Backed By Science
A Chance Discovery That Changed Everything
In the late 1980s, Dr Raymond Perrin was working as an osteopath specialising in sports injuries. During this time, he treated a former professional cyclist suffering from chronic back pain – who also happened to have ME/CFS. Over the course of seven months, not only did the patient’s back improve, but he also reported a complete recovery from his ME symptoms, crediting Dr Perrin with “curing” him.
This unexpected outcome sparked Dr Perrin’s deep curiosity and led him to investigate why his treatment had such a dramatic effect. What began as a clinical observation soon evolved into a lifelong dedication to uncovering the root causes of ME/CFS and other post-viral fatigue syndromes. Dr Perrin retrained as a neuroscientist and has since become a leading expert in the field.
Through years of clinical work and research, he developed a unique osteopathic approach known as The Perrin Technique – a diagnostic and treatment protocol that has helped thousands of patients since 1989.
Groundbreaking Research, Proven Over Time
Dr Perrin’s work has always been ahead of its time. His early hypotheses challenged established scientific and medical thinking, but decades later, his theories are being confirmed by new research from around the world.
One notable example is the brain’s lymphatic drainage system – something Dr Perrin had hypothesised about since 1989. At the time, it was widely believed that the brain had no lymphatic system. It wasn’t until 2017 that scans on humans provided conclusive evidence of this drainage system, validating his early work and cementing his place as a pioneer in neurolymphatic research.
Over the years, Dr Perrin has authored scientific papers, developed clinical and research trials, and become a world-renowned lecturer and educator. His groundbreaking work on neurolymphatic congestion continues to shape the understanding and treatment of ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and related conditions.
“If it was a drug, it would have been licensed.”
Research and Clinical Evidence for the Perrin Technique
The Perrin Technique has been studied in NHS-linked trials and published in peer-reviewed medical journals since 2007. Independent researchers are now finding evidence that supports the lymphatic drainage theory behind it. Below are the published studies.
Research into the Perrin Technique
2026 · Infectious Diseases and Therapy
Testing the Feasibility of a Self-Help Intervention That Includes Lymphatic Drainage to Reduce Fatigue-Related Symptoms Among Patients with Long COVID in General Practice
Riste L, Perrin R, Mulholland T, Hann M, McDonald O, Heald A.
This study tested whether a self-help programme, including lymphatic drainage techniques based on the Perrin Technique, could be run as a randomised controlled trial in GP surgeries. Of 138 eligible patients, 126 agreed to take part, which met the size the trial needed. It lays the groundwork for larger trials in Long Covid.
2022 · Cardiovascular Endocrinology & Metabolism
Reducing fatigue-related symptoms in Long COVID-19: a preliminary report of a lymphatic drainage intervention
Heald A, Perrin R, Walther A, Stedman M, Hann M, Mukherjee A, Riste L.
This early report followed 20 Long Covid patients who received weekly Perrin Technique treatment alongside daily self-massage and gentle exercises. Patients recorded their fatigue-related symptoms before and after treatment, and scores fell over the course of care. The authors describe it as a preliminary report that points to the need for further research.
2020 · Medical Hypotheses
Into the looking glass: Post-viral syndrome post COVID-19
Perrin R, Riste L, Hann M, et al.
Published in the early months of the pandemic, this paper predicted that some people would develop a lasting post-viral illness after COVID-19, similar to ME/CFS. It set out how the lymphatic model could explain those symptoms. Long Covid has since been widely recognised.
2017 · BMJ Open
(Gail Sumner, co-author)
Can physical assessment techniques aid diagnosis in people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis? A diagnostic accuracy study
Hives L, Bradley A, Richards J, Sutton C, Selfe J, Basu B, Maguire K, Sumner G, Gaber T.
This NHS-linked study, carried out with the University of Central Lancashire, tested whether the physical signs used in the Perrin Technique can help clinicians identify ME/CFS. Our founder, Gail Sumner, took part in the trial and co-authored the published paper.
2007 · Journal of the American Osteopathic Association
Lymphatic drainage of the neuraxis in chronic fatigue syndrome: a hypothetical model for the cranial rhythmic impulse
Perrin RN.
Dr Perrin’s model of how fluid drains from the brain and spinal cord, and how a disruption to that drainage may be linked to ME/CFS. This theory is the foundation of the Perrin Technique.
Independent Research Supporting the Lymphatic Theory
2026 · Frontiers in Neuroscience
Disrupted glymphatic function and its relationship with sleep and cognitive impairment in ME/CFS assessed via DTI-ALPS
Thapaliya K, Marshall-Gradisnik S, Inderyas M, Barnden L. Griffith University, Australia.
Researchers used MRI scans to measure the brain’s waste clearance system (the glymphatic system) in 31 people with ME/CFS and 27 healthy volunteers. Clearance was significantly lower in the ME/CFS group, and lower clearance was linked to worse sleep and concentration. The authors describe this as the first evidence of glymphatic dysfunction in ME/CFS.
2026 · Cell
CSF clearance through arachnoid fenestrations to olfactory meningeal lymphatics
Hong SP, Jin C, Yang MJ, et al., including Alitalo K, McDonald DM and Koh GY.
This laboratory study mapped a drainage route that carries fluid out of the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid passes through small openings near the olfactory bulbs, crosses the bone behind the nose, joins the nasal lymphatic vessels and drains to the lymph nodes in the neck. The researchers found these openings in mice and in monkeys, and showed that the route becomes less effective with age. It adds detail to a pathway Dr Perrin has described since 1989: drainage from the brain along the olfactory nerve and into the lymphatic system.
Research into ME/CFS and Long Covid is moving quickly, and we add new studies to this list as they're published. Want to talk about whether the Perrin Technique could be right for you?
Looking Ahead
Today, Dr Perrin continues to expand his research, train healthcare professionals, and raise awareness about The Perrin Technique. Clinical trials have already demonstrated positive outcomes, with one leading scientist remarking that if The Perrin Technique were a pharmaceutical intervention, it would have met the threshold for licensing.
You can stay informed and support ongoing studies through FORME – The Fund for Osteopathic Research into ME, a charity dedicated to advancing osteopathic research into ME/CFS.