Natural therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome

Applied Kinesiology examination excels in finding the root causes of fatigue.  What needs to be addressed first and foremost is stress; whether that be structural, chemical, or emotional stress. 

Structural stress is often found when the nervous system is not properly controlling the muscles.  This is the foundation of traditional chiropractic care.  When there is disorganization of muscle function the walking pattern is often disturbed.  Torsion may be placed on the spinal column, which further disturbs the nervous system that traverses the spinal column.

Examples of chemical stresses would be iron anemia, low blood sugar, adrenal stress disorder and general nutritional inadequacy.

Iron anemia can be a common occurrence in the menstruating woman.  This can come from a lack of dietary iron intake or more commonly an inability to break down and absorb the iron that is present in our food.  Frequently, a lack of stomach enzymes is the culprit of low blood levels of iron.

Proper nutrition is slowly coming to the forefront when thinking of health imbalances.  Most, if not all, degenerative disease can be linked, directly or indirectly, to a lack of good quality food and nutrition.  There are some very basic dietary changes that can be made to make a big difference.  Good quality protein intake is essential.  This is how our body maintains everything from our joints to our immune system.  Getting plenty of good fats in our diet is absolutely crucial for our nervous system.  A good quality fish oil supplement can make a big difference in your health and research has shown this time and time again.  Certain people may do better, however, with flax seed oil.  Coconut oil is a fantastic source of fat for our body to utilize.  It’s great for heart, thyroid, brain, and gut health. 

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a commonly unrecognized scourge of many health issues.  Some common symptoms of hypoglycemia are

·         Confusion

·         Mood swings

·         Depression

·         Forgetfulness

·         Fatigue

·         Dizziness

·         Heart palpitations

·         Insomnia

·         Headaches

As you can see, low blood sugar can be implicated in many symptoms.  Simple dietary changes as stated above can have a drastic effect on hypoglycemia, but that may not be enough to make an appreciable change.  B vitamins (low potency), especially thiamine (B1), can be indispensable with blood sugar imbalances.  Chromium, magnesium, and zinc can help to stabilize blood sugar and also can prevent sugar cravings.  Early correction is essential as hypoglycemia has been called “prediabetes”.

Hypoglycemia is a great transition to adrenal stress disorder, which is largely unrecognized by conventional thinkers in medicine.  This is very common when dealing with fatigue.  It is common to desire stimulants like coffee, alcohol, and sugar with adrenal fatigue.  It is responsible for much fatigue and may produce other symptoms, such as craving for salt or salty foods like chips and pretzels, lightheadedness when standing up rapidly or aversion to bright light.  Again, the B complex vitamins, especially B6, are critical for proper adrenal function.  Several types of herbs like Licorice root and Rehmannia can help support adrenal health also. 

Emotional stresses can be a commonly overlooked aspect to chronic fatigue.  If the physical body is not supported during times of chronic emotional stress, that person can end up with a physical problem.  Again, the B complex vitamins can be essential with any type of emotional stress.  A multi-mineral with extra magnesium is very helpful also.  Herbal preparations can be very beneficial during times of emotional stress.  Schisandra, St. John’s Wort, and Skullcap can be extremely useful.  Homeopathic remedies can also be of a great help during times of emotional stress.

This is just a very basic introduction into chronic fatigue.  Other aspects that need to be addressed are thyroid disease, food sensitivities and allergies, and general immune system problems.  Chronic fatigue can take over your life very easily and as with any health imbalance, proper diagnosis is the key.