Overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
One of the major concerns I’m hearing from my patients is the link between chronic fatigue and COVID. With many worried about long COVID and issues with recurring infections.
In this post I want to talk about some of the key things you can start doing to help your healing and recovery from any infection. If you’d like to know more about COVID specifically head across to this post.
Please note this information is not intended as medical advice, it’s always best seek out professional care for your current health concerns.
The link between stress and immunity
Your vagus nerve is the main channel of communication that runs between your brain and your body. When this key nerve is functioning optimally you’re likely to recover quickly after stress, or illness. When this nerve is out of balance you may experience pain, fatigue, brain fog, stress, anxiety or depression, and a host of other symptoms.
There’s been lots of research published on the vagus nerve and it’s role in health and recovery.
Your nervous system also has two main modes of operation:
Sympathetic- Fight or light mode
Parasympathetic- Rest and digest mode
This is important because these two modes don’t exist at the same time in your body.
Even more importantly all health maintenance processes including- digestion, detoxification, immune activities, tissue regeneration, and arousal are only turned on when the parasympathetic branch of your nervous system is functioning.
You really want to be in this rest and digest state 80% of the time, and the reality for many of us especially in these uncertain times is that we struggle to even get into this mode of nervous system function.
If you’re existing in the fight or flight mode it’s likely that your immune system and many other systems for that matter will be struggling to heal and recover from daily wear and tear as well as infections.
Improving fatigue and healing using naturopathic medicine
By stimulating and supporting your vagus nerve you can encourage this shift to a rest and digest state so that your body is better able to heal.
The following is a list of a few things you can start doing now at home to shift yourself to a rest and digest state allowing your body to recover and heal.
Supporting a healthy immune system is where naturopathic medicine really shines, and for me personally it broke the cycle of years of being sick and missing out on life. So consider seeking out a naturopath who can go on this journey with you.
Diaphragmatic breathing
This form of breathing helps to shift the nervous system into a rest and digest state, we know that when you take deep belly breathes your blood pressure eases as does your heart rate. You can see these shifts fairly quickly and so taking the time out to shift from short breathes in the chest to breathing into your stomach can really help.
There are many recordings on how to accomplish this breathing. There is ample research that shows this improves immune function and healing as well as improves your ability to fall asleep.
To learn more about how breathing impacts your health check out this post.
Medicinal Essential Oils
Herbal medicines come in different forms and one of the more effective ways of minimising stress, decreasing inflammation in the body and are known to have anti-microbial effects helping to fight infections and reduce the load on your immune system.
It’s key to use essential oils that are high grade and a little goes a long way, please seek out advice from your herbalist. Here’s a list of some of the common ones I use in the clinic, these can be diluted in a carrier oil and applied on pressure points on the body or used as an inhalation therapy depending on what you’re stuggling with:
Anti-microbial essential oils to help kill germs- Eucalyptus, clove, rosemary, oregano, helichrysum, cypress, blue tansy,
Sedative essential oils to help reduce stress and improve sleep for recovery- Lavender, Rose, grapefruit, myrtle, chamomile, valerian. To learn more about how sleep impacts your immunity check out this post.
Anti-inflammatory essential oils to help speed up recovery- peppermint, clove, frankincense, thyme.
Reduce your toxic load
While this might seem basic it is often overlooked, try your best to reduce any foods that can contribute to inflammation in the body, minimising things like;
Alcohol
Refined carbohydrates
Processed foods
Sugar
Excessive dairy
Any food sensitivities you might already have.
Reducing toxins in your body will help your immune system greatly by reducing it’s work load. If you have an exisiting gut problem look to have it addressed by a naturopath.
Two thirds of your immune system is located around your gut and so if you have a leaky gut your immune system is going to be in overdrive. Head across to this article to learn more.
For many of my chronic fatigue clients there is a correlation between work/life stressors and their fatigue, some of the work we do together is getting clear on how to best manage these. Reflect back and notice if your fatigue coincides with a work situation, relationship, or other external factor.
To the best of your ability when you’re unwell try and avoid toxic people and situations, not always practical or possible but prioritise your mental, emotional health, the mind and body they’re intimately linked.
Lymphatic drainage
Lymph is a clear fluid that moves through its own network of vessels, this fluid is responsible for moving in and around organs and cells to clear out debris from infections and any unwanted toxic material. When this system is sluggish or overburdened you can start seeing issues with fatigue, brain fog and recurrent infections.
This system doesn’t have it’s own pump, it relies on your muscles and general body movement to flow through your system. As well as the diaphragmatic breathing we’ve mentioned which also stimulates it’s movement.
So very gentle yoga movement and stretches can be very helpful for your recovery after the initial infection and fevers are over, consider doing just a half hour of guided floor stretches with focus on your breathing.
Dry body brushing before your showers is another great way to move lymph through and stimulate drainage, it takes all of 5 minutes to do and is a great ritual to support detoxification and health.
If you’re struggling with chronic fatigue and this has become a more chronic issue, consider booking yourself in for a lymphatic drainage massage with a professional who’s experienced. These are amazing and formed a part of my own healing journey.
Maintain Essential Nutrient Intake
It’s hard when you’re feeling flat as a tac to cook and do groceries. However it’s at these times when you need to find ways of getting in the key nutrients your body needs to recover. Consider ready cooked meals and getting support wherever you can to get the following in;
Vitamin C- Oranges, capsicums, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, papaya, kiwi fruit.
Zinc- oysters, grass fed meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains
Mushrooms- Shitake, Maitake and generally whatever other mushrooms you have available. These have been used for hundreds of years to support immune function and speed up recovery.
Anti-oxidants- Green tea, all fruits and vegetables are high in phytochemicals that help to reduce inflammation in the body, so make sure you’re getting at least your recommended daily serve which unfortunately most Aussies are not : (
Your body uses a lot of energy to digest food so while you’re feeling unwell stick to foods that are easily digested by your body things like soups, stews, broths, and other cooked foods.
Get help early
It’s tempting to jump on the wait and watch bandwagon, but if you have a history of poor immune function and your body isn’t recovering as quickly as you thing is normal it’s best you get help early.
Contact your naturopath or herbalist to get specific herbal extracts and nutraceuticals for your individual struggles.
You can find out more about one to one sessions on this page. If you have any questions please fill out the form below.