A large faction of the population suffers from fatigue. They may have felt tired for quite a long time – chronically – but that is not what Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is. It is a medical diagnosis used to describe an amalgamation of symptoms where no definitive test has been established. It is generally associated with generalized muscle pain, exhaustion after minimal effort which can take hours or even days to recover from, flu-like feeling much of the time, and not just generalized tiredness, but extreme fatigue. Typically, it is accompanied by headaches, disturbed sleep, food sensitivities, joint pain and irritable bowel.
The problem with CFS is that the symptoms can mimic about 30 different other problems including problems with the immune system (which most say is at the root of CFS), neuromuscular diseases, gastro-intestinal disorders, hormonal imbalances, psychiatric disorders, rheumatic disorders and others. It is critical that other conditions are ruled out before diagnosing CFS. CFS and Fibromyalgia (FMS) have become catch-all diagnoses when the doctor can’t determine what is really wrong. This clouds proper medical or health intervention that can help.
Post Exertional Malaise (PEM) is a relatively new term that has been associated with this group of mysterious symptoms (CFS, FMS). PEM is considered one of the symptoms of CFS and includes the symptom pattern of extreme fatigue, sore throat and/or swollen lymph glands after normal physical activity. Most of the time these activities, which were previously tolerated without incident, become symptomatic (PEM) either shortly after the activity or has a delayed response. Typically, the person will say “I did [such and such], so I’ll really pay the price tomorrow”. This is not to be associated with using a muscle group more than usual, such as working out at the gym, and getting normal post-exertional muscle soreness. PEM is extreme, often laying the person up for a day or more, unable to do normal daily activities.
From a conventional medicine standpoint, little is known about it, research is inconclusive, and there is no cure. However, practitioners using more natural medicine such as Naturopaths, Acupuncturists, Nutritionists, etc. have been effective in offering relief – both short term and permanent. Because they view the underlying issue as being nutritional, lifestyle and a defect in the body’s normal defense mechanisms in origin, their approach to treatment isn’t just to cover up the symptoms, but to get at the root of the problem and attack it from that standpoint. When the patient becomes an active participant in their health, making the necessary changes, seeing their practitioner according to his/her recommendations, the resolution of their health challenges becomes very real. Chronic fatigue – whether CFS or any fatigue – doesn’t have to be lived with. There is much that can be done. It is important to learn the causative factors – be it hormonal, immune, gastro-intestinal, nutritional or other. Then you can be armed with the tools to help in its resolution.
© 2010 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
