Could it be ME, CFS or fibromyalgia?
Do you suffer from constant fatigue and brain fog? Are you waking up feeling exhausted? Suffering from worsening headaches or unexplained pains, or feeling stressed for no obvious reason? Could you be suffering from ME, CFS or fibromyalgia?
What is the difference between ME, CFS and fibromyalgia?
ME is short for myalgic encephalomyelitis. The term ME tends to be used if the main symptoms are brain related. Myalgia is a medical term for muscle pain and encephalomyelitis is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Whilst CFS, short for chronic fatigue syndrome, was used when there were symptoms of long-lasting exhaustion without brain inflammation. Nowdays both ME and CFS are now used interchangeably.
Fibromyalgia, which is often shortened to fibro, involves chronic fatigue with unexplained pain. However, unlike in arthritis, the pain in fibro is not generally related to joints, bones or muscles but rather to the nervous system. It is believed that the wiring of the nervous system is such that it doesn’t process the pain signals from the various parts of the body in quite the right way.
All three conditions involve chronic exhaustion accompanied by many other symptoms including dizziness, aching muscles, headaches and brain fog. Any number of triggers can tip you into these chronic conditions. You may be ‘labeled’ as suffering from CFS and ME if you have had chronic fatigue for at least 6 months. The thing to remember is you can get better! The ealier you get support, the quicker you can be on your road to recovery.
Although any number of causes can tip you into CFS, ME and fibromyalgia, a viral infection is often a known trigger. Hence why there is now more interest in CFS and ME following COVID. This is the result of the epidemic leading to a subsequent increase in patients presenting with chronic exhaustion amongst other symptoms.
Symptoms of ME, CFS and fibromyalgia and does this sound like you?
- I fell exhausted all the time
- I have muscle pain for no reson
- My tummy reacts to everything I eat
- Concentrating or thinking straight is so difficult
- I sleep badly and I wake up tired
- My mind is always racing even when I’m exhausted
- I feel anxious for no reasonI’m constantly getting headaches
- If so, you ‘ve come to the right place. With support you can take back control of your health and wellbeing. Although there isn’t a quick fix or a magic pill, a return to health can be accelerated. My goal is to empower you to take charge of your recovery in a safe and supportive way in order to accelerate your path to health.
Is there a test I can take to be diagnosed for ME, CFS or fibromyalgia?
There is no simple test for a quick diagnosis but rather a process of elimination. So, you should consult your GP to rule out other conditions such as kidney disease, or heart issues. You may be refered on to a specialist within the NHS depending on which body system seems to be the one that seems most vulnerable or most problematic. There are private tests not available on the NHS that can also help you to understand what is going on.
How I can support you in acceletating your recovery
I’m an accredited Chronic Fatigue, ME and Fibromyalgia specialist Recovery Practitioner and ILM accredited Wellbeing Coach. I also work alongside the Chrysalis Effect Recovery Programme.
In order to fully recover and to accelerate recovery I can support you in looking at eight key areas of your life. This will help you to understand the causes and what steps you will need to take to recover. To look beneath the symptoms, to understand what is going on and why this has happened to you.It isn’t always easy to change the habits of a lifetime.This is when Wellbeing Coaching can be so helpful. Wellbeing Coaching can help you to unblock the hidden barriers to change. For more info on how coaching can support you, go to https://nutritional-matters.co.uk/wellbeing-coaching/
Nutritional Therapy can help you to resolve gut issue and food intolerances. Small changes to diet may help to alleviate anxiety, depression or low-energy. When appropriate, I can also guide you to diagnostic tests that can shed light on what may be going on to help understand contributory factors.
Looking at the emotional side in ME, CFS and fibromyalgia also matters
In all three of these conditions is has been shown that there is a clear link between these chronic conditions and emotional trauma. There is no one single cause for any of these conditions but there is now recognition of trauma as being a major factor. Trauma can present in numerous ways sometimes without you even being consciously aware of it.
If you feel there is an emotional component to be resolved which is impacting your recovery, I can support you in exploring this through Wellbeing Coaching. By working within a cross referral team, I can also find the most suitable therapist within the Chrysalis Effect to support you in different ways when required. To find out more about how the Chrysalis Effect Recovery Programme can support you go to https://thechrysaliseffect.co.uk/recovery-programme/
By looking at the eight key areas that have to be addressed in order to fully recover, I help you to understand the causes of your symptoms. And, most importantly, what action you can take in order to move forwards.
