Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue
Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are increasingly common medical problems which have confounded traditional medical approaches. Its main features are diffuse and tenacious pain in the muscles and connective tissues. CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Fibromyalgia are often accompanied by disordered sleep, gastrointestinal dysfunction, hormonal imbalances and mood issues.
While traditional medicine has few available treatments for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, which occasionally help but just as often produce difficult side effects, I have found that addressing the following issues can often make a big difference in improving and in some cases eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia. These are presented in the order I usually address with patients, but in truth each of them needs to be handled in order to restore balance and well being:
- Sleep: A full 8 hours of sleep nightly must be achieved. This can be accomplished often with the use of natural methods though some people with entrenched sleep disorders will need pharmaceuticals initially.
- Gastrointestinal imbalance: The gut produces 80% of the serotonin in our body, has approximately 75 % of the body's immune tissue, and is responsible for digestion and absorption of the nutrients we need to get well. With fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, addressing any and all GI issues is critical to getting well.
- Hormones: It is common to see both adrenal and thyroid problems in patients dealing with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Fixing these problems, as well as dealing with testosterone in men (and women) as well as estrogen and progesterone in women is critical.
- Infections: One must be on the look out for chronic infections. While chronic yeast and viruses are most common, one cannot ignore the possibility of Lyme’s disease and other tick-borne illnesses, as well as hidden bacterial infections.
- Nutrition and Energy: To restore health there are various strategies to improve nutritional status and help the body create and utilize energy.
- Psyche and spirituality: Finally and unavoidably, we must address the spiritual and psychic dimensions which quite often play a role in keeping people from getting well.
Addressing all of these areas in an efficient and compassionate way are critical to helping patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome get well. Dr. Weiss hopes that you will consider contacting his office for an appointment to meet with him personally when you decide that you would like to work with a fibromyalgia physician specialist who will help get you feeling well again.
