Get Rid of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are two complex, and often misdiagnosed diseases. The exact causes are unknown, and no FDA-approved treatment exists. However, there are a variety of integrated approaches — including lifestyle, nutrition, and emotional therapies, that can help improve your symptoms, and your quality of life.
Choosing the Right Physician
Your physician will become your long-term partner in managing your symptoms — finding the right one is critical.
Due to the highly integrated…
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The Journey to Diagnosis
Oftentimes patients describe a journey of seeing multiple physicians, several specialists, and various integrative medicine practitioners with some relief using certain therapies, but never any significant or lasting improvement. A journey like this can wear on anyone. Even the most strong-willed and perseverant individuals can feel their psyche fade at times. The complexity and lack of consistent and accurate diagnostic testing methodology also means that misdiagnosis is common.
While the journey is complicated — there is hope! You play a crucial role in diagnosis — be sure to ask questions, and continue your self-guided education; but most importantly find the right physician who is working hand in hand with you, maintain accurate medical history records, journal your symptoms, and adhere to the strategies for care that your physician has recommended.
Due to the complex role of the mitochondria, and the great degree of variation on how symptoms present themselves across individuals, diagnosis of any mitochondrial condition is typically a long, inconsistent process, even when seeing an experienced practitioner.
Mitochondropathy, or rather pathology of mitochondria, is often diagnosed by muscle biopsy. However, this is an invasive test and may miss poor functioning mitochondria that do not yet reach the level of frank disease states. This functional condition is often referred to as “subclinical mitochondrial disorder“ and can masquerade as a number of other difficult or even debilitating conditions. People suffering from subclinical mitochondropathy may receive a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, adrenal fatigue, or multiple chemical sensitivities. Peripheral neuropathy that is not responding to treatment or brain fog may be symptoms attributable to subclinical mitochondropathy.
Dr. Raymond Tolmos with Frontier Spine & Healthcare has successfully treated countless patients with CFS & Fibromyalgia
“Everyday was a struggle and my doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong or how to help besides pain killers. At Frontier I got a plan and when I stuck to it, my energy came back and my pains started going away. I can exercise and enjoy life again!”
– Michelle G.
“I would wake up feeling like I slept 10 minutes even after sleeping 9 hours! Not even 5 coffees a day would keep me awake. I found out I had an autoimmune condition and I was severely deficient in some major vitamins. Now I feel refreshed when I wake up and I don’t need coffee to stay awake!”
– Maria G.
“The side effects of the medicine my doctor was giving me were almost as bad my symptoms. With the all natural treatment at Frontier, I was able to get off Humira and feel good without the side effects. I also lost 20 pounds in 3 months!”
– Albert M.
For the past few years I have been helping patients understand where their symptoms come from and develop personalized plans to help them regain their health and quality of life. Unfortunately, chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS and fibromyalgia are diagnosis that have no known medical etiology. Basically, they are a checklist of symptoms that when grouped together are then coined either CFS or fibromyalgia. Medical treatments vary depending on the practitioner but the truth of it is…. get ready… They ARE NOT DISEASES! In fact, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue are a bunch of symptoms that happen when the body is missing the tools it needs to be healthy and feel good. That means they are functional in nature and caused by lack of nutrients, immune system imbalances, and/or changes in the gut. The truth is, fibromyalgia or CFS happen to different people all for different reasons. This is why individualizing each patients treatment plan is of the utmost importance. Many people suffer with these symptoms, but all have different DNA, habits and environments. There has never been a time with more detoxes, diets, supplements, and challenges to try and sell you dreams about health. Unfortunately, while many of these “gimmicks” can work in the short term, they may actually end up damaging your body’s natural ability to heal. As a chiropractor first, my philosophy is that the body is made to heal as long as it has physical, chemical, and emotional balance.
As part of our new patient intake, we run tests which can reveal different types of nutrient deficiencies, or dysfunction that can require more of certain kind of nutrients, that lead to symptoms and also the development of disease. When you are deficient in a nutrient, it is like trying to build a house without the right tools. Every night you go to sleep your body uses the nutrients you get from your food or supplements to try and get back to balance and help you heal. Without the necessary vitamins and minerals, you can never truly get back to 100%. Using the same tests your medical doctors may have ordered, we can customize your your treatment and lifestyle plan. I couldn’t be more excited about helping people get their lives back. Stop waiting and start taking action now. Get your free patient guide and schedule a consultation to learn how to feel like you again.
CFS & Fibromyalgia Treatment
There is currently no FDA-approved treatment for CFS or fibromyalgia; instead, a comprehensive plan of care will often consist of lifestyle and nutritional recommendations to help manage your fatigue, aid in gaining restorative sleep, restore your digestive health, reduce pain, and reduce “brain fog“.
Micronutrients to Support Mitochondrial Function
Fortunately for all the bad that can come along with subclinical mitochondropathy, there is also hope. Mitochondria provide much needed energy to the cell using fatty acids as fuels. One naturally-occurring constituent that helps shuttle fatty acids through the outmost mitochondrial membrane is carnitine.
Acetyl L-carnitine appears to be the most bioavailable version of carnitine. Once inside the mitochondria the fatty acid must be broken down by several enzymes. Each enzyme requires a cofactor which is a mineral and a coenzyme which is a vitamin or vitamin-like substance. B-vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) are involved in these steps. The consequence of burning fatty acids as fuel is the same as burning any fuel. There is exhaust.
Mitochondrial exhaust comes in the form of oxidative stress and the formation of free radicals. Gone unquenched this can cause a myriad of problems. In fact, some integrative medicine clinicians believe that oxidative stress is a root cause of many diseases. Luckily, the body has a system to support this. Glutathione, known as the master antioxidant guides the scavenging of these free radicals. Some specialized forms of glutathione can be absorbed and used orally. Also, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a precursor to glutathione and is available in supplemental form.
For More Information or to Schedule Your Free Consultation with Dr. Raymond Tolmos
Call Us Now!
Myths about Mitochondrial Disease, CFS and Fibromyalgia
Because of the complex nature of the mitochondria, diagnosis is often challenging, and specific to the individual. This often results in a lengthy diagnosis, and in some cases, a diagnosis is achieved only when all other options have been ruled out.
There is still much to be known about the role of the mitochondria in chronic disease. Though there are complex hereditary patterns of mitochondrial DNA mutation that can certainly impact ones mitochondrial health, mitochondrial conditions can present themselves at any age. There are also preliminary studies that suggest that the function of the mitochondria can be impacted by the consequence of other conditions, or even viruses. Much advancement is to be done in determining the root cause of these mutations.
There are no studies that indicate vaccinations worsen, or cause, mitochondrial conditions. More research is needed to determine if there are rare cases.
While CFS does primarily impact women, 20% of diagnosed cases are found in men and still the majority of cases remain undiagnosed, leaving much to be learned about the true breakdown of CFS patients.
Fatigue is just one symptom of CFS and fibromyalgia. Pain, not being able to achieve restorative sleep, brain fog, digestive distress are all symptoms. This is not an exclusive listing. Individual experiences vary, including the severity of each symptom.
