New Zealand invention helps student with chronic fatigue syndrome
• April 10, 2024
The device delivers three different therapies simultaneously: compression, thermodynamic heat, and deep pressure. Photo: Kenzie Latch
After being bedridden for months with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a university student has found a treatment that’s given her life back.
Josie Collins was diagnosed with CFS three years ago after becoming ill with glandular fever.
Approximately 45,000 people in New Zealand have been diagnosed with CFS, and researchers have found a strong link between long covid and CFS.
Collins was bedridden for three months until she started FLOWpresso, a treatment designed to support the body’s lymphatic system.
“I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t even leave the house to go for a walk. I struggled to have the energy to do basic things like showering and brushing my teeth.
“Now I do this treatment every three weeks and my quality of life has improved so much. I can go to university full time and have a part-time job, I have the energy to see my friends and enjoy myself.”
FLOWpresso was founded in 2019 in New Zealand by lymphatic specialist Desiree De Spong.
The lymphatic system is the drainage system in our bodies, responsible for fighting infection and keeping fluid levels in balance.
The unique treatment consists of a full-body suit that covers the legs, arms, abdomen, and torso.
Karen Slacke, who was a UK registered general nurse for 18 years, is now a FLOWpresso practitioner in New Zealand..
“My clients range from CEOs to athletes - really everyone can benefit from this treatment because it meets you where your needs are,” she said.
“We live in such a stressful world, with social media and work pressures, our body is often in a ‘fight or flight’ mode, this helps us come out of that.”
Collins says she’s grateful to have found this treatment which gave her life back.
“I wish everyone with CFS could know about this treatment. I heard about it from someone else with CFS but was never told by a doctor that it was an option.”
