Chronic Fatigue

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition that causes long-term tiredness of which the causes remains unknown. Many individuals diagnosedwith chronic fatigue often experience other symptoms alongside their tiredness such as, muscular pain, joint pain, disturbed sleep patterns, poor concentration and headaches. Chronic fatigue is a highly disabling condition that significantly interferes with an individual's day to day life.

Our Occupational Therapists canmanage and improve the symptoms of chronic fatigue throughenabling an individual's participation in activities such as bathing, cooking, cleaning and dressing. A treatment programme provided by our Occupational Therapists,may include the provisions of aids and adaptations and are individually tailored tohelp individuals better manage the symptoms of chronic fatigue more effectively. This in turn will maximise their participation in everyday activities and improve their overall life satisfaction.

Associated difficulties regarding chronic fatigue

Chronic fatigue presents very differently in each and every individual and can include one or more of the following:

• Fatigue
• Low mood
• Inactivity

Fatigue
Difficulties with fatigue present for a range of reason for example, disturb sleep patterns, over activity and poor appetite. Our Occupational Therapists provide effective fatigue management techniques and education on how best to manage the symptoms of chronic fatigue. This can be done through providing energy conservation methods when completing everyday activities, such as washing, dressing, cooking and cleaning. For example, individuals who become fatigued during tasks such meal preparationcan benefit immensely from piece of equipment called a perching stool. This stool allows individuals to perch whilst completing tasks in the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom and allows individuals to conserve the energy effectively.

Low mood
Low mood is very common amongst individuals with chronic fatigue. People can often feel very frustrated or even upset when others misunderstand the extent of their tiredness. This can lead to individuals experiencing changes in their mood and attitudes, which can then impact greatly on their family and social networks. This vicious circle of events impacts heavily on an individual's day to day life.

Our Occupational Therapists have the abilitiesto assess, monitor and treat mood effectively, supporting individuals in the management of their own moods. This may be completed through using physical activity as a therapeutic tool. As exercise is well known for releasing endorphins, impacting positively on mood.

Inactivity
Individuals with chronic fatigue can often avoid participating in activity of any kind. This can have profound side effects, affecting an individual's weight, blood pressure and overall body image. Our Occupational Therapists provide a variety of assessments which help identify suitable ways of increasing an individual's levels of activity. One additional benefit to increasing an individual's activity participation is increased moods levels as exercising release of endorphins, providing the individual with a buzz.

Occupational Therapy Assessments for Chronic fatigue

Assessment is the process of gathering detailed information regarding an individual and their environment. The assessment enable our Occupational Therapist to make informed decisions about interventions and treatment programmes. Assessments also provides individuals with the opportunity to express their concerns in greater detail and enable our Occupational Therapists to createa treatment programme which will appropriately meet their needs and aid improvement.

Assessments for chronic fatigue are conducted for many reasons and enable our Occupational Therapists to not only identify problematic areas, butmonitor closely the improvements individuals make during treatment.

All our Occupational Therapists are fully qualified and highly skilled at carrying out assessments for those with chronic fatigue. Assessments have the flexibility to be conducted on a one to one basis here in one of own clinic or if required in the individuals own home.

Suitable assessment for individuals with chronic fatigue include:

• Cognitive assessment
• Functional assessment
• Activities of daily living assessment
• Return to work assessment
• Workplace assessments
• Risk assessments

There are numerous benefits of receiving Occupational Therapy for individuals with chronic fatigue. One of which includes the benefits of being educated on how best to manage their fatigue levels, others being in the form of aids and adaptations. All however aim to improvean individual's level of independenceand increase their life fulfilment.

Occupational Therapy Treatment for chronic fatigue

Improving the independence levels of those with chronic fatigue is of high importance to all our Occupational Therapists. Our Occupational Therapy interventions are a great way to improve participation in everyday activities and maximise their potential.

Occupational Therapy treatments for those with chronic fatigue include:

• Advice and education
• Aids and adaptations
• Fatigue management
• Pain management
• One on one treatment
• Home visits

Our Occupational Therapy is of a practical nature and can take place in the individuals own home or here in one of our clinics. Our Occupational Therapists will however advise on where treatments will be best carried out in order to achieve optimum results.

Advice and Education
Our Occupational Therapists provide individuals with both advice and education on grading activities appropriately in order to conserve energy. Activity grading is a method frequently adopted by our Occupational Therapists and simply involves breaking down an activityinto more manageablesections. Through employing this method individuals can progress at a level more suited to their needs. Activity grading for those with chronic fatigue can aid an individual's success when completing activities such as washing, dressing, cooking and cleaning.

Aids and Adaptations
To improve an individual's ability in performing daily task such as, dressing, cleaning, mobilising and washing, our Occupational Therapists can provide small day to day aids and larger home adaptations. There is a wide variety of aids and adaptations available, which assist those with chronic fatigue conserve their energy more effectively. It is however, extremely important to consult your therapist prior to purchasing any aids or adaptations, as some aids might not be suitable and result in further impairment.

Fatigue management
Management of fatigue can be very challenging. Our Occupational Therapists offer fatigue management techniques. This can involve rating your fatigue at different times of the day, and in relation to different activities, as this can often highlight a pattern. Keeping a fatigue diary can help individuals identify changes and minimise their level of fatigue.

Pain management
Coping with ongoing pain can be very disabling and limit an individual's involvement in everyday activities. As a result individuals can begin to feel exclude or even embarrassed due to their dependable behaviours. Our Occupational Therapist can offer individual's strategies to enable individuals manage their pain much more effectively. This can come in many forms for example breathing techniques, counting techniques, positive imagery and altered focus. All of which aim to improve an individual's ability to cope with pain more effectively.

One to One treatment
One to One therapy offers individuals with chronic fatigue the opportunity to work closely with one of our therapist and allows for open communication to get underway. In addition it allows therapy sessions to be a lot more personalised and tailored to the individual's needs.

Home visits
Our Occupational Therapists offer individuals with chronic fatigue the opportunity for a home visit. Home visits allow the Occupational Therapists to assess the home environment and analyse accurately where adaptations can be made in order to enhance the individual's independence. These can be extremely beneficial to those with chronic fatigue as often small adaptations make the world of difference.

Conditions that occupational Therapists work with

Chronic fatigue affects around 250,000 individuals in the UK and is often more common in women than it is in men. Chronic fatigue symptoms can fluctuate on a daily basis and present differently in each individual. Our Occupational Therapists can actively assess and treat a range conditions associated with chronic fatigue including condition such as, fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

Summary

Having chronic fatigue has a major impact on many aspects of an individual's daily living. Our Occupational Therapists areexperienced intreating individuals with chronic fatigue andin aiding an individual's recovery through using a wide range of treatment approaches and therapy techniques.

What to do next:

Our Occupational Therapists are highly skilled in providing individuals with chronic fatigue successful interventions. If you feel that our Occupational Therapy would be of any benefitto either yourself or a family member then please contact us at office@londonot.co.uk or call is on 02033 937 332