Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue
Cracking the complex cases
A holistic approach to complex conditions like CFS
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia are two of the most common chronic health conditions that traditional Western medicine has failed to solve. Both can be frustrating, painful and even debilitating for those that have them. However, worst of all may be hearing doctor after doctor tell you that they don’t have answers for you. It can be enough to make a person feel helpless.
Rethinking Treatment Approaches for CFS and Fibromyalgia
Unfortunately, traditional approaches to addressing conditions like CFS and fibromyalgia are often ineffective, or even counterproductive. Fibromyalgia, for example, is often treated with medication that dulls the electrical activity of your nerve cells. This may temporarily relieve your pain, but does nothing to heal what’s actually causing your fibromyalgia, meaning that even as you recieve treatment, the disease continues to get worse over time.
Understanding the Multifaceted Causes of CFS and Fibromyalgia
I won’t pretend that treating conditions like CFS or fibromyalgia is easy. But neither is it impossible. Both conditions are usually the result of a combination of causes like chronic infection, exposure to environmental toxins or biotoxins, leaky gut syndrome, chronic inflammation and hormonal issues. In other words, there is usually a lot going on to create your symptoms, some of which can include chronic pain, exhaustion, brain fog, poor memory, trouble sleeping, depression and gut trouble.
Healing Pathways for CFS and Fibromyalgia
However, identifying and treating the complex web of factors that create conditions like CFS and fibromyalgia is where the functional medicine approach can really shine! Using sophisticated laboratory testing, and by really getting to know your health history, we can pin down exactly what is going on to create your symptoms. Then, we can start to heal those root causes using safe, natural treatments that help give your body the support it needs to heal.
Healing Through Comprehensive Patient Assessment
When meeting a new patient seeking help for CFS, fibromyalgia or other complex conditions, the first thing I do is sit down and listen. I want to know all about your health history, your life today, and what has brought you into my office. Really getting to know your unique story and circumstances isn’t just about being polite—it is essential to helping you heal. By understanding who you are and where you’re coming from, I can start to decipher what in your life may be making you sick.
Tailored Solutions for Complex Conditions
After we talk, I’ll order lab tests and take further steps to get a full picture of what’s going on in your body. Then, we’ll come up with a practical, personalized treatment plan to address your specific case. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to treating complex conditions, but I usually favor holistic interventions like nutrition, lifestyle changes, supplements and hormone therapy. After we’ve got a plan, we’ll adjust as we move forward.
CFS, fibromyalgia, and other complex conditions are not a life sentence
I won’t promise you miracles. But I do feel absolute confidence that there is a lot we can do to both improve your symptoms and restore your deeper health and wellness. Complex, chronic health conditions are a sign that your body is significantly out of balance, and figuring out what is causing that imbalance requires commitment, dedication and some real detective work. But together, we can crack the case, and help you get back your balance—and your life.
