical Western medicine. The Western medical profession is a long way from being able to administer such a silver bullet to this disabling disease and is waiting for further scientific research to find causes for CFS/ME.

At SM Ayurveda we have an effective programme to deal with CFS/ME now.