Leading the World in Osteopathic Diagnosis & Treatment of chronic fatigue (ME/CFS) – Now being applied to sufferers of long-covid and fibromyalgia.

What is the Perrin Technique™?

The Perrin Technique™ is based on Dr Perrin’s theory that different stress factors whether physical, allergies, emotional or infections lead to an overstrain of the sympathetic nervous system.

The Perrin Technique™ is a manual therapy that aids the diagnosis and treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) and was developed in 1989 by British osteopath and neuroscientist Dr Raymond Perrin DO Ph.D.

Our associate osteopath Ellie has been trained directly by Dr Perrin in the UK and has supported patients in both Brisbane and Sydney.  She maintains her connection with Dr Perrin and is pursuing becoming a Perrin Technique teacher in Australia through a specialised programme led by Dr Perrin himself.

How does our nervous system work?

Our bodies have two parts of the autonomic nervous system; the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.  Together these systems control the automatic functions of the body such as breathing, heart rate, blood flow, digestion and focusing our eyes.  They take care of important tasks all without us having the think about them.

The sympathetic nervous system is known for being the system that helps us in times of danger and stress, often referred to as the “fight or flight” system.  It prepares our body for stress and we know it is vital for healthy lymphatic drainage. 

The parasympathetic nervous system promotes “rest and digest” functions to allow us to recover and repair after the danger or stress has passed.

How is our nervous system and chronic fatigue linked?

Dr Perrin’s research and theory shows that chronic fatigue is caused by an accumulation of inflammatory chemicals and other toxic substances in the brain and spinal cord leading to a dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system.  

Dr Perrin believes that for sufferers the sympathetic nervous system will have been placed under stress for many years before the onset of the signs and symptoms. This stress may have been:

• of a physical nature due to postural strain or an old injury, 
• it may be emotional, or environmental such as pollution, 
• or it may be due to stress on the immune system due to infection or allergy.

Dr Perrin’s research hypothesised that one final trigger factor (usually a viral infection) leads to a breakdown of the sympathetic nervous system’s control of the lymphatic drainage.  This then leads to a reversal of the flow of toxins toward the brain and the spinal cord.  In turn, further dysfunction of the central nervous system takes place causing backflow of toxins and disruption of normal automatic bodily functions and the disease that we know as chronic fatigue syndrome. 

However, the final trigger may not be an infection but a physical, emotional or chemical trauma. The amount and type of toxicity is different in every patient and with over 100 billion neurones (nerve cells) in the brain, it isn’t any wonder that every patient has a different presentation and combination of symptoms. which adds further confusion in the medical world.

The lymphatic drainage system removes toxins from our body.  Some of the toxins caused by infection or inflammation in the head or spine should flow through perforations in a bony plate (the cribriform plate) just above the nasal cavity.  They also flow through other cranial nerve pathways such as the optic and auditory pathways and the trigeminal into the lymph ducts around the eyes, ears, and mouth and down the face and neck.  These toxins are also meant to drain down the spinal cord and out into the lymph ducts lying along the spine. 

Dr. Perrin has discovered that the common finding in chronic fatigue patients is that these normal drainage points are structurally damaged by prior trauma to the head and spine or developmental or congenital and hereditary problems that lead to structural disturbances in these important areas. 

The damage may seem quite minor but it can lead to a restriction of healthy lymphatic drainage and allow toxins to build up in the body.  Congestion in the neuro-lymphatic flow starts the vicious cycle of neurotoxicity.  This build up can then create a reversal of lymphatic flow and potentially to engorged ‘varicose’ lymphatic vessels found especially in the chest and neck.

How does the Perrin Technique™ work?

The Perrin Technique™ targets the fluid motion around the brain and spinal cord by a combination of specific adapted osteopathic techniques and manual lymphatic drainage, which aids removal of these toxins through the body’s own natural pathways.

As osteopaths we promote self healing mechanisms within the body, allowing the different body systems to function in harmony and return to optimal health for each individual patient.

By identifying the common signs in all chronic fatigue sufferers, Dr. Perrin has devised a physical examination that results in aid to a definitive diagnosis. The diagnostic signs of The Perrin Technique™ have been tested and supported by the rigor of an NHS-controlled trial, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ Open) in November 2017.

Click here to read more about the Perrin Technique ™

Please book now with Ellie or contact us for more information.