Chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic pain are both amongst the most common causes that would
prevent people to exercise the way they like, to be productive at work, or simply to be able to accomplish their daily activities. For many years, most doctors and researchers did not even have a name for it, and it was based purely off patient’s subjective feelings. Due to increasing reports in incidences, we now encounter many diagnoses that characterize these symptoms: chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic stress syndrome, burn out…and the list goes on.
It is important to note that there are no definitive tests to diagnose these diseases
but it is rather a way to label an umbrella of symptoms. It usually affects active people
between 20 and 40 years old, women more than men. But it can also affect young
children and elderly.
Cause:
There isn’t a single organic cause that is responsible for it, hence it makes it hard to diagnose and to treat. Most of the time when it happens, people are asked to get
some rest until they feel better. If it persists, anti-depressant medications are often
recommended, as if it was a psychological disorder. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even though it might be a psychological component in someone’s low level of energy or chronic pain, it is rarely the underlying cause.
So what is the underlying cause? There are multiple. It can be anything from blood or
metabolic disorders, to toxicities or nutrient malabsorption issues. Most of the time it is
a combination of different factors that cause the human body to feel pain or fatigue.
This is why it is critical to identify which of those different factors are affecting the
body’s dysfunction.
The role of the mitochondria:
One organism that is commonly involved is the
mitochondria. Often referred to as the powerhouse
of the body, it is a small organelle that is found in every
cell. Its primary function is to generate energy that
can be used by our body. Under normal conditions,
the mitochondria produce 90% of our energy. However,
in the presence of oxidative stress, poor sleep or diet, and even genetic variants can affect how our mitochondria can perform. Hence cause poor energy supply to our brain,
muscles, and different organs, leading to fatigue,
underperformance and chronic pain.
Treatment:
Our treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, stress syndrome, or pains does not consist of providing or recommending external elements, such as
caffeine or recovery supplements, to overcome the poor functioning of the body. Instead we focus on finding what the factors that contribute to the symptoms that affect the body,
whether it is an overload of toxicities, a deficit of essential nutrients, or a dysfunction of a
specific biochemical process of the metabolism.
Once we identify those factors, we can correct them and then provide treatment or support to your
mitochondria and other organs to make sure that the energy producing pathways of
your metabolism are optimal so that you can go back to your favorite activities without
any pain or fatigue.
