Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) as it is known in the UK since the 1950’s, is a clinically accepted condition now referred to in Britain as CFS/ME. It is characterized by generalised abnormal muscle fatigue that occurs after relatively mild activity. Other common symptoms include sleep disturbances, headaches, cognitive dysfunction, depression, increased sensitivity to light and sound, back and neck pain, sore throat, and irritable bowel and bladder pain.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, according to the USA’s Centre of Disease Control, is currently defined by the presence of the following:

• Clinically evaluated, unexplained persistent or relapsing chronic fatigue that is of new or definite onset (has not been lifelong);
  
  
• Is not the result of ongoing exertion;
  
  
• Is not substantially alleviated by rest; and results in substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities.
  
  
• In addition, the concurrent occurrence of four or more of the following symptoms, all of which must have persisted or recurred during 6 or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue.
  
  
  • Self-reported impairment in the short-term memory or concentration severe enough to cause substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activites;
    
    
  • Sore throat;
    
    
  • Tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes;
    
    
  • Muscle pain;
    
    
  • Multijoint pain without joint swelling or redness;
    
    
  • Headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity;
    
    
  • Un-refreshing sleep;
    
    
  • And a malaise lasting more than 24 hours following exertion (Fukunda et al., 1994).

Here at Helix House Director Clive Lindley-Jones has been using his skills in integral medicine for many years to help patients suffering with M.E/C.F.S. See for example John Adam’s story and Natalie Smith's story.

A Recent meeting with his colleague Ray Perrin and hearing about his success with a specific type osteopathic approach to M.E/ C.F.S and subsequent training and licensing in his technique, has lead to Helix House Natural Health Centre adding the Perrin Technique to our pool of skills to help overcome this debilitating condition.

TEXT OF DR RAYMOND PERRIN'S PRESENTATION TO THE GIBSON ENQUIRY ON 18 APRIL 2006

Since a fateful day in 1989 when I first successfully treated CFS/ME in a patient with postural problems I have been on a mission to find out why I was able to help this complex disorder by simple manual techniques. After 17 years of clinical research including 2 controlled trials at the Universities of Salford and Manchester. My co-workers and I have scientifically demonstrated that my treatment methods did indeed help with symptoms associated with CFS/ME and proposed a rational hypothesis to explain why my techniques help. Most significantly we found no structural abnormalities or pathological changes in the brain or muscles of the CFS/ME patients compared with matched healthy controls.

To understand how to treat CFS/ME One has to examine the probable mechanism causing the disease in the first place.

1. The central nervous system has no true lymphatic drainage. However a function of the cerebrospinal fluid that is not well documented is the drainage of toxins into the lymphatic system at both cranial and spinal outlets. This extra drainage system supplements the normal drainage of csf via venous return. And we suggest that it is this system that is the common disturbance that links all CFS/ME sufferers
   
   
2. There are also several chemical sensitive regions bordering the brain's ventricular system, which interact with toxins sending messages to the hypothalamus. Also, one of the most permeable regions of the blood brain barrier is at the hypothalamus facilitating its ability to the monitor hormone levels in blood. This increased permeability also makes the hypothalamus the most prone region in the brain to suffer a toxic insult.
   
   
   1. The hypothalamus controls the sympathetic nervous system which becomes dysfunctional in CFS/ME and we now know that the sympathetic nervous system controls a pump within smooth muscle walls of the central lymphatic ducts as well as blood vessels. In CFS/ME a backflow of lymph thro the reversal of the normal pump causes further toxic insult to the surrounding tissues including the brain and spinal cord.
      
      
   2. At the same time and often many years prior to the onset, different stress factors some physical, or environmental, hormonal, allergic, emotional or via bacterial or viral infections lead to an overstrain of the sympathetic nervous system
      
      
   3. The ensuing neurological overload has at last been identified by other experts as integral part of CFS/ME as seen in the recent Canadian Criteria. The final insult is only part of a much larger aetiological picture often dating back years. Thus CFS/ME in many cases is actually a pre-viral condition with a possible virus being the last straw.
      
      

My approach stimulates the fluid motion around the brain and spinal cord via gentle cranial techniques. Articulation of the spine further aids drainage of these toxins out of the cerebrospinal fluid. Specific massage techniques of the soft tissues direct the toxins out of the lymphatic system and into the blood, towards the liver where they are readily detoxified.

Eventually with less poisons affecting the hypothalamus, the sympathetic nervous system and the lymphatics begins to function correctly, and providing the patients do not overstrain themselves their symptoms should steadily improve.

CFS/ME is thus very much a functional biomechanical disorder with definite diagnosable physical signs including disturbed spinal posture, swollen lymph vessels palpable and occasionally visible and specific tender points related to sympathetic nerve disturbance and backflow of lymphatic fluid. The fluid drainage from the brain to the lymphatics moves in a rhythm that can be palpated using cranial techniques and a trained practitioner can feel a disturbance, usually a sluggishness, of the cranial rhythm in CFS/ME.

Osteopathic hope for ME/CFS:
Dr. Perrin’s breakthrough!

 For over 20 years I have tried, with mixed results, to help patients whose lives have been dramatically altered by that devastating disease ME/CFS. It was with great interest, therefore, that in early 2007, I attended my osteopathic colleague Raymond Perrin‘s training course and heard directly about his doctoral research proving the effectiveness of his ideas on the osteopathic treatment that he has found can help this appalling condition. Through the suffering of my patients I had been interested in any advances to the treatment of this condition for many years. Dr. Perrin now has evidence that disturbance of lymphatic drainage of the brain and spine contributes towards CFS/ME – and has developed a technique to treat it. Following his initial research trials seven years ago, which received international acclaim, Raymond has now completed the second phase, providing proof of the existence of a ‘backflow’ of lymphatic drainage taking place in CFS/ME sufferers. Raymond believes that this backflow of lymph results in poisons accumulating around the spine and skull, causing the severe fatigue associated with CFS/ME. Gentle osteopathic treatment is used to increase drainage via the cerebrospinal fluid and lymph system. I have added this approach to my other tools, so if you know of anyone suffering with this wretched disease who would like to explore this approach let me know and then. . . Watch this space! 

A Film about Dr Perrin’s treatment for CFS/ME is available as a DVD or Video, it can be bought as either:

a. The Perrin Technique^TM
- With ‘A Guide for the Patient’ booklet

- Or -

b. The Perrin Technique^TM
- With ‘A Guide for the Health Care Practitioner’ booklet

(a and b are the same film but have different accompanying booklets. The film is approx 25 mins. Long.)

To make an order

Visit www.theperrinclinic.com