Ever had this feeling of intense pain and fatigue? Have you tried doing simple tasks but felt like you went on an exhausting hiking trip? Or have you experienced persistent pain throughout your body, unable to pinpoint the cause? These puzzling scenarios can be problematic, especially when the symptoms blur the lines between conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Notably, both conditions share many similarities, making it relatively easy for people to mistake one for the other.
Recognizing this problem, we thought of creating a guide to tackle Chronic Fatigue Syndrome vs. Fibromyalgia. Hopefully, by providing detailed discussions on questions like “What is fibromyalgia syndrome?” and “What is CFS?” you will become more acquainted with the steps you must undertake to feel better.
Table of Contents
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS/ME is perhaps one of the world's most complex and poorly misunderstood health concerns. People diagnosed with CFS/ME note that they have unexplainable fatigue that doesn’t improve and often worsens after mental or physical exertion. To top it off, many patients dealing with this condition also experience sleep issues, muscle or joint pain, and concentration problems.
So, what is Fibromyalgia Syndrome? Is it as bad as CFS/ME? Similar to the condition mentioned above, Fibromyalgia also brings discomfort to affected individuals. However, on top of the overwhelming feeling of physical and mental tiredness, fibromyalgia often comes hand in hand with heightened pain and pressure sensitivity. This means even the slightest tap on one’s shoulder or a brush on the skin while navigating a busy street can bring severe pain to the affected individual.
While both CFS and Fibromyalgia Syndrome bring along their shared symptoms—fatigue and pain—they are quite different from one another. In fibromyalgia, pain is like that uninvited guest who crashes everywhere, affecting muscles and soft tissues all over the body. In CFS, pain is more of a local visitor, hanging out in specific spots like the joints or muscles without causing a visible ruckus.
And let’s talk about “brain fog” – it’s a common gatecrasher in both conditions but tends to cause more havoc in CFS. People with CFS can sometimes have more severe memory loss, concentration issues, and sensitivity to bright lights, strong scents, and loud sounds.
Both Fibromyalgia Syndrome and CFS call for a team huddle to plan a strategy, combining medication, lifestyle plays, physical therapy, and a good dose of psychological pep talks.
Facing chronic conditions like Fibromyalgia Syndrome and CFS is no walk in the park. Thankfully, despite their differences, both conditions can be managed well with a holistic approach - correcting neck misalignments. Notably, an imbalance in the cervical spine - a common issue that arises after a neck or head injury - is among the most overlooked triggers of CFS and fibromyalgia. If you have a history of whiplash, concussion or TBI, we encourage you to have your upper cervical spine assessed by a board-certified Upper Cervical doctor in your city. This way, you can check if you need to receive gentle chiropractic adjustments to help restore balance in your body.
TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
