Alternative medicine

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

People with ME/CFS have frequently been found to have a number of marginal nutritional deficiencies, including various B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, sodium, zinc, L-tryptophan, carnitine, coenzyme Q10, and essential fatty acids.[1] Many people with ME/CFS or fibromyalgia turn to natural or alternative medicine and therapies, and report being dissatisfied with traditional medicine.[2]

Dietary supplements commonly taken by people with ME/CFS include natural or herbal supplements, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. Most of these can be derived from a healthy, balanced diet but are available in pill form, sometimes in higher doses than that provided by a healthy diet. The Canadian Consensus Criteria states that the nutritional principles in Travell & Simons (1999) are helpful.[3]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

  • 2010, Alternative medical interventions used in the treatment and management of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia[2] - (Full text)
  • 2000, Nutritional Strategies for Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome[1] - (Full text)

Books[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

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Related categories[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Werbach, Melvyn R. (May 2000). "Nutritional Strategies for Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" (PDF). Alternative Medicine Review. 5 (2): 93–108.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Porter, Nicole S.; Jason, Leonard A.; Boulton, Aaron; Bothne, Nancy; Coleman, Blair (March 2010). "Alternative medical interventions used in the treatment and management of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia" (PDF). Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.). 16 (3): 235–249. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0376. ISSN 1557-7708. PMID 20192908.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Simons, David G.; Travell, Janet G.; Simons, Lois S. (1999). Travell & Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: Upper half of body. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 9780683083637.