RESOURCES

  Various medical systems exist throughout the world with distinct theories, concepts and practices. Among them are the disciplines of Ayurveda and Endobiogeny.  Both Ayurveda (ayu=life; veda=knowledge/science: the science of life) and Endobiogeny (endo=internal; bio=life; geny=origin: the internal origins of life) are founded on the principle of holism that informs their approach to healing and health.  Despite their distinct differences, both systems share many commonalities that complement one another, such as an emphasis on balancing internal regulatory systems, individualised treatment, detoxification & drainage, natural therapeutics and the recognition of cosmobiological forces on human physiology. 

Resilience is what gets us through challenges in life. It is defined as ‘an individual’s ability to adapt to stress and adversity, that varies with attitudes, knowledge, skills and circumstances.’ People with higher resilience are able to regulate their emotions or initiate effective coping strategies under stress, such as personal loss, traumatic events, debilitating illness, or any other setback in life.  While those with lower resilience struggle to cope or change course under similar circumstances. This often leads to overwhelm or despair, and even maladaptive coping behaviours such as substances misuse and self-harm. 

Although resilience is mostly associated with psychological states, physiological resilience is of equal importance. The complex interactions of physiological, physical, mental and environmental factors have direct influence on our bodies. The human body functions healthily within certain parameters, regulating itself to maintain balance. Balance refers to the efficient and synchronised functioning across body systems, such as the release of hormones, digestive activity and nervous system regulation. These functions have broader balancing effects on metabolism, pH, electrolyte balance and blood pressure regulation that keep us alive and well. 

Like psychological resilience, physiological resilience is required to adapt to stressful conditions. Adaptation is the process where functioning is altered at multiple levels in the body in order to maintain homeostasis or balance. If you have come across the term ‘fight or flight’ you will know that adrenaline and cortisol are secreted in the blood stream in order to provide the necessary elements for the body to respond effectively to threat or stress.  This response, among many others, triggers a cascade of events that requires adaption to return homeostasis once the threat is no longer present.  This occurs under normal conditions and intensified when demands are placed on the body, from either external sources or perceived states of stress. 

Whatever the origin, the physical body does not discriminate one stress from another.  It is unable to tolerate intensive or prolonged exposure to stressors (stress in this sense can be psychological, physical, environmental, chemical, etc).  Once the buffering capacity (the reservoir of materials that makes adaptation more efficient) is diminished, the body enters a pre-critical or critical state – what we know as signs & symptoms or disease (also referred to as adaptation syndromes or disadaptation states). It is vital we do our very best to maintain balance within the functional parameters of the body in order to avoid the onset of disease. In the event disadaptation or disease occurs, the aim is to restore the buffering capacity, reduce symptoms and support the body overall. 

  This group of conditions are characterised by debilitating fatigue persisting for 6 months or more, in addition to any number of signs and symptoms that occur concurrently.  According to conventional medicine, the current consensus is that these conditions are of a serious and complex nature with unknown cause, making them difficult to diagnose.  Regardless of the diagnosis, there are no ‘cures’ or ‘approved’ treatments available to date.  This affords some major challenges for people who suffer from these conditions.  Firstly, those who do not meet the diagnostic criteria are expected to endure an uncertain period of significant decline in quality of life.  Secondly, although diagnosis can validate the symptom experience, there is little in the way of ongoing support, either psychologically or socially following diagnosis.  Lastly, due to a lack of understanding and limited intervention pathways, patients are often told to ‘learn to live with it’ or that there is ‘no cure’, which establishes a sense of hopelessness and defeat. 

Integrated medicine interprets CFS/ME/PVFS rather differently.  Careful examination of a person’s medical & life history, clinical signs & symptoms, blood biomarkers and psychological state provide important details to understand causality in relation to dysregulated physiology.  Post-viral onset, impaired liver or digestive function, endocrine imbalance or desynchronised nervous activity are some of the primary causes of dysregulated physiology that are observed in CFS/ME/PVFS sufferers.  It is often the case that multiple systems are involved in dysregulation, therefore, consideration of the interactions between bodily systems as a whole is necessary.  The aim of integrated medicine is to identify the underlying physiological imbalances, the triggers that lead to imbalance and the body’s response mechanisms.

Although there are many ways to successfully manage the physiological imbalances with natural medicines, diet and lifestyle, people actually benefit more from a subtle form of self-rehabilitation and behaviour regulation using cognitive-behavioural coaching techniques. In practice, I often see clients with CFS who describe a climatic sequence of events preceding the initial blow of fatigue, which subsequently spirals out of control in response to the physical, psychological, emotional and social decline.  A real sense of personal loss, anticipation and anxiety is then magnified by a lack of understanding from family members, social circles and medical professionals.  A demarcation between body-mind becomes inevitable, which in some cases results in a loss of identity, distrupted relations and social isolation.  Beneath the physiological and psychological weight of these conditions is the realisation that life may not return to its original state prior to the onset of illness.  While this can be devastating prospect for some, it can also offer new perspectives, outlooks and opportunities for others.  Acknowledging and accepting change can be one of the most powerful tools in your personal toolkit to move above and beyond the limitations of these debilitating conditions.  

If you would like to know more on how integrated medicine can help you, feel free to get in touch with any questions, or alternatively book in for a 20 min free pre-consultation call.