I keep reading article headlines like this: The 7 tips and tricks against fatigue or how to avoid the trap ” fatigue “. Curious, I click on such articles and am amazed at the content, as this either promotes their own supplements or the content consists of “relaxed” lifestyle coaching.

Seriously? A few randomly sprinkled vitamin pills, a detox tea, taking a deep breath surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, and a few glossy recipes are enough to escape the “suggested self-trap of fatigue”? Can these measures really be sound answers to fatigue, chronic fatigue, burnout, fibromyalgia or long covid?

My answer is definitely a NO !

Because the affected people suffer an agonizing disease with strong physical and psychological impairments. From my point of view, the origin is NOT only in the psyche, but is also anchored in the unstable regulatory and adaptive capacity.

It is known to scientists that emotional experiences lead to tensions in the body. Especially painful or even traumatic suffering lead to increased tense muscles. Therefore, I am convinced that strong, emotional experiences are not only stored in the memory, but also in the muscular system.

Permanently increased muscular fatigue leads to a reduction in physical functionality, which is accompanied by a dysbalance in the energy consumption of the entire body. The latest scientific research suggests that in chronic fatigue disorders, in addition to the impairment from the muscular system, the regulation in the neuroimmunological system is affected.

Permanently increased muscular fatigue leads to a reduction in physical functionality, which is accompanied by a dysbalance in the energy consumption of the entire body. The latest scientific research suggests that in chronic fatigue disorders, in addition to the impairment from the muscular system, the regulation in the neuroimmunological system is affected.

“Neuroimmunological” describes the multifaceted interactions between the nervous system and the immune system. When this interaction is no longer running smoothly, there is a high probability that these mechanisms will lead to systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID).

The basis of systemic exertion intolerance is based on a permanent stimulation of the autonomic nervous system. Over time, this results in a chronic imbalance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The consequence is the weakening of the parasympathetic nervous system, the control center for regeneration.

From this imbalance of the vegetative nervous system arise changes in the chronobiological cycles, i.e. in the evening sinking, in the restful REM sleep phase as well as in the metabolic control. The following first physical signs develop, such as:

perceptible sleep disturbances,
thermal overheating: diffuse sweating, mostly during the night,
increased permanent tension of the muscular system,
feeling of paralysis in the area of performance requirements,
diffuse pains and pulling in the body,
diffuse anxiety with possible feeling of chest tightness,
shortness of breath with increased pulse.

Insidiously, various physical signs increase. The body system gradually becomes stuck. Anxiety and depressive moods take on more space. The feeling of reduced performance turns into a permanent feeling of fatigue. Relaxation is no longer possible and choric pain develops. The hypersensitivity of the organism increases.

For a successful treatment of fatigue as in the case of chonic fatigue, fibromyalgia or long covid, a well-founded diagnosis is required. Important here is not only the conventional medical differential diagnosis as well as the clarification of comorbidities, i.e. additional definable clinical pictures or syndromes, which are listed at the end of the article.

But it requires in particular a well-founded diagnosis in the regulatory capacity, so that the inbalance in the muscular and neuroimmunological systems can be treated. Chinese medicine has excellent regulatory diagnostics, which I like to combine – as needed – with sophisticated, sports medicine measurement systems.

The diagnosis is the guideline for the individual therapy. Depending on the clinical picture and the degree of severity, I involve doctors, psychiatrists, clinics or institutions from my network in the treatment.

I walk the path individually with my patients.

These are the building blocks of the applied medicine and therapies in my clinic:

Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine is a holistic and very effective healing system, which is free of side effects or has few side effects. It records the holistic health status, taking into account all internal and external influencing factors, and describes the functional state of the disease process, after which practical, lifelike solutions are derived.

The comprehensive functional diagnosis results in an individually adapted, holistic therapy, which is always a total solution consisting of procedures of acupuncture, manual therapy (Tuina), herbal medicine, Qigong and a diet and lifestyle adapted to the state of health.

An essential aspect of Chinese medicine is to perceive often unnoticed complaints and to see them in an overall context in order to prevent the development of more serious diseases.

Passive movements
Passive movements in combination with body therapeutic touch in the form of massage, stretching and acupuncture can release and positively change mechanical protective reactions. The inner movement can calm down and body & soul can find their harmony.

Nonverbal methods
Qigong, movement therapy, meditations and conscious pausing offer with body awareness and mindfulness excellent possibilities to let the unconscious become accessible to the conscious experience. Along with this, self-control and regulation can unfold as well as realign.

Therapeutic conversation
The therapeutic conversation provides orientation about effective conflicts, constellations or challenges. It serves the ordering and understanding of feelings and life contexts and carries the healing possibility of self-compassionate recognition and the clear decision for healthy changes.

Type and application of treatment
The diagnosis is the guideline for the type and application of treatment. The treatment is determined together with you in such a way that it is naturally in harmony with your professional and private situation. The spectrum of diagnostics and treatment includes: Initial diagnostics based on Chinese Medicine, outpatient short-term and long-term therapy, transitional treatment before and/or after inpatient or partial inpatient treatment, detailed counseling also for couples and families, counseling on preventive measures.

From the bottom of my heart I wish you all the best!

Feel free to write me if you have any questions: info@medosophos.de

And remember:

No matter whether healthy or ill,
conventional or alternative medicine,
I am convinced of it:
In life, it’s the companions that count.

In this sense, I am glad that our paths have crossed and that we may be walking a piece of life’s journey together.

Best regards

Isabel Wendt-Christodoulou

Attachment:

Clarification of comorbidities (clarification of delimitable clinical pictures).

Important differential diagnoses:

Chronic fatigue can also occur with other diseases.

More common comorbidities

Further information on diagnosis and therapy:

Nacul L, Authier J, Scheibenbogen C et al. EUROPEAN ME NETWORK (EUROMENE) Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis, Service Provision and Care of People with ME/CFS in Europe. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202009.0688/v2

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