Fibro Friends

Personal Update

Dear Fibro Friends,

Over the past year and a half I have continued my search for effective therapies to help persons with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndromes. You can trace this search by reading my blog posts on specific therapies and subjects, however I feel that now is a good time to write a summary of my recent health "adventures".

I spent the majority of last year exploring various forms of energy medicine that employ electricity to stimulate healing. The science behind these therapies is based on the principle that all living beings are primarily energetic and governed by electrical impulses. Specific frequencies and amplitudes of electricity have been found to promote healing at the cellular level and provide the catalyst for restoring balance in damaged molecular systems of the body. The field of modern energy medicine, which includes low level laser, microcurrent, pulsed electromagnetic field, and static electric field therapies is developing rapidly and provides effective nonpharmalogical treatments for many chronic conditions.

After reaching a plateau in my improvements with LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback System) I started using NeuroField, a pulsed electromagnetic field therapy developed by Dr. Nicholas Dogris, which is used in conjunction with LENS treatments. This therapy involved commuting once a week for five months to Orinda, California to work with a wonderful therapist named Dr. Candia Smith. I made progress in my sense of well being, emotional stability and energy, however these combined treatments failed to improve my sleep or muscle condition. For more information on this and on energy medicine in general read my post "Energy Medicine of the Future". http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2011/03/energy-medicine-of-the-future.html 

In the spring of 2011 I was contacted  by Justin Brost who manufactures a static electrical field technology called the Energetic Fitness System. The unique aspect about this form of energy medicine is that rather than employing specific digital frequencies determined by a therapist to treat different conditions, the energy field creates analog harmonic frequency patterns that are rapidly changing and different for each person, theoretically providing the frequencies each person needs to heal and balance their body. Brost's business is located in Bellingham, Washington about and hour and a half drive north of Seattle. I traveled to Bellingham, Washington ten times to try this technology out and then purchased my own unit. Although I initially had a very good response to EFS over time I became reactive to it and it was no longer therapeutic. For more information on this read my post "The Energetic Fitness System" http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2011/07/energetic-fitness-system.html 

Then during the summer of 2011 I traveled twice to Portland, Oregon to try Frequency Specific Microcurrent with its developer Dr. Carolyn McMaken. McMaken uses specific frequencies that treat people with fibromaylgia caused by cervical spinal trauma. She insisted that I did not have any kind of fibromyalgia since my muscle pain is triggered almost entirely by physical exertion. McMaken treated me for a number of other conditions including concussion, liver toxicity, parasympathetic nervous system toxicity, and DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Although I initially had a good response to FSM the effects were not long lasting. McMaken referred me to a neurogist in Durango, Colorado named Dr. Catherine Willner who uses FSM in her practice. Willner tried some additional FSM frequencies on me that were not helpful. For more on this read my post "Frequency Specific Microcurrent" http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2012/01/freq.html.

Although none of the forms of energy medicine that I explored resolved my remaining symptoms, I feel that my overall health is better than before I used them. There are many anecdotal accounts of healing in persons with chronic illness using these technologies and they are all safe so I encourage others to give them a try. My personal opinion is that these therapies are excellent for treating acute inflammation and muscular and skeletal injuries, however they are not as effective in resolving long term systemic conditions such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndromes.

In October of 2011 I discovered by chance how beneficial female hormone replacement therapy is for my particular situation. After eight years of taking Activella, a combination of a plant based estradial and progestin, I decided to decrease my dose by one half. One week later my muscle condition and sleep became dramatically worse and this persisted for two weeks until I figured out the connection. A week after I went back on my regular dose, my symptoms improved to the point where they were before the decrease in hormone replacement. I spent several months researching the possible connection between female hormone levels and fibromyagia. To read about this and the conclusions I reached read my post "Hormone Replacement Therapy - An Effective Adjunct Therapy forFibromyalgia".  http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2012/02/hormone-replacement-therapy-an-effective-adjunct-treatment-for-fibromyalgia-and-chronic-fatigue-synd.html  

At the recommendation of Dr. Willner I went through a series of tests at Swedish Neuro Sciences in Seattle, Washington to assess my muscle condition. About half the doctors I have consulted think that my muscle pain is a form of fibromyalgia while the other half insist that I don't have fibromyalgia. My personal opinion is that I do have fibromyalgia but because of all the improvements in other areas of my health due to the therapies I have pursued, specifically Oral Systemic Balance and LENS neurofeedback, I do not present myself as the typical fibromyalgia patient (no fatigue, brain fog or all body pain). I was willing to undergo this rather lengthy process of testing which involved blood tests, EMG muscle and nerve testing, and MRI and muscle biopsy to see if anything would turn up. Laboratory tests showed no sign of muscle disease however there was evidence of an old injury and nerve reinnervation. To read more about my personal understanding of the muscle dysfunction that I have and which I think is common to many people with FMS read my post: "Fibromyalgia - a Perspective on Muscle Dysfunction and Effective Treatments".  http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2011/10/f.html 

Most recently I embarked on a new therapy which appears at least in this early stage to be the missing piece of the puzzle for resolving my remaining health issues. I am working with a scientist who has developed a technology called Human Probiotics which reinstates beneficial human sourced probiotics or "vitamins" that are no longer produced by a person's microflora. The reintroduction of these microbes into a person's gastrointestional tract or gut repairs the immune system and "turns the genes back on" correcting methylation problems and restoring serotonin levels. The therapy involves monthly trips to the Boston area. So far my response has been excellent with consistently better sleep, muscle function and less reactivity to foods. I am optimistic that I am on the last stretch of recovery for which I  am extremely grateful. The therapy is a process and only time will tell how successful it will be for me as well as a few others I know who are also pursuing this. Stay tuned for a future post on this subject. The best way to do this is to subscribe to my blog which you can do by clicking "Subscribe to this blog's feed" which appears at the bottom of the "Categories" column on the left hand side of my blog: http://www.fibrofriends.typepad.com.  

Everyday I think about those suffering with chronic illness and how much courage and faith this takes. The support and friendship I recieve from my "fibro friends" is immeasurable and inspires me to move forward in my search for solutions to difficult health issues. It is my firm belief that chronic fatigue and fibromyagia syndromes are totally reversible conditions and that the treatments to do that have already been discovered, we just have to find them! To that end I continue to dedicate my personal search and this blog.

Sincerely yours, Darden

Frequency Specific Microcurrent

Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) is a system of energy medicine that employs low levels of electrical current in millionths of an ampere to stimulate the healing of specific health conditions. The frequencies used in FSM are square wave electromagnetic pulses created by a battery operated device that supplies electricity on two channels firing at the same time. Specific frequencies address specific conditions with the frequency thought to address or neutralize the condition on one channel and the frequency thought to address the tissue on the other. 

The history of electromagnetic therapy devices started in the early 1900's when many medical and osteopathic physicians were exploring the use of frequencies to treat patients. In 1934 Maurice Fishbein of the American Medical Association clamped down on electromagnetic therapies by declaring them "unscientific" and threatened to revoke the medical licenses of physicians who used them. Electromagnetic research and treatments declined and their equipment was removed from the market by the FDA in the mid-1950's. In the 1980's microcurrent began to be used by physicians in Europe and the United States for stimulating healing in wounds and fractures. Units delivering micro amperage current were approved in the category of TENS by the FDA for pain management. (TENS or Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a device that blocks pain using higher levels of current than FSM measured in milliamps, which was patented in 1974).

In 1994 Dr. Carolyn McMakin, a chiropractor practicing in Portland, Oregon began using microcurrent frequencies obtained from the clinical notes of Dr. Harry Van Gelder, a retired osteopath with additional frequencies obtained from the writings of Dr. Albert Abrams and Dr. McWilliams. She discovered that the frequencies appeared to do exactly what they were purported to do with no other effects, in other words the frequency listed to decrease inflammation reduced redness and swelling and the one to stop bleeding reduced bleeding. After successfully treating patients with frequencies and observing their effects McMakin began teaching the technique in 1997 to other health practitioners who were able to reproduce the same results. FSM is currently taught in seminars throughout the United States and in Ireland to medical and naturopatic physicians, chiropractors, physical therapists and acupuncturists. There are frequencies to address over 200 conditions including inflammation, scar tissue, herpes virus/shingles, nerve pain, brain fog, wound healing, and acute PTSD. One frequency combination or protocol has been found to eliminate the full body pain associated with fibromyalgia caused by spine trauma. 

In July of 2011 I traveled to Portland, Oregon to see Dr. Carolyn McMaken to found out if FSM would be beneficial for me. After a lengthy intake of my medical history, McMaken declared that I did not have fibromyalgia since my pain was not random and triggered almost entirely by physical exertion. In my opinion fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are syndromes that encompass a wide variety of overlapping disorders and McMaken was simply stating that I did not have the kind of full body fibromyalgia pain caused by cervical trauma that responds to FSM. McMaken treated me with for a number of other conditions that she thought might be beneficial including concussion, liver toxicity, parasympathetic nervous system toxicity, and pituitary. She diagnosed the potential benefit of a frequency by my symptoms and also by feeling the muscle tension in my arm which softened in response to some frequencies during treatment. After my treatment session I felt positively intoxicated for about a half hour, a response according to McMaken that typically happens the first several times a person does FSM . 

McMaken thought that the pain I experience after using my muscles was similar to a condition called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness which FSM has shown to help and has a published study on these results. Although McMaken had never encountered anyone like myself who had this condition in a chronic way, I personally know many people with fibromyalgia who have this condition which I describe in my post "Fibromyalgia Muscle Dysfunction". Delayed Onest Muscle Soreness or DOMS is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercies resulting from muscle damage caused by eccentric exercise. DOMS is a universal symptom experience by most people who take a break from exercising or do an unfamiliar eccentric exercise. This symptom typically goes away once a person becomes accustomed to the exercise. In my case I am not able to tolerate exercise no matter how gradually I build up to it and damage my soft tissue with a very small amount of demand and stretching. The only remedies I have found is to limit my activities, practice EMG biofeedback on my muscles and rest.  A month after my initial visit I returned to Portland to see if FSM frequencies for DOMS would help my muscle condition. Prior to my first treatment I took a strenuous walk and did some yoga stretching. The next day I challenged myself further with a longer walk and more exercise followed by another FSM treatment. I felt intoxicated after both treatments and did not developed symptoms of muscle soreness. Dr. McMaken felt that the treatment was successul and sold me for $2,000 a Custom Care microcurrent unit distributed by Precision Distributing Precision, a company operated out of her residence in Longview, Washington. The unit was loaded with a number of frequency protocols for conditions that might be helpful for me including DOMS which I was instructed to run whenever I experienced muscle soreness. After I returned home I experienced another several days of respite from my muscle condition and continued with moderate activity followed by running the DOMS protocol on my Custom Care unit. Gradually over the period of a week my muscle condition returned and the frequencies appeared to become ineffective and then provoked an agitation of my nervous system. 

Unable to help me any further Dr. McMaken referred me to Dr. Catherine Willner, a neurologist and close colleague of McMaken's who resides in Durango, Colorado and practices FSM. Dr. Willner is an intellectual with impressive knowledge of both conventional and alternative medicine who practiced for ten years at the Mayo Clinic. She spent seven hours with me discussing my health history and did one session of FSM. Dr. Willner was puzzled by my unique set of symptoms and recommended that I do further testing at Swedish NeuroScience in Seattle to diagnose possible muscle pathology. She recommended that I experiment with additional FSM protocols at home. In order to add these protocols to my Custom Care Unit, it needed to be shipped back to Dr. McMakin, a process that took ten days. Further experimentation with these FSM frequencies on my own produced no positive results. When I requested to return my unit for a refund Dr. McMakin said that this was not possible. Since my unit includes many other frequencies that I did not use including wound healing, sinus cold and shingles, it may prove helpful to me or others I know in the future. 

Although I did not experience a resolution in any of my remaining health issues with FSM I feel overall a bit healthier than before I did the treatments. I know from personal reports that FSM has benefited many people with specific conditions particularly in the area of pain relief. I also know that FSM is very safe and low risk so in this way it is worth investigating for those suffering from chronic illness, however the success of the therapy is dependent on the proper diagnosis of the practitioner and whether there is a protocol for the patient's conditon. For more information and to find a FSM practitioner go to: www.frequencyspecific.com. For information on other forms in the emerging field of energy medicine read the post "Energy Medicine of the Future" http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2011/03/energy-medicine-of-the-future.html 

Custom Care microcurrent unit. Black graphite gloves are inserted between a wet towel and placed between treated area, usually the back and abdomen. 

Energetic Fitness Systems

The Energetic Fitness System is a unique energy medicine technology that infuses energy into the human body via a high static electrical field.  The origins of the technology are attributed to the scientific work of Nikola Tesla in the late 1800's. Tesla, an inventor and visionary genius in the field of electricity pioneered the science that forms the basis of alternating current (AC) electric power systems, X-rays, and wireless energy transmissions. Tesla believed that it was possible to use electricity to provide energy for the human body to function optimally. He wrote the following about a particularly stressful time in his life:

"I was so blue and discouraged in those days that I do not believe I could have borne up but for the regular treatments of electricity that I applied to myself. It puts into the entire body what it needs most - Life Force."

Because of Tesla's eccentric personality and unbelievable claims about many possible scientific developments, he was regarded as a "mad scientist" and never received a patent on his energy medicine technology. Replicas of his original machine and theories about its use survived quietly over the past 100 years. Justin Brost stumbled upon a person who had a crude version of this technology, which resulted in the relief of severe neck pain he suffered from after one session. His curiosity was piqued, Brost spent the past eleven years developing a product that incorporates modern materials and components and with the help of other researchers designed a new technology that provides maximum benefits. EFS has an impressive list of scientific advisers including James Oschman, Ph.D. the famous authority on energy medicine and author of "Energy Medicine: the scientific basis", and "Energy Medicine: in therapeutics and human performance". Brost is careful to make no medical claims on the Energetic Fitness System saying only that the technology gives the body the energy to heal itself. However he has witnessed remarkable improvements in those using EFS with many health conditions including muscular skeletal injuries, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, spinal cord injuries, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia as well as optimal performance for athletes.

The EFS user sits in a non-metal chair with bare feet on an energized glass plate while holding a 5-inch diameter energized glass bulb called the Plasma Containment System (PCS) in the hands while high voltage with no current at a broad spectrum of random wavelengths is maintained between the hands and the feet. The user feels a static vibration in the hands that gradually moves further up into the wrists and arms. The PCS creates an orange/pink glow and emits an ozone odor. The intensity of the energy can be regulated by how much contact there is in the feet on the glass plate. Over time and the user "equalizes" with the energy to a comfortable level. The energy field creates analog harmonic frequency patterns that are rapidly changing and different for each person. This is in contrast to other energy technologies where the frequencies are digital and predetermined by a computer program. The theory is that that the individual using EFS "tunes" to the energetic field and gets the frequencies he or she needs to heal and balance their body.

In May 2011 I traveled to Bellingham, Washington to meet Justin Brost and try out the Energetic Fitness System technology. Justin and his wife Shannon operate their business out a of small light industrial space where they do the final assembly of EFS units and ship them to customers. It is clear that the Brosts are passionate about this technology and dedicated to making it available to the public. At this point they have sold around 250 units mostly to individuals. Their goal however is to have EFS units in doctors' offices, sports centers, spas massage and physical therapy clinics. Since the units do not require any complicated programming and are easy to operate these "charging" sessions would be affordable to the everyday client. 

Given my highly reactive and sensitive nature I was afraid I might have a bad response to the EFS but fortunately that was not the case. Initially I had an positive emotional response to the energy that felt like a release. My first session lasted around 50 minutes. Afterwards I felt tired but relaxed and I slept well that night - a good sign for me. Encouraged by this response I commuted to Bellingham twice a week for the next month to pursue this therapy. Over that time I noticed a gradual increase in my energy, resolution of low back pain, and resolution of chronic sore feet and buttocks. I did not however experience any improvement in my muscle condition which is triggered by exercise and exertion. At the end of the month I purchased my own EFS unit to use at home. I was optimistic that by doing the EFS at home on a daily basis I might experience further improvements. I did 25 minute sessions daily for five days. This is the recommended amount that corresponds to the Chinese medical perspective that the human energy system cycles at 20-25 minute intervals. Feeling quite good I challenged my muscle condition by gardening two days in a row for an hour and a half each day. The third day my muscles were very painful and I "flared" into a fibromyalgia episode. I was hopeful that the EFS would help me recover more quickly from this flare so I increased my sessions to 50 minutes two days in a row. On the second day I had a severe agitation of my nervous system. I consulted with Justin who recommended that I take off one day and return to 25 minute daily sessions. I took off two days and then tried another session but had a bad reaction to that as well. It was obvious to me that I had overdone the therapy and I needed to take a break. After two weeks I was able to tolerate another EFS session but reacted again after four times of using the unit every other day so I decided to take a break from the therapy.

I definitely gained benefits from EFS that were cumulative and have stayed with me but EFS alone was not able to resolve my fibromyalgia muscle condition.  My personal recovery involves two important components: increasing the energy in my body and decreasing the agitation in my central nervous system that I developed over the years of living with profound physical stress and exhaustion. The EFS was helpful for increasing my energy but after a period of time it agitated my nervous system. After two long breaks from using EFS for several months I tried using the EFS again. I had adverse reactions to the technology after a couple of sessions each time. I had a friend with chronic fatigue syndrome use the unit six times and another with fibromyalgia who used it four times. Neither person observed any benefits from the therapy.

It is important to keep in mind that each person with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia as well as all other chronic illnesses has a unique presentation of these conditions with various complications and sets of symptoms.  Although there are commonalities and overlapping issues, each person can only find through trial and error what works for them. I believe that recovery is possible but there is no "silver bullet" treatment that can cure these conditions just as there is no one cause for them. (For more on this read my post "What Causes CFS & FMS"  http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2010/08/what-causes-chronic-fatigue-and-fibromyalgia-syndromes.html). I think that the Energetic Fitness System is an important therapeutic tool that may be helpful for some individuals with CFS and FSM. Caution needs to be exercised for highly sensitive individuals like myself who can "overdose" on the treatment. To learn more about it go to:http://energeticfitness.com/

 Here I am using the EFS at home. 

   Notice the orange glow created by the PCS bulb which emits an ozone smell.  

Energy Medicine of the Future

The term "Energy Medicine" refers to therapies that use energy or physics rather than chemistry to heal. These therapies are generally divided into two categories: putative energy fields that are theorized and cannot be measured or presently confirmed by scientific investigation; and veritable energy fields that can be measured and proven scientifically. 

Examples of putative energy field therapies include acupuncture and acupressure, Reiki, Qi Gong, therapeutic touch, hands on and distant healing, and applied kinesiology (muscle testing). These therapies are based on the premise that all bodies are infused with a subtle energy or vital life force referred to as "qi" or "chi" in Chinese medicine and "prana" in Ayurvedic medicine. The health of a body's energy is determined by the overall flow, balance, and harmony of a person's vital force energy; and imbalances or blockages in the natural flow of energy fields in the body can result in disease. Acupuncture and acupressure are believed to act by correcting imbalances in the flow of energy along meridians or energy channels.  In therapies such as healing touch and Reiki, a healer is believed to emit and transmit healing energy to a recipient as a way to restore health. Some of these therapies are associated with religious ideas of spirit and the power of prayer. 

Examples of veritable energy field therapies include light therapies which I discuss in my post "Phototherapy" http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2010/07/phototherapy-healing-with-light.html, microcurrent therapies which I discuss in my post "Frequency Specific Microcurrent http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2012/01/freq.html, vibrational therapies, magnetic therapies, cymatic therapy that uses sound waves, and pulsed electromagnetic field therapies. These therapies are based on the fact that all living beings are primarily energetic and governed by electrical impulses. They employ devices that generate low levels of energy at specific frequencies and amplitudes that promote healing. The science and technology of these therapies is developing rapidly and provides effective nonpharmalogical treatments for many chronic conditions. 

Like many persons with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Syndromes I have pursued a variety of putative energy field therapies including extensive treatments of various forms of acupuncture. Although I received temporary relief from acupuncture, these treatments became less effective over time and failed to address the systemic causes of my health condition. I have never benefited from the more esoteric forms of energy healing like Reiki. Although I remain open minded about these kinds of therapies and believe they can elicit a relaxation response in many individuals, I do not think that they are in and of themselves an effective strategy for healing from CFS or FMS.

One of the most promising veritable energy field therapies is Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy or PEMFT. This therapy employs non-invasive devices that generate electrical energy and direct a series of magnetic pulses that induce tiny electrical charges to stimulate cellular repair. One of the properties of PEMF that make it particularly effective is that it can penetrate through matter with relatively low energy loss. Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of PEMF in healing soft tissue wounds, aiding in bone growth and repair, suppressing inflammatory responses at the cell membrane level and alleviating pain. Beginning in 1979 the FDA began approving PEMF devices for such uses that are now employed in mainstream medical settings. 

PEMF generators (also known as magnetic resonance stimulators) are also used to simulate or mimic the naturally occurring earth based energies or electromagnetic fields in our environment. Originally developed for use in modern spacecraft after the first astronauts and cosmonauts became ill when they went into space, devices employing similar technologies are now used to combat electromagnetic pollution or smog and to promote health maintenance in general. 

There are three kinds of bioenergetically active signals in our natural environment:

1. Schumann Resonances - electromagnetic waves produced and excited by electrical currents in lightning (every second approximately 200 lighting strikes occur somewhere on earth) which are trapped in the ionosphere, a resonant cavity surrounding the earth between its surface and 100 kilometers above its surface. Originally observed by the physicist Nikola Tesla and then named for the German physicist Otto Schummann who discovered in 1954 that these waves have a main frequency of 7.8 Herz. This is the same frequency as the alpha rhythm of the brain. 

2. Geomagnetic waves - electromagnetic waves produced by 64 vital trace elements or minerals found in the earth's crust each possessing its own specific vibration. These are the same vital minerals found in the red blood corpuscles of human beings.

3. Solar waves - Ultra High Frequency (UHF) electromagnetic waves that correspond to natural sunlight.

These three natural electromagnetic signals are essential for the health and optimal functioning of all living organisms. Ancient Chinese teachings state that human beings need two balanced environmental signals to achieve good health: the YANG or masculine signal from above which corresponds to the Schumann resonances and the YIN or feminine waves coming from below which correspond to the relatively weaker geomangetic waves. Research done by the German physicist Dr. Wolfgang Ludwig  confirmed that human health depends on these natural electromagnetic signals. 

A number of factors have altered the natural electromagnetic geomagnetic environment that we presently live in. Over the past 100-300 years the earth's magnetic field has declined 50% and human development has resulted in a lowering of the water table. Man-made radio frequencies and electromagnetic fields created by power transmission lines, radio transmitters, wireless devices, cell phones, computers and microwaves have also altered the natural electromagnetic and geomagnetic environment.  Compound this with the fact that the average person spends most of the day indoors shielded and insulated from the earth's natural EMFs and walks outside on asphalt in insulating footwear and there is a powerful case to be made that all of this is contributing stress in living creatures on earth.

There are many technological devices on the market that claim to protect the body from the harmful effects of man-made electromagnetic pollution and stimulate earth based frequencies. One is Earthing which I discuss at length in my post "Earthing - Healing from the Ground Up"  http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2011/01/earthing-healing-from-the-ground-up.html . Another company called Earthcalm http://earthcalm.com/ produces devices that employ scalar resonance technology to mirror the structure of the earth's EMFs. The effectiveness of these devices varies with from individual to individual and the science behind many of them remains controversial. 

The MRS2000 is a PEMF generator designed for personal use that duplicates or mimics in intensity and frequency the earth's natural electromagnetic signals. Described as a "whole body battery charger" that provides a catalyst for energy production in the cells and helps to increase oxygenation, hydration and nutrient absorption; improve circulation; balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and promote deep relaxing sleep; and alleviate pain and inflammation, the MRS2000 is recommended for health maintenance as well as resolution of chronic health problems. The device includes a full body mat that persons lie on for 8 minutes twice a day and an applicator probe for use on problem areas. Testimonials on the benefits of using the MRS2000 include many people with CFS and FMS. An informative website belonging to a MRS2000 distributor is: http://gaiaresonance.com.

My own experience with the MRS2000 was negative resulting in a dramatic aggravation of my nervous system and a flare up of my fibromyalgia after lying on the mat for only two minutes at the most sensitive level and setting. A "fibro friend" of mine also tried the unit with no improvements and an agitation of her nervous system after 4 sessions. Needless to say I am one of the most sensitive/reactive individuals out there. But the question remains if a magnetic or electron deficiency is a contributing factor to developing chronic fatigue and or fibromyalgia syndromes. I do not think this is the case for myself because the onset of my illness preceded the general use of personal computers, cell phones and microwaves and I do not feel any different camping out in the wilderness far away from modern technologies as I do at home. I think there is evidence that chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia like symptoms can result from electromagnetic pollution. Individuals may be sick due to living in proximity to a cellular tower or power transmission lines and may be particularly sensitive to the radiation coming from wireless devices, computers and microwave transmissions including microwave ovens and cell phones. Safe Living Technologies Inc. is a company that provides a lot of good information on the subject as well as technology and products to evaluate and protect your home from electromagnetic radiation. http://safelivingtechnologies.ca/.  

One of the most promising therapeutic technologies in the field of energy medicine today is NeuroField. (www.neurofield.org)  Developed after years of research by a psychologist named Nicholas Drogris, PHD it employs a PEMF generator, the NeuroField X1000 with specific treatment protocols for various conditions. Described as an energy replenishment and stress reduction device, NeuroField is generally used by psychologists to enhance the effectiveness of traditional neurofeedback and LENS (Low Energy Neurofeedback System). Dr. Dogris worked closely with Len Ochs, PHD the developer of LENS a unique form of neurofeedback that involves feedback lasting only a few seconds of dominant frequencies at slight offsets. This feedback which is given at each of 20 different sites of the brain determined by a diagnostic brain map results in breaking up dysfunctional patterns which stimulates the brain to move towards more healthy balanced patterns. In other words LENS is a disentrainment neurofeedback device that disrupts the brain, causing it to re-organize itself. Dr. Dogris observed that this process pulls a lot of energy from the body. He hypothesized that better results might be obtained when the body had the energy to repair itself which led him to develop NeuroField.  (For more information on various forms of biofeedback and neurofeedback including LENS go to: http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2010/05/biofeedback-therapies-for-cfs-fms.html.)  

NeuroField is based on the same principles as other forms of energy medicine - that we are primarily energetic beings and that our biology is a summation of a dynamic interconnected web of energy. Energy is stored in every cell of the body and the overall "biofield", a term describing the subtle field that permeates and extends beyond the physical body is a summation of energy emitted from every cell in the human body. Cell membranes vibrate at specific frequencies. Diseased cells have weaker amplitudes and unbalanced electronic charges in the molecules often termed as free radical damage. The NeuroFieldX1000  acts by supplying pulses of energy into the biofield at specific frequencies and amplitudes determined by studying healthy body function, re-charging the damaged molecular systems and thus restoring balance and increased energy into body systems. The generator is operated by a sophisticated software program that individualizes treatment and is connected to a specialized cap that supplies EMF pulses into the field of energy around the skull and travels to other regions of the body. 

My own healing journey is presently benefiting greatly from NeuroField in addition LENS treatments. I began this combination of therapies a couple of months ago after reaching a plateau in my recovery with LENS treatments alone. I was aware that some LENS practitioners were getting better results especially for physical problems with the addition of NeuroField. In November of 2010 I traveled to Bishop, California to be evaluated by Dr. Dogris who did a Quantatative Electroencephalograph (QEEG) map on 20 sites of the brain. The evaluation showed "seizure-like" activity in my brain in several sites and suppression or inhibition of function in others. This type of pattern is typical of individuals who have experienced severe stress.  Although I have recovered completely from chronic fatigue my nervous system remains hyper vigilant and fragile after years of struggling in an exhaustive state due to oxygen deprivation.  This explains my remaining symptoms which include disturbed sleep, fibromyalgia muscle flares after physical exertion and severe sensitivity to stimulants; and also could explain my adverse reactions with other therapies. Dr. Dogris was optimistic that NeuroField could help me and at the end of 2010 I began weekly treatments with Dr. Candia Smith in Orinda, California (the closest practitioner to my home in the Seattle area). NeuroField combined with LENS treatments recently developed by Len Ochs for highly reactive individuals is proving to be the winning combination facilitating my recovery. I have seen a dramatic improvement in my remaining symptoms over the course of treatments during the past two months and I am optimistic that with time my brain and body will restore and maintain balance. 

Although my sensitivities and reactiveness are severe compared to most other individuals, imbalance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems is common in all people with CFS and FMS. I think my case is more pronounced because of the length of my illness, the fact that I have successfully treated all secondary infections and pathogens - conditions that tend to suppress the nervous system, and the fact that I do not take any sleep aids which basically act by suppressing the electrical activity of the brain. 

Another interesting technology in the field of energy medicine is the Energetic Fitness Systems. Described as a tool for balancing the body's energetic system, the system generates a broad range of rapidly changing frequencies that are not programmed and are different for each person. The user sits in a non-metal chair with bare feet on an energized glass plate while holding a 5-inch diameter energized glass bulb in the hands while high voltage with no current at a broad spectrum of random wavelengths is maintained between the hands and the feet. The system has helped many individuals with fibromyalgia.  For more information go to: http://energeticfitness.com/ and read my post "Energetic Fitness Systems http://fibrofriends.typepad.com/fibro_friends/2011/07/energetic-fitness-system.html .

I think that the emerging therapies of energy medicine hold tremendous potential for the treatment of disease and the maintenance of health. Eventually most putative fields of energy will be verified by scientific study confirming what the ancients and healers have intuitively observed for centuries. When this knowledge is combined with cutting edge forms of technology and biofeedback we will have an effective foundation for medicine in the future.