Suffering with a combination of pain and fatigue that lasts more than 6 months may be more than a rut.
Pain and fatigue are often conditions that accompany one another, we have a tendency to want to identify them as separate conditions but more often than not, they have a direct link to one another. Women need to be particularly alert to this condition which is more frequently being referred to as; multisymptom illness.
Pain and fatigue are often conditions that accompany one another, we have a tendency to want to identify them as separate conditions but more often than not, they have a direct link to one another. Women need to be particularly alert to this condition which is more frequently being referred to as; multisymptom illness.
The frequency of people consulting their physicians complaining about the combined symptoms of pain and fatigue, prompted the medical community to find a new term for this condition; multisymptom (MSI) illness. An individual may in fact suffer with more than two symptoms, but having two of the following categories can be an indication that you are suffering from this frustrating illness: fatigue, mood swings, feeling depressed, difficulty remembering or concentrating, feeling anxious, trouble finding words, difficulty sleeping, and musculoskeletal symptoms ( joint pain, joint stiffness or muscle pain). Due to a host of hormonal differences, women seem to be more susceptible to this condition.
When all is said and done, this is in essence, just a name given to a condition that feels like you are suffering from many different problems, but they indeed have a common cause (of which we will look at in a moment). People I see in my practice often refer to this as ", I feel like my body is falling apart." Doctors are becoming all too aware of this condition as approximately 50-60 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for complaints resembling the symptoms of MSI and result in no identifiable cause, even with exhaustive testing. The medical establishment acknowledges that in the context of pharmaceutical intervention; multisymptom illness remains virtually untreatable or at best, temporarily reduces some of the symptoms.
As frustrated and overwhelmed that one may be, with patience and a change in perspective, MSI can be successfully managed through lifestyle changes. We have thus far in our lives lived with the understanding that for most conditions there's a cure. That remedy is usually thought of as a prescription that we simply fill out in the pharmacy and in 10 days or so; we are cured. MSI doesn't quite work in accordance with this philosophy. What needs to be understood is that when we fail to provide our body with its basic needs, its integrity begins to fail in time. Those basic needs are: adequate rest, healthy food, moderate exercise, and recognizing our personal limitations. This is simply non negotiable! In our fast paced performance oriented lives, these basic needs are often left as optional aspects of our daily activities.
Inevitably, lack of exercise allows for muscle loss which in turn causes vulnerability to joint and postural pain. Too much stress and anxiety creates changes in our nervous system and produces hormonal imbalance which inevitably causes fatigue, mood swings, appetite fluctuations, sleeplessness, and full out fatigue. Each of these symptoms plays off the other, and creates a vicious cycle for which there is no pill in existence that can fix it. This condition doesn't have to remain beyond your control, and here are a few recommendations:
* Before you proceed with any plan, you want to be certain that you have ruled out all other medical causes for your symptoms with your doctor. Your doctor will certainly see small discrepancies in your testing ( as chronic fatigue, mood changes, and chronic pain will reveal themselves biologically) but he/she will be able to ascertain whether that they are significant enough to cause such debilitating symptoms.
* If you and your doctor are confident that you are suffering with MSI, it's time to dig in your heels and implement a long term plan built on short term goals. Improvement of this condition can't be evaluated on a day to day, or a week to week basis; it will take months to see changes. Herein lies your discipline; you need to persist even when results aren't evident in the short term.
* It can take months, and sometimes years of self neglect before MSI begins to manifest in more pronounced symptoms. The depletion of your physical health will take time to restore.
* Lack of sleep alone can cause almost all of the symptoms of MSI. Increase your sleep time and start creating bed time rituals. Make yourself some sleepy time tea before bed and avoid activities that keep you alert as sleep time approaches.
* Avoid energy drinks even if you feel that they help temporarily. They wreak havoc with your system.
* Avoid fast food at all cost.
* Limit alcohol consumption.
* This isn't the time for intense exercise. You should gradually include moderate physical activity into your daily routine. Walking, taking the stairs, and light weights; it all counts.
* Set realistic goals and perhaps just start with a couple of these recommendations.
If you push yourself to get better faster, you are showing that you don't truly understand the nature of this condition.
This post is not intended to diagnose or replace a consultation with a qualified physician. Always discuss your plan with your doctor.
When all is said and done, this is in essence, just a name given to a condition that feels like you are suffering from many different problems, but they indeed have a common cause (of which we will look at in a moment). People I see in my practice often refer to this as ", I feel like my body is falling apart." Doctors are becoming all too aware of this condition as approximately 50-60 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for complaints resembling the symptoms of MSI and result in no identifiable cause, even with exhaustive testing. The medical establishment acknowledges that in the context of pharmaceutical intervention; multisymptom illness remains virtually untreatable or at best, temporarily reduces some of the symptoms.
As frustrated and overwhelmed that one may be, with patience and a change in perspective, MSI can be successfully managed through lifestyle changes. We have thus far in our lives lived with the understanding that for most conditions there's a cure. That remedy is usually thought of as a prescription that we simply fill out in the pharmacy and in 10 days or so; we are cured. MSI doesn't quite work in accordance with this philosophy. What needs to be understood is that when we fail to provide our body with its basic needs, its integrity begins to fail in time. Those basic needs are: adequate rest, healthy food, moderate exercise, and recognizing our personal limitations. This is simply non negotiable! In our fast paced performance oriented lives, these basic needs are often left as optional aspects of our daily activities.
Inevitably, lack of exercise allows for muscle loss which in turn causes vulnerability to joint and postural pain. Too much stress and anxiety creates changes in our nervous system and produces hormonal imbalance which inevitably causes fatigue, mood swings, appetite fluctuations, sleeplessness, and full out fatigue. Each of these symptoms plays off the other, and creates a vicious cycle for which there is no pill in existence that can fix it. This condition doesn't have to remain beyond your control, and here are a few recommendations:
* Before you proceed with any plan, you want to be certain that you have ruled out all other medical causes for your symptoms with your doctor. Your doctor will certainly see small discrepancies in your testing ( as chronic fatigue, mood changes, and chronic pain will reveal themselves biologically) but he/she will be able to ascertain whether that they are significant enough to cause such debilitating symptoms.
* If you and your doctor are confident that you are suffering with MSI, it's time to dig in your heels and implement a long term plan built on short term goals. Improvement of this condition can't be evaluated on a day to day, or a week to week basis; it will take months to see changes. Herein lies your discipline; you need to persist even when results aren't evident in the short term.
* It can take months, and sometimes years of self neglect before MSI begins to manifest in more pronounced symptoms. The depletion of your physical health will take time to restore.
* Lack of sleep alone can cause almost all of the symptoms of MSI. Increase your sleep time and start creating bed time rituals. Make yourself some sleepy time tea before bed and avoid activities that keep you alert as sleep time approaches.
* Avoid energy drinks even if you feel that they help temporarily. They wreak havoc with your system.
* Avoid fast food at all cost.
* Limit alcohol consumption.
* This isn't the time for intense exercise. You should gradually include moderate physical activity into your daily routine. Walking, taking the stairs, and light weights; it all counts.
* Set realistic goals and perhaps just start with a couple of these recommendations.
If you push yourself to get better faster, you are showing that you don't truly understand the nature of this condition.
This post is not intended to diagnose or replace a consultation with a qualified physician. Always discuss your plan with your doctor.
