Fighting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

18 November 2014

Fighting Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

New Zealanders suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are getting a greater chance to fight the illness in Wellington.

Now a new pathway developed by clinicians at Capital & Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) will allow separate specialties to work closely together to help the patient recover.

CFS affects between 10,000 and 20,000 people of all ages, socioeconomic and ethnic groups in New Zealand, on average it effects a patient’s life for between three and five years.

“It’s an overwhelming sense of fatigue, where a person’s everyday function is impacted,” clinical psychologist Matthew Leaver says.

The new pathway allows physiotherapists and psychologists to work separately with the patient, but each is then able to share relevant information with the other.

Leaver says the specialties work well together to speed up the recovery process.

“We deal with the psychological effects of having CFS and motivate people to get involved with physiotherapy,” Leaver says.
The physiotherapy programme involves stabilising the patients physical activity, followed by gradual planned increases which extends their physical functioning beyond their current ability
Physiotherapist Vanessa Simpson says the new plan is helping patients feel stronger and healthier and more in control of their situation.

“One patient said to me following completion of the programme she now likes exercise as opposed to fearing it.”

One patient said she could really see the benefits and can now “walk for thirty minutes”, whereas five minutes was a major struggle before.

Physiotherapy clinics are being run in Wellington, Kenepuru and Kapiti.

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