In view of the increasing number of clients attending the Clinic with symptoms of ME, it is appropriate that we explain our views and the methods used.

What is ME. The term has been used to describe a condition where the client experiences many of the following symptoms. The majority of sufferers are girls in the age group 10-19y with a lower incidence up to 35 years of age with little onset thereafter. Boys seldom suffer as they metabolise differently and the lymphatic system is fundamentally more capable of dealing with the illness.

There is often a triggering event such as an upper respiratory tract infection, glandular fever or even flu. If enough time away from school or work is not given for a full recovery, it is common to see symptoms appearing about 6 months after the originating illness. Rest is critical following any illness.

Loss of energy. In extreme cases, this is a critical condition where the person cannot work, cannot go to school, cannot function in the normal sense and it is fundamentally debilitating.

Appetite is affected. The person will either be constantly hungry or unable to summon the energy to eat. Whatever is eaten is not digested into useable energy for the body.

Pain. The loss of muscle tissue and liquids imbalance causes pain in the joints and limbs. Any movement exacerbates the condition and the body deteriorates.

Depression. Profound depression is manifest and is the result of firstly, the onset of the illness and secondly by the failure to find a cure.

Length of duration. There is no limit to the duration. We have treated those who have had the illness for over 13 years. In 90% of the cases that we see, the onset is a few weeks or months after the person has had either Flu like illness or Glandular Fever. It is our experience that the originating virus does not clear from the body entirely. The natural defences and in particular, the phagocyte cells ingest the viable virus where it consumes the cell which is supposed to be protecting the body and erupts spontaneously to re-infect the system.

The body defences are drained by this continual onslaught and the liver and kidneys are overworked. Consequently, the lymphatic system is not able to clear the virus in the nodes. The mutated virus is then re-circulated in the blood to return to its safe haven.

The treatment is then a full body massage and lymphatic drainage of the whole system, internal and superficial nodes and all the deep tissue. The internal organs lymphatic has to be drained. There are over 600 such nodes and miles of connecting vessels all over the body.

If the virus is moved through the system quickly enough it does not have time to mutate before it is expelled from the body. Often, we find the lungs are congested where the lymph is trying to evacuate from the body and the liver and kidney have failed. This gives rise to breathing problems before treatment.

The treatment is intensive and four or five such sessions are needed over a few weeks.

It is not for the shy person as all the breast tissue is drained, the axillary vessels, all the rump and groin adjacent to the genitals and a general whole body massage is used. The lymph nodes are located superficially in the groin and arm pit with deep channels all over the body and inside on every internal organ and surface.

The lymphatic system has no muscles or pumps and relies on muscular activity to work or by artificial external stimulus such as massage.

Those massages that only penetrate the dermis and sub dermis layers are not deep enough to deal with this problem.

Crystals are used to enhance the body inner core strength and once done, the depression often lifts very quickly. Our success rate is very high but there may be a release period when the person feels ill after treatment. Whilst every effort is made to minimise this, it does sometimes happen.

There are no cures as such, but one helps the body back to health by stimulating the body’s own defences and giving the sort of encouragement and direct hands on help that is needed.

The treatment is ‘hands on’ oil on skin lymphatic massage with massage of the breast tissue. A parent must be present and give consent to the treatment in the case of those under 16. The treatment will not suit everyone and if you are unsure of this aspect, then we will not commence treatment.

Nothing else seems to work and we will not compromise the treatment by doing only part of the full remedy. Even then, it will not work in every single case.

We see about 40 cases each year and in many of those, perhaps in 80-90% a virtual recovery is seen. Such cases are documented and the people concerned are open to talk of their experiences and the effects of treatment.

Some require treatment for a long period and some will never recover fully.

We commonly see that the family interactions are not helpful. A child may be in bed for three weeks out of four and perks up when ‘Auntie’ visits. She stays for an hour and plays with the child. As she leaves, the child crashes and goes back to bed having used up all her energy and stays there for a week to recover.

In ‘Aunties’ eyes the child is making up the whole thing or being patronised by the mother who ‘ Is far too doting on the brat and causing her illness. get her up and out of the house’. The plain fact is that sort of statement is extremely frustrating and unhelpful.

Better the child be looked after for a respite care by Auntie whilst the parents go out for some fun. ‘Auntie’ may well then see the true picture.

Perception is a real problem in these cases.

Mr Hardiman says, after having treated this condition since the 1960's, we really do not know exactly why it happens, but it does. We have found a way dealing with it that seems to work but exactly why and how much is down to the approach and understanding as much as the treatment itself is debatable.