Dysautonomia
Why You Feel Dizzy, Fatigued, and Constantly in Pain.
A little-known cause of dizziness, fatigue, and chronic pain has been seen in greater numbers in the last two years.
These conditions fall under the umbrella of conditions called dysautonomia or autonomic nervous system dysfunction. While you may not have heard of dysautonomia, you may have heard of some specific types, such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), orthostatic intolerance (OI), or vaso-vagal syncope.
At its core, dysautonomia is a neurological condition that affects the part of your body that controls the way your internal organ systems operate. This can include effects on heart rate, blood pressure, gastrointestinal function, and even bladder function. Your nervous system is designed so that your brain controls all of these organ systems without conscious thought, so it feels like these organs work on autopilot.
But if any part of this system breaks down, then people can develop signs and symptoms of organ dysfunction. That means that patients can have a feeling of a racing heart, even when all of the tests on the heart say that it’s okay. You can also have bowel and bladder distress even though all of the imaging and tests say that there’s nothing wrong with those organs.
That is because the organ itself is fine (for now), but part of the nervous system that controls these organs isn’t working.
The most common signs of dysautonomia include:
– Lightheadedness (especially when standing too quickly)
– Dizziness/imbalance
– Fatigue
– Migraine headaches
– Irritable bowel symptoms
– Clammy/cold hands
– Discoloration of the hands or feet
– Chronic pain
Dysautonomia disproportionately affects more women than men. It is also very common in conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Dysautonomia is also an important consequence of bad viral infections like Mononucleosis, but is becoming more widely identified in patients with Long COVID. In general, these patients don’t feel well, and have a really hard time managing their energy, but their diagnosis doesn’t always fit their symptoms.
While many patients will get some of these diagnoses that present with dysautonomia, very few patients actually have dysautonomia identified so that it can be treated properly. This is why it is important to see a doctor that will not only give you an accurate diagnosis, but will also understand how the nervous system can be involved in variety of illnesses.
The good news is that dysautonomia is treatable. There are medications that can help calm symptoms of rapid heart rate and reduce pain and anxiety, but a functional neurological approach to brain rehabilitation can drastically improve a patient’s quality of life.
Your NUUCCA practitioner can perform a thorough exam to identify signs of dysautonomia and develop a customized therapy plan to help rehabilitate the brain to address this dysfunction. Once they know the appropriate areas of the nervous system to target, they can apply therapies that are particularly effective in reducing dizziness, improving fatigue, and driving down persistent pain or headaches.
Dr. Jonathan Chung is the owner of Keystone Chiropractic and Neuroplasticity. Reach him at https://www.chiropractorwellington.com/
