The Book-Cover Tag

Phytotherapy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Evidence-Based and Potentially Useful Botanicals in the Treatment of Cfs. The author is Roberto Patarca-Montero, MD, PhD. I did a search and found various research papers written by this doctor, very interesting but packed with medical terms.

I was tagged by Niki from Japan. And the subject is The Book Cover Tag. The rules for this tag is very simple [after three decades of military service I can follow simple or very complicated rules], go to the advanced search of Amazon dot com, and type your first name in the "Title" field, and post the most interesting/amusing cover that shows up.

Well, this is what I found after entering my name of cfs in the title field:

Phytotherapy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Evidence-Based and Potentially Useful Botanicals in the Treatment of Cfs.

Okay, so far so good with this tag. I believe that I have "accomplished the mission of the tag" - but let see if we can learn something about the subject of this book! Please continue reading.

Now, the first word of the book title is a fancy one, and I had to do a search to decode it! Saved by Wikipedia! Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts from natural origin as medicines of health-promoting agents. Even though phytotherapy is usually regarded as "alternative medicine" in the Western countries, it is as well, when critically carried out, a essential part of modern pharmacognosy.

But, what is and what causes CFS? Saved by the Vermont Department of Health! Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is a complex illness characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. People with CFS often function at a much lower level of activity than they did before onset of the illness. CFS can also affect memory, cause weakness and muscle pain, and insomnia. The cause or causes of CFS have not been identified. Many different infectious agents, physiologic and psychological causes have been considered. Research centers on the roles the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems may play and how these factors interact. Genetic and environmental factors may also play a role in developing or prolonging the illness.

But how is CFS really treated? Again, saved by the Vermont Department of Health! Since there is no known cure for CFS, treatment is aimed at relieving your symptoms and improving daily function. A combination of drug and non-drug therapies is usually recommended. While some patients with CFS may see improvement over time, full recovery may be rare. Many patients experience skepticism and disbelief from others about their illness. Treating patients with respect and validating their illness may be the single most important therapy that the health care provider can offer.

Note on the above, I included information easy to understand, but for the real deal you can check the Center for Decease Control and Prevention [CDC] web site with a lot of good [technical] information on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Okay, let's go back to the book. As per editorial reviews of this book, it presents information about the uses of herbal medications for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. Discusses the potential and proven CFS-related benefits and adverse effects of well-known botanicals and lesser-known herbs.

Thanks Niki for the tag. By taking care of the book-cover tag, I have learned something new. You are never too senior to learn.

And now I am tagging YOU the reader of this interesting post. YOU can click on the link to the Amazon dot com site listed above, on the "title" field place your name and let's see what you come up with, and if feasible please share with us in the comments!

Thanks for reading!