Chronic fatigue syndrome occurs when the adrenal gland secretes too little cortisol. The anatomical location for the adrenal gland is on top of each kidney.

The adrenal gland is the end gland in the body’s hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). This is the primary pathway for stress regulation and it’s long been suspected that a defect in this axis is responsible for many stress-related diseases.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by low-levels of cortisol secretion. A fundamental defect in the HPA axis is suspected as the cause of the low output, yet no conclusive evidence is available about the cause of the defect.

Disabling fatigue leads most people to seek a doctor’s visit. The tests, however, including blood work and physical examination, rarely show any abnormalities. Some patients have a history of viral infection and if this shows up in the medical history, it’s often a good predictor of the severity of CFS. On-going infection with Epstein-Barr virus leads to a breakdown in mitochondrial function which disrupts energy production in all the cells of the body.

Inflammation is part of the body’s healing response, but once turned-on, it should turn-off and this appears to malfunction in those with CFS. So, there are issues related to many body systems such as the nervous, the hormonal, and immune systems. This leads to the condition making an impact on all parts of the body simultaneously.

Medicine Has No Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Since medicine has no treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome, patients are left on their own to seek treatments that are effective. They often seek alternative treatments that are offered by chiropractors, massage workers, reflexologists and other non-mainstream practitioners.

Of course, the patient’s choice to ignore their doctor is unsettling to the doctor. Doctors believe that they have all the answers and are really bothered by alternative medicine. Yet, there’s a large business in alternatives, particularly nutrition supplements. Many companies have been around for decades. Chiropractors are the largest distributors of many products. Some companies make dried glandular extracts and/or pills made from dehydrated foods which are supposed to act on the hormonal system.

It’s believed that the use of gland extracts will stimulate and create a strengthening effect for low-functioning glands. This practice is vilified by the medical establishment who argues that there is no proof of its effectiveness. Unknown to these naysayers is that there is no proof of the effectiveness of more than 85% of all therapies used in medical practice!

Since effective therapies for fatigue don’t exist, many argue that the patient should give up looking for solutions and just accept his condition. Acceptance is then viewed as a method of psychological relief, but condemns the patient to a lifetime of despair. There are many viable options for patients outside of medicine that individuals should explore.

Making choices of alternatives is difficult as there are so many options out-there. Talking to friends who have had a positive experience is a good idea. Unfortunately, the Internet has become the marketing pathway for many sellers of products and services. This makes the process of finding solutions ever-more difficult.