In Australia there are an estimated 92,000 to 598,000 people living with chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). This disorder is characterised by a period of six months or more of extreme fatigue with no obvious underlying medical condition.
Symptoms of chronic fatigue vary from person to person and fluctuate daily. However, some of the most common symptoms include poor sleep, dizziness, difficulties with memory and concentration, as well as sore throat, headaches and unexplained muscle and joint pain. In most instances, the levels of fatigue don’t improve with rest.
There’s no doubt that living with chronic fatigue can be debilitating. Yet, despite their pain, many sufferers live full lives because they adopt effective coping strategies. So, what do these include?
Reduce stress
Chill out and relax. Easier said than done when living with pain, we know. But research shows that the stress hormone cortisol increases pain and inflammation levels and worsens symptoms. When stress is managed, symptoms and pain are less severe.
Try to identify your stress triggers and consider how you can minimise or avoid them. For example, if household chores are a trigger, hire some help. If the news or social media makes you feel anxious, limit your exposure. If large social events are too much, decline invites.
Adjusting your expectations is important too. If you’re putting immense pressure on yourself to achieve unobtainable or unrealistic goals, then you’re going to feel stressed. Take a reality check and only do what you can.
Move Your Muscles
While running a marathon isn’t realistic, some form of gentle exercise may be. Movement is good for the body and mind and research shows that those feel-good endorphins post exercise can help reduce your pain.
Understand your limitations and don’t push yourself to do something unachievable. Find the level and pace that’s right for you and build on it from there. Gentle low impact exercises tend to be the best. A daily walk or yoga session or a gentle bike ride or swim.
For a more tailored exercise plan, visit a physiotherapist who can assess your capabilities and advise on suitable options. They can also provide you with some gentle muscular movements and stretches that may help reduce your pain.
Learn Mindfulness Through Meditation
For CFS sufferers switching off from pain may feel impossible, but research proves this isn’t true. Studies have found that regular mindfulness meditation can help to lower pain levels as well as improve sleep and overall wellbeing.
Mindfulness is very much about being kinder to yourself and not engaging with negative thoughts, but instead thinking of them from an objective viewpoint. It’s about letting go of unachievable expectations and dismissing the accompanying defeatist attitude.
Instead of thinking “my pain will never get better”, think “today’s a bad day, and I will just allow myself to rest.” Instead of ‘I can’t walk for more than ten minutes’, think ‘I will only walk for ten today.”
Reach out for support
If you’re living with CFS, there’s no need to feel alone. With an array of support groups online and in person, you’re never far from reaching out and talking to people in the same boat.
A support group offers a safe space where you can share your experiences with people who understand what you’re going through and swap approaches and strategies for coping with the pain. Simply having your illness validated is often enough to make you feel better.
Reaching out to an external health provider for support is also worthwhile. Someone like an NDIS provider can assist you with a range of day-to-day activities or simply provide company if you want to get out of the house.
A holistic approach
Part of being well and staying well is about having the right healthcare team around you and taking a holistic approach to managing your pain. The right professionals can help you with physical, mental, and medical approaches, but there are lifestyle factors you can control too.
Eat a healthy diet which incorporates fresh vegetables, legumes, whole grains, protein, and essential fatty acids found in nuts, seeds, and cold-water fish. Avoid refined foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and saturated fats.
Explore additional therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, massage, osteopathy, and herbal supplements (with the advice of your GP).
Good sleep practices
Living with CFS is, by its very nature, exhausting. Yet, in an ironic twist, CFS sufferers often find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Poor sleep quality then has a domino effect causing increased emotional distress and increased sensitivity to pain.
Setting a schedule so you go to bed and rise at the same time every day, even on weekends, is a good way of getting your body in a regular rhythm. Having a wind down routine is also worthwhile.
Try listening to music, turning off phones and the TV or having a relaxing bath. Avoid any stimulants like alcohol or caffeine and ensure your room is quiet, dark and a comfortable temperature.
Living with chronic fatigue is challenging, but with the right approach and the right support you can be better in taking each day as it comes.
Author – Unidex Healthcare Recruitment
