Find Viral Link to Chronic Fatigue

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"This study adds more to our understanding of chronic fatigue and I encourage the researchers' continued work," said Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, medical director for Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers, which has treated more than 8,300 chronic fatigue patients nationwide.

CFS impairs the immune system and causes incapacitating fatigue. Patients often suffer from flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, joint and muscle pain, sore or swollen lymph nodes as well as headaches, memory loss and difficulty concentrating.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control showed that CFS is six to 10 times more common than previously suspected, with approximately four to seven million people afflicted with Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) in the U.S. alone. An estimated 15 million Americans have fatigue-related issues and exhibit the symptoms without a diagnosis.

Although the diagnosis of CFS can be difficult -- a vast number of other diseases and illnesses having similar contributing factors -- parameters now exist for earlier identification and intervention, particularly at specialized care facilities such as the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers (FFC).

"I have often referred to chronic fatigue as the ‘infection of the month club' because there are so many opportunistic infections present in CFS that are rare in those with a healthy immune system," said Dr. Marcus Spurlock, assistant medical director of FFC - Dallas. "In our routine testing of CFS patients, we have found there are multiple infectious 'hitchhikers' that find a way in -- including Chlamydia, pneumonia, intestinal viral infections, mycoplasma and others."

While the study cites a lack of a standard treatment for CFS, FFC has developed its own clinically successful treatment protocol that treats the underlying causes linked to CFS, such as multiple, chronic infections. Our patient-centric, holistic approach -- treating the whole body as opposed to just the symptoms -- can be broken down as follows:

1. Stabilize the Patient -- address pain and sleep disturbances
2. Mitochondrial Enhancement -- improve the mitochondria, the powerhouse of each cell
3. Balance the Hormones -- evaluate hypothalamus and pituitary function
4. Treat Infectious Components -- underlying viral infections
5. Address Unique Etiologies -- examples include neurotoxins and coagulation defects
6. Provide Individualized Maintenance Program -- utilize minimally necessary medications and supplements to assure absence of symptoms

"Some of the underlying issues are important to treat individually, using a customized and integrative approach, although we find many will resolve when the overall process is treated with our protocol," said Spurlock. "This approach includes many antiviral options and shows a documented 50% improvement rate."

Spurlock is encouraged by the recent study because it further establishes the existence of chronic fatigue syndrome, dismissively referred to by some, even in the medical community, as the "yuppie flu."

"Some misguided people still choose to believe CFS is 'all in people's heads.' This study, along with dozens of others, confirms just how out of touch some in our profession actually are. Perhaps we'll someday see widespread acknowledgment of this disease by the medical community. This may bring an end to invalidating the physical nature of the illness and implying that people are fabricating symptoms."

Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers, Inc. develops, operates and manages 14 outpatient "Centers of Excellence" in the U.S. for the treatment and ongoing care of people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, and Unrelenting Fatigue. Centers are currently open in Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Norwalk, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Raleigh, and Seattle with plans for future expansion. For more information, please visit www.fibroandfatigue.com or call (866) 443-4276.