Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by sleep disorders and disruption of the immune system. It is also called chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome.

There is a thrilling report about the failure of synthetic drugs and the triumph of "heat." It's the result of a study done at a hospital in Japan and reported in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research.

Now, think of all these symptoms that got burnt from these patients lives:

• persistent and severe fatigue

• impaired in short-term memory or concentration

• sore throat

• tender lymph nodes

• muscle or joint pain, and headache

Prior treatment with prednisolone of the patients in this study was unsuccessful. Their medication was discontinued and treatment sessions with far-infrared ray dry sauna heat at 140 F or 60 C was given. After each session they underwent post-sauna warming. That's like wrapping up in a warm blanket in a relatively warm room.

With one session each day for 35 days, symptoms were relieved after 15 to 20 sessions, the report said. After discharge from hospital, the patients continued with 1 or 2 treatments per week (on an outpatient basis) for one year.

The researchers reported that the patients resumed normal life within six months after the sauna therapy began, with no worsening of the symptoms after a year.

Not a quick fix

Notice that this was not a "quick fix." However, results were positive. Generally, there are no push button fixes with natural therapy or natural remedies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are more than a million people in the United States who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. That is over 1,000,000 people experience profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest; a condition that may be made worse by normal physical and/or mental effort.

If an infrared sauna closet set up in the home can promise such results without side effects it surely makes for a "checking out" item. If you have CFS or similar condition, it may be worth turning up the heat a bit.

For the more detailed commentary on this report see the article on chronic fatigue syndrome at saunarelief.com.

Bentley Thompson

Bentley Thompson works with an Atlanta-based engineering consulting firm as the director of Ground Penetrating Radar services. He is very passionate about health and healthy living.

In his spare time he reads health books and periodicals. His hobbies include computer networking, the Internet, and music.

For years he spent several hours per day at the computer but has recently developed diabetes. Now he manages his illness with daily exercise and diet. He shares his "come-back" experience on one of his his websites.