I found this cold shower treatment on about.com. Sounds like it may be worth a try. Here is the link to this story and more info: http://chronicfatigue.about.com/
A Cold Shower - The Latest Treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Thursday June 5, 2008
Forget all those cliches about taking a cold shower - some researchers think that could be a way to treat chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS).
Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine plan to test whether 3-minute cold showers (68-degress Fahrenheit/20-degrees Celsius), twice a day, help relieve the fatigue and pain of ME/CFS. So far, it's just a hypothesis, but it's got some interesting scientific background.
The think this treatment, called cold stress, could help by making several changes in the body, including:
Boosting HPA axis (stress response) activity
Increasing metabolism, which may speed muscle recovery and prevent post-exertional malaise
Brain-stem arousal to normalize serotonin levels
This hypothesis - especially the stress-response part - makes me think about something I learned in a college yoga and meditation class. The instructor told us to start deep breathing and focused relaxation while standing in a hot shower, then turn the water to straight cold for 30 seconds, making sure to continue deep breathing. The purpose of this, she said, was to induce a fight-or-flight stress response in your body (the sudden cold) and to train your body (NOT your mind) to stay calm during this process. She said it would help us stay focused and in control during high-stress situations, and I have to say, I believe it worked for me.
Could this same simple technique relieve the intense, debilitating exhaustion of ME/CFS, and maybe of fibromyalgia as well? The next time my fibro fatigue gets back, I think I'll do my own experiment.
Suggested Reading
Yoga for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Tai Chi for Relaxation, Energy & Strength
Treating Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome