Chronic fatigue is a debilitating chronic condition characterized by extreme physical and mental tiredness, which does not subside even after sleeping or resting. The severe fatigue can last for over six months.

There is no known test for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and its diagnosis is based on a patient's symptoms after ruling out other conditions with similar symptoms, like depression, sleep disorder, or anemia. The unfortunate thing is that there is no proven cure for CFS, and most treatment only focuses on symptom relief. However, the good news is that natural remedies can help boost your energy from CFS symptoms.

How can I Combat Chronic Fatigue and Regain Energy?

Although it may be complicated and overwhelming to cope with CFS, the following are some of the tips and strategies that can help you navigate and combat the illness and regain energy.

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene: Start by improving your sleep quality by establishing a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding stimulants before bedtime, and creating a comfortable sleep environment to help you get enough rest and reduce fatigue.

Maintain a Healthy Weight: Obesity is a significant risk factor for CFS. Losing weight through exercise and a healthy diet can help improve sleep quality.

Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives: These substances can affect the quality of sleep that you get, resulting in CFS.

Elevate your Mood: Mental health is essential in elevating CFS, refocusing, and paying attention to the things that bring you joy. Instead of looking for information about CFS that inflicts more fear, you can divert your attention to exciting things that can help elevate or improve your mood, like physical activities.

Engage in Exciting Activities: Allow yourself to be carried away or absorbed in any activity you choose. Finding flow is effective in helping people recover from CFS and depression after allowing themselves to be immersed in the activities that interest them. Doing the things that bring you joy and fun speeds up the healing and recovery.

Brain retraining: Retraining your brain can entail following a systematic plan, compass, and road map to alleviate the symptoms of CFS and regain energy. CFS makes you feel overwhelmed and overloaded; thus, the essence of brain retraining programs toward recovery is to relieve such burdens. Although the retraining may take time, the resulting change is incredible in managing CFS and regaining energy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps with energy management, where you receive advice on how to best utilize your energy without worsening your CFS symptoms. In one study, standard CBT was an effective intervention for improving physical functioning and alleviating the aviation symptoms of CFS.

Seeking CFS Support!

Remember, it’s okay to seek professional help; everyone needs a helping hand once in a while. If you would like a more detailed explanation of CFS, its symptoms and treatment, and support in managing CFS and regaining energy, we recommend talking to Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth

If you have ever experienced chronic pain you know firsthand how difficult it can be to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep and pain appear to have a bidirectional relationship. For instance, many people say that their painful symptoms tend to be alleviated after a better night’s sleep. Therefore, if you are living with chronic pain, prioritizing sleep may significantly help in recovery.

What is Pain?

Pain is an unpleasant sensation that we experience when nerve receptors send a signal to the brain telling us something is wrong. Pain can be acute or chronic.

Acute pain refers to pain that lasts for a short time, such as a broken bone that eventually heals. Chronic pain refers to recurring pain or pain that lasts for longer than a few months, such as lower back pain, arthritis, recurrent headaches, cancer pain, or fibromyalgia.

Effects of Poor Sleep on Body Pain

There is an unquestionable link between sleep and pain, with research evidence showing that the effect of sleep on pain may be even stronger than the effect of pain on sleep.

Researchers found that poor sleep causes low levels of a neurotransmitter called N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) within an area of the brain called the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), resulting in heightened pain sensitivity, medically known as hyperalgesia.

The researchers explained that short sleep times, poor sleep quality, and fragmented sleep often cause increased sensitivity to pain in chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

People with sleep problems also appear to be at a higher risk of eventually developing conditions like migraines and fibromyalgia.

Sleep and pain appear to share similar pathways and neurotransmitters. Therefore, sleep deprivation affects the release of essential neurotransmitters and hormones involved in pain regulation, such as serotonin and cortisol, contributing to increased pain sensitivity.

Lack of sleep can also cause inflammation in the body, which will often result in muscle aches and pains and can exacerbate inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

Discover how improving your sleep can reduce body pain

Sleep quality and pain sensitivity have a significant correlation. Good sleep quality can help decrease pain sensitivity. Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining healthy pain processing in the brain reducing the risk of chronic pain conditions.

Sleeping better also helps the brain with its painkilling capabilities. Sleep is considered a natural analgesic that can help manage and lower pain.

During sleep, the brain undergoes important restorative processes necessary for pain modulation, reducing the risk of chronic pain conditions.

Therefore, addressing sleep quality can lead to better patient outcomes with reduced pain levels, improved physical function, and better mental health outcomes.

Contact Us for a Chiropractic Appointment

If muscle and joint pains are making it difficult for you to enjoy adequate sleep, chiropractic may help.

Your chiropractor will use a range of techniques, including massage, heat application, joint mobilization, exercises, and advice to improve circulation and healing in the affected areas and relieve muscle and joint pains.

Contact 252-335-2225 to schedule a visit with Dr. Jason B. Jones - 706 W. Ehringhaus Street - Elizabeth City, NC 27909.

Do your achy joints become more painful in cold weather? Well, you are not alone. Many people complain that during cold weather, especially during late fall and winter, they experience joint pain, especially in the hips, knees, and ankles. The question that arises then, is what is the cause of joint pain in the cold? To answer your questions, we have explored the scientific reasons for this kind of pain and given you applicable tips to help manage joint pain during colder months. Have a look!

Why Joint Pain Occurs Due To Cold Weather

Scientific evidence shows that joint pain feels worse in cold weather. When it is cold outside, nerves and blood vessels constrict in the arms and legs, decreasing blood flow and circulation to keep our inner core, heart, and organs, warmer. This causes our joints to become more stiff and painful.

A drop in atmospheric or barometric pressure may also increase joint pain for some people. Atmospheric or barometric pressure refers to the weightiness of air and decreases in cold weather. This drop in barometric pressure may cause your soft tissues to swell and put pressure on your joints, causing your nerves to transmit increased pain signals.

Also, when it is cold outside, people move around or exercise less, which can lead to a loss of muscle strength and flexibility and, therefore, more joint pain.

Another theory suggests that synovial fluid inside your joints thickens in cold temperatures, causing joint stiffness and pain in cold weather.

Tips to manage joint pain during colder months

Although the cold weather may make your joint pain feel worse, there are some things you can do that can help. Have a glance!

• Dress warmly: Layer clothing to stay warm and reduce exposure to the cold whether you are indoors or outdoors. Consider thermal underwear to protect your hips and knees, and insulated gloves to keep your hands and fingers warm. Also, don’t forget warm boots with good tread to prevent falls. While in the house, keep yourself warm and cozy.
• Regular exercise: It helps build up muscle and bone strength to help protect your joints. It also promotes better mobility by keeping your joints and muscles from becoming stiff. If you exercise outdoors, be sure to dress appropriately and stretch afterward.
• Maintain your weight: Cold and blustery outside can be tempting to coil up in a coach with a warm blanket enjoying your favorite snack and coffee. Pair these situations together, and you get weight gain. Unfortunately, weight gain puts added stress on already painful joints. It’s important to eat a balanced diet with a good check of fruits and veggies, and lean proteins to help maintain weight and promote joint health.

Besides keeping your weight in check, it also ensures your joints are getting the vitamins and minerals they need to stay strong. For achy joints, try incorporating foods that naturally contain anti-inflammatory properties like avocado, oily fish, nuts, garlic, and berries, to help reduce pain. Also, avoid unhealthy choices, such as processed foods, which can cause inflammation.

• Stay hydrated: The cold weather can easily tempt you to assume you do not need to take plenty of water. But remember, just because you are not hot and sweaty doesn’t mean that you are not losing fluids. Dehydration can increase sensitivity to aches and pain, reduce joint fluid lubrication, and cause muscle cramping.

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, including water, naturally flavored water, or fruit juice. Warm soup and flavored tea also help with hydration.

If you find that cold weather significantly impacts your joint pain, speak to Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC. You will get a proper diagnosis and a guide on developing a personalized treatment plan.