Other Methods

• Osteopathy. Some osteopaths claim that a structural mis-alignment in the body can cause the symptoms attributed to ME/CFS, or can aggravate them. A few trials have been conducted but so far the medical community has not considered them convincing.
• Electromagnetic Stress. There is a body of opinion which suggests that electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields can affect the body, both harmfully and therapeutically: the 'electromagnetic soup' resulting from household wiring and appliances (the electric field in particular), radio waves, and atmospheric electrical activity can result in poor health; and some forms of magnetic treatments and electromagnetic frequency generators can aid recovery. Again, the medical community remain sceptical with very little in the way of scientific evidence having been accepted for publication in the mainstream medical journals.
• Geopathic Stress. 'Geopathic Stress' is said to result from radiation emanating from the Earth. It is a complex and, in the West at least, little researched phenomenon. Advocates say that many illnesses can be attributed to the particular patient having spent a long time (e.g. sleeping every night, or working every day) in a particular spot where these radiations are harmful. They employ dowsers and, in some cases, very sensitive instrumentation to determine where these spots lie.
• Bio-energy treatments. 'Faith Healing', 'Spiritual Healing', and 'Energy-balancing' come under this category. Although no scientifically-accepted explanation for 'faith' healing has been forthcoming, many doctors do accept that it can have beneficial effects, provided that it is not used as a substitute for sound medical practice. Those who believe they have an explanation talk of the body's aura or electric/electromagnetic field being disturbed and that progress is made by energy transfer between healer and patient. Some bio-energy practitioners specialise in treating people with ME/CFS.
• Buteyko Method. The deals with improvement in breathing techniques, overcoming hyoperventilation and consequent better oxygenation of body tissues.