The ME/CFS Society of NSW Inc.

Has anyone tried chiropractic for CFS? I have found it to be really helpful but only with the right chiropractor. The first one I tried for CFS was hopeless, he just gave the same 15 minute treatment every week and I continued to go downhill. Then I tried someone who was teaching chiropractic at Macquarie University who my son recommended.

At the time I could only walk 50 metres and thought it wouldn’t be long before I wouldn’t be able to leave the house or even get out of bed. I had constant severe pain and life was miserable. After 2 years treatment, on a good day I can walk several kilometers slowly and the pain is low most of the time. My life has changed from hell to manageable, and sometimes I even enjoy myself. The only problem is that it became too expensive to continue because I wasn’t working.

My son Matthew is studying chiropractic and is in his 5th year which involves working in one of the university clinics as an intern. He works at the university campus clinic on Friday afternoons and at the Macquarie Park clinic on Wednesday afternoons and I’ve started having treatments with him. It was strange turning up at the clinic to have my son treat me but good in one way. Because he has lived with someone with CFS (me), he understands it. Also he often tells me things at the clinic that he doesn’t think to mention at home.

For instance Matthew said that movement suppresses pain because movement inhibits pain signals. Movement even has a long term effect because if the body is used to supressing pain signals then it will be more likely to supress pain even if there is little or no movement. This explained why doing my exercises every day helped even when I was doing so little, so slowly, it seemed as if it couldn’t possibly make any difference. He says a chiropractor creating movement by mobilising joints can reduce pain because they can create movements you can’t do yourself.

Chiropractic won’t cure CFS but it can help, provided the treatment is given my someone interested and who puts in the time and effort required. I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Treatments at the university clinics cost $15 which is more affordable if you're out of work. While appoinments are meant to be half an hour, they always allow for extra time and all my appointments end up longer. If anyone is interested in chiropractic but can’t afford it, you can see details of the clinics at: http://www.chiro.mq.edu.au/Clinics/
Meghan Stevens