Struggling with Chronic Fatigue? Chiropractic Care Can Help
If you're constantly exhausted no matter how much you sleep, you may have chronic fatigue syndrome. Although researchers haven't found a cure for the condition yet, your chiropractor offers treatments that may help you manage your symptoms and boost your energy level.
What Is Chronic Fatigue?
Severe fatigue that lasts six months or longer and doesn't improve with rest is called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In addition to fatigue, symptoms of ME/CFS include:
- Trouble Concentrating
- Memory Issues
- Sleep That Doesn't Leave You Feeling Rested
- Headaches
- Muscle and Joint Pain
- Sore Throat
- Tender Lymph Nodes
Symptoms can worsen after physical activity or tasks that require concentration. You may also notice that you feel worse when you sit or stand. Sitting or standing can trigger dizziness, lightheadness, or even fainting.
Although doctors don't know why people get ME/CFS, MedlinePlus notes that possible causes include genetics, infections, immune system issues, and stress (mental or physical).
Chiropractic care can help you manage your symptoms and feel less tired. Benefits of chiropractic care include:
Pain Relief
Nerves exit your spinal cord through openings between the small bones in your back and neck called vertebrae. Vertebrae can become misaligned due to falls, poor posture, and stress. Chiropractors call these misalignments "subluxations." Subluxations press on nerves and tissues, causing pain. Muscles and tissues can also become uncomfortably tight due to misaligned vertebrae.
Chiropractors correct subluxations by adjusting the vertebrae in your back and neck with spinal manipulation therapy. During this therapy, an activator or hands-on movements restore the normal alignment of your spine. Massage therapy, soft tissue mobilization, and trigger point therapy also help relax tight, painful muscles and tissues.
Reduced Pressure on the Brain
A research study published in Frontiers in Neurology in 2020 noted that people with ME/CFS may be more likely to have craniocervical obstructions, in addition to elevated pressure inside the skull. A craniocervical obstruction happens when the top two vertebrae in the neck move more than normal.
Craniocervical obstructions could increase pressure on the brainstem, decrease the flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid, and make it harder for waste products to leave the brain, according to the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association. Adjusting the vertebrae in the neck with spinal manipulation may ease pressure on the brainstem and improve fluid flow, which might have a positive effect on ME/CFS symptoms.
Stronger Immune System
Your nerves play an important role in your immune system. Subluxations interfere with the signals that travel through the nerves and could affect the way your immune system works. Improving immune system functioning can be as simple as correcting subluxations with chiropractic treatment. As your immune system bcomes stronger, you may feel less tired and more energetic.
Less Stress
Stress is an unfortunate consequence of chronic fatigue. When nothing you try improves your symptoms, it's only natural to feel frustrated, anxious, and stressed. Unfortunately, stress and anxiety can interfere with sleep and cause fatigue. Chiropractic treatments help you relax by reducing muscle tension and flooding your body with hormones that help you feel calm.
Better Nutrition
Have you stopped making nutritious meals because you're so exhausted? You're not alone. Many people with ME/CFS struggle with meal preparation and nutrition. Good nutrition is particularly important if you have chronic fatigue. The foods you eat fuel your body, give you energy, and help your immune system function normally.
Your chiropractor can offer suggestions that will help you improve your nutrition. In a case report published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 2016, a 34-year-old woman saw improvements in chronic fatigue after following her chiropractor's nutritional recommendations. The woman lost 15 pounds and had more energy three months after making changes to her diet and lifestyle and taking supplements.
More Restful Sleep
Chiropractic care could improve the quality and duration of sleep. When your muscles no longer hurt and you feel calm and relaxed, it's much easier to get restful, restorative sleep.
Tired of living with chronic fatigue? Chiropractic treatments could improve your symptoms. Contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
Frontiers in Neurology: Signs of Intracranial Hypertension, Hypermobility, and Craniocervical Obstructions in Patients With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 8/27/2020
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2020.00828/full
National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association: How Do You Fight Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?, 06/01/2021
https://nucca.org/how-do-you-fight-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/
Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: Chiropractic Management of a Patient With Chronic Fatigue: A Case Report, 10/18/2016
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5106444/
MedlinePlus: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 5/1/2024
https://medlineplus.gov/myalgicencephalomyelitischronicfatiguesyndrome.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ME/CFS Basics