The Human Energy Crisis – Its Role in Pain, CFS/Fibromyalgia and Biophysics

It’s painfully obvious that we are going through “a perfect storm” for a human energy crisis: 31% of adults suffer from severe exhaustion, and over 6% are now suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia (CFS/FMS), of which post-viral fatigue, or long COVID, is simply a subset. While pretty much everyone feels like they need more energy. Why?

The Perfect Storm

Sadly, we have a perfect storm for a “human energy crisis”:

1. Half of the vitamins and minerals in food are lost in food processing.
2. The average night’s sleep has gone from nine hours a night to fewer than seven hours since lightbulbs were invented.
3. People are more sedentary.
4. The speed and stress of modern life are increasing.
5. Hormonal deficiencies, despite normal tests, are becoming more common.

All of these can be easily addressed.

Low Cellular Energy Is a Key Cause of Pain

The main cause of pain in the United States is myofascial. This basically comes down to muscle and fascia shortening. Interestingly, one of the major drivers for this is low energy in the muscles.

Think about how your muscles feel after a heavy workout when energy levels drop. They don’t go loose and limp. They go tight. This is because it takes more energy for a muscle to relax than to contract.

Localized drops in muscle energy, as can occur from ergonomics or repetitive stress injury, will cause localized pain. A systemic energy drop will trigger widespread pain.

This is what occurs in fibromyalgia and long COVID.

The Four Key Domains for Pain Relief

Overall, pain management is best addressed by looking at four areas. Addressing any one of these can help the others fall back into balance. Addressing several of these areas simultaneously will dramatically improve outcomes:

Structural. Wonderfully addressed by manipulation and ergonomics. If you stretch a tight muscle to release it, and address the associated structural issues, pain will go away. Unfortunately, if the low energy in the muscles is not addressed, it will come back when the muscle shortens again.

Biophysics. Remarkably, 70% of acupuncture points correspond to muscle trigger points. These are the belly of tight muscles that are often painful. These trigger points not only can decrease blood flow, but likely energy flow through the meridians. So, optimizing biochemistry, as I discuss below, can dramatically improve outcomes in acupuncture as well.

Mind-body. Although beyond the scope of today’s discussion, there is a reason some people are considered a pain in the back (or lower!). Muscle memory and feelings may need to be addressed as well. There are numerous helpful techniques for doing this, which I discuss in my book.

Biochemistry. For pain, this predominantly means increasing energy production and decreasing inflammation.

All of these are interrelated. You can begin the process of healing from any of these directions. Even more powerful? Easily combine several to markedly improve outcomes!

Here is how I address the biochemistry of pain.

Pain Biochemistry Step #1: Optimize Cellular Energy

Two simple strategies make this easy:

An excellent multivitamin. (I am not impressed with most.) It should have high levels of B complex vitamins (around the 50 mg level) and 150 mg of magnesium as the basics, although dozens of other nutrients are helpful.

Red ginseng. Ginseng historically has been one of the most popular medicines in Asia. But this waned about 30 years ago when the price of wild ginseng skyrocketed. Unfortunately, farmed ginseng does not have the same benefits. But now, a special aquaponic technique reproduces the levels of active ginsenosides seen in the old wild ginseng.

Do Multivitamins Just Make “Expensive Urine?”

Of course not. And research shows they have numerous and profound health benefits.

But it’s funny how the misinformation that they “just making expensive urine” is put out by those who feel natural remedies are economic competition.

Everybody is entitled to their point of view. For those who say vitamins and minerals just go out in the urine, I recommend they stop drinking water, because it just goes out in the urine, too.

Then they can quickly stop misinforming people who are trying to optimize their health and energy.

When I first tried this, I had largely given up on ginseng. But I was amazed at this form’s effectiveness. Enough so that I did a study using it in 188 people with fibromyalgia. Sixty percent improved with an average 67% increase in energy, 33% decrease in pain, and marked overall improvement especially in combination in well-being and sleep. I use the chewable form in my practice, and it is quite remarkable!

Biochemistry Step #2: Balance Inflammation

Fortunately, natural options are safer and more effective than medications; and they can all be combined.

It is very helpful to clean up the diet. Main triggers for inflammation? Sugar, white flour, and grain-fed beef. Increasing omega-3 intake in general can help, whether by diet or supplementation.

In my practice, I use a combination of these four natural components to address inflammation:

1. A special highly absorbed curcumin
2. Boswellia
3. DLPA (phenylalanine) to increase endorphins
4. Nattokinase to break up the inflammatory fibrin that gets in the way of healing

After six weeks of use, repeated studies have shown this to be as or more effective than the medication Celexicob, and with side benefits, instead of the 50,000+ yearly U.S. deaths caused by anti-inflammatory medications called NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen and Celexicob).

The Bottom Line?

When treating fatigue or pain, simple measures to address biochemistry can dramatically improve outcomes. Markedly enhancing the benefits from other modalities; which is one more reason why I am such a fan of what has been called “comprehensive medicine!”

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Editor’s Note: For free information sheets on effective treatment of fibromyalgia and long COVID, you can email Dr. Teitelbaum at FatigueDoc@gmail.com. Please note that you are a health practitioner.