Chronic Fatigue

Do you ever feel like it’s difficult to get through the day? Is it common for you to experience a sense of tiredness or struggle to regain energy? Does your energy seem to hit a wall in the afternoon? Do you experience “brain fog” or have difficulty remembering things that used to be second-nature?

Chronic Fatigue is becoming more and more common in today’s “always on” world. Stress, even stress we don’t consciously realize, can keep cortisol levels elevated and eventually cause symptoms of fatigue or even full burn out: tiredness, lack of energy, feeling unmotivated, brain fog, mid-day sleepiness, memory issues, and even depression.

Don’t let Chronic Fatigue get the better of you! Partnering with Progressive Medical Center can get to the bottom of Chronic Fatigue and have you on the path to better energy fast!

“After a couple years of blaming work and kids for my exhaustion, I finally thought that there had to be a something else going on. I used to be able to run 4 miles a day before but then, a couple years later, I was struggling to get out of bed in the morning. I wasn’t energetic like normal. Worse, I wasn’t feeling happy.

After working with Progressive for 3 months, I’m a new person. My thyroid levels are back to my right level, I can deal with stress without it bothering me (used to feel lots of pain in my head), I run every day, and I’m back to enjoying life again. This has been a truly life changing experience for me. I’m just so grateful for this incredible team that got me back to being me.”

– Susan, Progressive Patient

Causes of Chronic Fatigue

Frequently experiencing tiredness that is beyond normal for most people is categorized as Chronic Fatigue.

It is characterized by depleted energy, mid-day slumps, inability to wake in the moring, and general exhaustion. It can be accompanied by other pernicious symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, and depression. Often times, it can be misattributed to life, “just being a mom,” general overexertion, and busy lifestyles.

It can be caused by a number of different things affecting your body and mind, and it is important to isolate the root causes. Suprisingly, it is also one of the most common reasons people seek out a doctor. Whether it is physical (weakness; extreme tiredness) or mental (lack of clarity; brain fog), the causes of fatigue may vary. Figuring out the true cause of your fatigue can be challenging, which is why Progressive gets to the root cause.

Fatigue can start in many areas of the body.

Which ones describe you?

Thyroid
The thyroid gland can cause symptoms of weight gain, sluggishness, dry skin or constipation when it does not function normally. Alternatively, other hormonal imbalances such as estrogen and progesterone in women, or testosterone in men, can be significant pieces to the puzzle. People often do not check their hormones levels regularly, and these imbalances go overlooked.

Digestive/Gut-related Issues
Digestion is one of the most studied areas in medicine today, and the brain-gut connection is better known than ever before. General inflammation in the gut can cause you to be tired. It is important to address the state of the digestive tract as a clue towards your own health. Even symptoms such as bloating, excessive gas or irritable bowel can contribute towards your general state of fatigue.

Blood Sugar/Diabetes
Healthy blood sugar regulation is a major culprit in causing fatigue in our society today. Diabetes is extremely common and regulating one’s blood sugar is crucial for a healthy metabolism and energy level. Diet and lifestyle are important things to address to get to the root cause of maintaining a healthy blood sugar level and preventing fatigue from happening before it starts.

Autoimmune Disorders
Autoimmune conditions, such as Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogrens, come about when the body attacks itself with antibodies, which normally fight off disease. These conditions can flare and cause debilitating fatigue along with pain. Supporting your immune system and make it function optimally can prevent autoimmune flares, and help address the cause of your fatigue.

Adrenals
Adrenal fatigue is another potential culprit. We are constantly bombarded with stress, whether it is physical, emotional, or both. The body’s natural ability to respond to stress can deteriorate over time, therefore it is important to support these crucial metabolic glands. Often a focal point from the functional medicine approach, the adrenals become impaired over time from consistent stress. There is lab work that can be done to ensure that your adrenal glands are functioning properly.

Anemia
Anemia can be caused a deficiency of iron or B12, and can be addressed by supplementing or oxygenating your body. Blood loss from an ulcer or an inflamed GI tract or even prescription drug usage over time can deplete certain nutrients over time, and finding out the cause of anemia can be challenging.

Second, Progressive Medical tailors treatment programs specific to each individual’s chronic fatigue.

Treatments may include (and are not limited to):

Dietary/nutrition/adrenal/thyroid analysis:
We utilize state-of-the-art genetic testing to determine exactly how your body processes fats, sugars, vitamins and nutrients, as well determine how your thyroid is functioning and the level of your adrenal stress. A customized, medically supervised nutrition and supplement program will then be designed for you.

Gastrointestinal analysis:
Your GI tract will be fully analyzed and, depending on the results, a combination of probiotics, botanical medicines and beneficial bacteria will be introduced while damaging microbes such as pathogenic bacteria, parasites and fungi are eliminated. The result: a fully balanced and well-functioning GI tract.

Detoxification:
Among the many contributing factors to chronic fatigue are heavy metals stored within the body. With our multi-pronged detoxification protocol – which includes a state-of-the-art infrared sauna – heavy metals and other toxins will be eliminated.

Hormone optimization:
We perform state-of-the-art blood testing to determine your hormone levels and then, if warranted, have our laboratory compound bioidentical hormone replacements that exactly match your biogenetics. Optimized hormones will both increase your energy and elevate your mood.

Finally, Progressive Treats Fatigue Better
The best solution is to stop trying to sort out the guesswork by yourself, and to seek an expert opinion. At Progressive, we are dedicated to putting you on track to take control of your fatigue and restoring vitality for a happy and healthy life.