What Evidence is there that Nutrition according to Chinese Medicine Principles has a Material Effect on the Rate of Recovery of Acupuncture Patients Suffering from CFS (Chronic fatigue Syndrome)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Overview1

Theoretical framework1

Description of research topic and area of study:2

Research question2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY5

Proposed research design5

Methods of data collection5

Data analysis6

Resources required6

Proposed timetable6

Electronic databases7

REFERENCES9

APPENDICES15

Questionnaire15

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Overview

Serious and disabling chronic fatigue is associated with a complicated and controversial history. The high degree of variability in illnesses marked by severe and unremitting fatigue makes accurate diagnosis of serious problems extremely imprecise. It is difficult to understand very severe fatigue that persists even in the absence of significant activity or biological markers well enough to facilitate the amelioration of physical symptoms (Stivers 2007, p.46). A full appreciation for the range of fatigue conditions is intricately linked to individuals' subjective states of affliction. Symptoms such as constant weakness, debilitating fatigue, and internal pain and discomfort denote an illness experience that is frequently misperceived (Somers 2004, p.605-649).

Theoretical framework

Comparisons of healthy individuals or other chronically ill persons to individuals with CFS have suggested that there are distinct physiological pathways affected by CFS, although significant alterations of bodily processes have not been identified to aid diagnosis of the syndrome. As mentioned above, there is significant disagreement in the way CFS is formulated. The absence of a clear etiology of fatigue and the inability to identify "organic" origins perpetuate the attitude that CFS lacks a biomedical component and is therefore a psychosomatic condition. In addition to unknown etiology, current guidelines regarding diagnosis, prevalence, and treatment are also not uniform and can, at times, appear contradictory. Because of the overlap in symptom criteria and the lack of biological markers to distinguish CFS and depression, the two conditions are often (Seale 2002, p.24).

Description of research topic and area of study:

During two years of clinical observation, I have been struck by the number of patients that suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and how challenging it is to treat these individuals. In addition, during clinical observation, I have observed that not all practitioners of Chinese Medicine offer dietary advice. During my last year of observation with nine different practitioners, I observed that only two of these discussed dietary advice with their patients. As well, out of five cases of CFS treated within my time in clinical observation, only one Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner discussed dietary advice with her patients.

This topic of study is of personal interest to me for both personal and professional reasons. On a personal level, I have a close friend that has been fighting CFS for many years, which has provided me inspiration for this study. On a professional level, I would like to specialize in the treatment of CFS in future. I have a strong belief that nutrition is not only the basis for good health but also fundamental in aid of the healing process. I strongly believe in the importance of offering patients dietary advice to protect and enhance their ...