Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72098
PATHOLOGY PERSPECTIVES they dealt with long-standing subtle issues with yeast or gluten. But I take exception when purveyors of products or processes make unsubstantiated and impossibly inflated claims about the efficacy of their wares, or when media outlets oversimplify these challenges with headlines like "Seven Ways to Cure Fatigue Right Now!" (The seven ways, by the way, includes taking a deep breath, drinking a glass of water, walking around the block, and other "groundbreaking" strategies, all of which are absolutely slamdunk- guaranteed to cure fatigue right now.) Why does this matter? Because, whether we are qualified or not, our clients look to us for advice about their health. We are not only health-care providers in the massage session room, we are often health-care consultants, too. The most successful and productive client-therapist relationships are built on trust, respect, and good listening. So when our client asks us what we think about the "cure" they found online for their troublesome thyroid, or the hundred-dollar footbath they just bought that is guaranteed to pull toxins out of their body, or the magnetic bracelet they found in the mall that will finally help them feel less tired all the time, what can we say?1 Because this is a pathology column, this is an appropriate place to share descriptions of several situations that can create the symptomatic profile described here. Although the etiologic backgrounds of these conditions are tremendously diverse, their consequences lead to essentially the same results: fatigue, poor stamina, lack of concentration, digestive upset, and a general feeling that things simply aren't right. Bacterial imbalance. This is a relatively new field of science that looks not only at the balance between bacteria and yeast, but at the precise species of bacteria that inhabit our gut. It turns out that our personal colonies of bacteria are related to our genetic inheritance and our home environments. Our unique populations of bacteria are easily knocked out of whack, leaving us with limited access to the nutrients that we take in, and inefficient digestion. Candidiasis. Most readers probably know that this describes a situation where the naturally occurring yeasts that live in the digestive tract have overbalanced the naturally occurring helpful bacteria that should also inhabit the digestive tract. This is often triggered by the use of antibiotics, but some people appear to be prone to overgrowth of yeast simply by the way they chemically process any kind of food that is yeast-friendly. This includes most fruits, anything with vinegar or alcohol, and of course, anything that has yeast or is sweetened. When the yeast become overactive, they get first dibs on whatever food is taken in, and they produce highly irritating waste products. Celiac disease. Unlike some of the other problems on this list, celiac disease is a well-accepted condition in which a hypersensitivity reaction to gluten (a protein found in wheat and several other grains) damages the villi in the small intestine. The consequence is that absorption of any food type becomes difficult. What is less well-accepted is that celiac disease might appear in a spectrum of severity. Traditionally, diagnosis has been reserved for people who have it so extremely that they are at risk for malnutrition because their villi are virtually nonfunctional; this is a relatively small population. But it seems clear that celiac disease can be low- grade and subtle, which means that a person who eats a typical diet that is heavy in wheat may have discomfort and bloating and gas and fatigue, and never really know why. When gluten- bearing foods are eradicated from the diet, the symptoms disappear. But eradicating gluten is easier said than done: it is in practically every prepared food and vitamin on the grocery store shelf and restaurant-menu item. Chronic fatigue syndrome. This describes a group of signs and symptoms that frequently appear together, in which debilitating fatigue is the central feature. At one time, it was thought that chronic fatigue syndrome was a situation where the immune system response to mononucleosis simply outlived the infection, but this is no longer accepted as universally true. It is now frequently discussed as a problem with stress response efficiency, possible adrenal gland dysfunction, and some immune system anomalies. Fatigue that is not restored by rest is the centerpiece of chronic fatigue syndrome, but bouts with digestive upset, poor concentration, and general muscle aches and pains are also frequently reported. Fibromyalgia syndrome. This common and extremely poorly understood condition has traditionally been discussed as a musculoskeletal problem because its main symptoms are pain in the muscles and other soft tissues. Some practitioners propose that the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia is related to poor mitochondrial function. Many experts now consider this a central nervous system problem rather than a rheumatic one. Its main features are a lack of stage IV sleep, general sensory amplification (especially pain sensation), and painful spots in muscles and fascia called tender points. However, many fibromyalgia patients also experience "fibro fog," bouts of digestive upset, and debilitating fatigue. tune in to your practice at ABMPtv 103