My first question to every new patient I meet is always “What’s brought you to see me?”
While there’s usually more than a single health concern on everyone’s mind, the one symptom that almost always comes up is fatigue.
That exhausted, low motivation, run down feeling seems to hit practically everyone at some point and can cause an array of physical, mental and emotional challenges that can go far beyond needing an extra nap.
Headaches, muscle soreness or weakness, dizziness, mood swings and even vision changes can all be attributed to fatigue.
But, in order to properly treat these issues, we have to first discover the root cause.
This is the part where we dig in deep – personal and family medical history, a focused physical exam, blood work testing, hormone testing, food sensitivity/allergy testing. You name it, we check it because the causes are broad and to make things even more complex, many patients often suffer from more than one.
Type II Diabetes
Anemia (low iron)
Low Functioning Thyroid (Hypothyroid)
Digestive Issues
Stress
Depression
Anxiety
Heart Conditions
Sleep Disturbances
Infections
Side Effects of Medications
Vitamin Deficiencies
It’s a long list to consider but once we’ve discovered what is causing the problems, making them go away becomes much more achievable.
Consider the options:
Nutrition Counselling and Support – Your diet can have a massive impact on your energy and overall health.
Supplemental Intervention – The right supplements in the right dosage can rectify vitamin and mineral deficiencies that lead to fatigue.
Herbal Medicine – There are an array of natural herbs that can be an effective and gentle alternative to pharmaceutical stimulants.
Acupuncture – Research has shown that this traditional Chinese medicine can help relieve pain which can be a significant contributor to mental and physical fatigue.
Injectable and IV Vitamin Therapy – High doses of vitamins and minerals directly into the bloodstream can offer more immediate relief to physical fatigue symptoms.
Allergy Therapy – An unknown food sensitivity or allergy can wreak havoc on your entire body including you energy levels. Properly managing this can make a huge difference.
Pharmaceutical Medicine – Even in naturopathic medicine, pharmaceuticals can be helpful for balancing blood sugar levels as well as treating depression and anxiety which can be a significant cause of fatigue.
The answers aren’t always straightforward but relief is possible. The key is in understanding the cause and choosing the best treatment for you to get back on track and energized.
Comments