Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center

Brain Based Treatment for the 21st Century!

You Feel Exhausted/Fatigued—But Not Just Tired

You wake up feeling as if you have already run a marathon. Simple tasks like making breakfast or taking a shower leave you completely drained. Friends do not understand why you cancel plans, and doctors may have told you that your blood work looks “normal.” You have been trying to push through, but your body keeps saying no.

If this sounds familiar, you are not lazy or dramatic—you may be living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a complex neurological and physiological condition that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

At Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center, we understand the frustration of living with invisible, debilitating symptoms. Let’s walk through what ME/CFS really is, how it affects daily life, how it is treated, and how a chiropractic neurology approach may offer hope for meaningful improvement.

What Is ME/CFS?

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a neuroimmune condition marked by profound, unrelenting fatigue that is not relieved by rest, and worsens after even minimal exertion—a phenomenon called post-exertional malaise (PEM). ME/CFS is classified as a neurological disease by the World Health Organization and has been increasingly recognized for its dysregulation of the central nervous system, immune system, and energy metabolism.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 2.5 million Americans are living with ME/CFS, though many remain undiagnosed due to the complexity of the condition and lack of awareness in the medical community (CDC, 2021).

How ME/CFS Impacts Daily Life

Living with ME/CFS is not just about feeling tired. It can dismantle every area of a person’s life:

  • Physical Limitations: Activities as minor as brushing teeth or climbing stairs can result in days of recovery.
  • Cognitive Dysfunction: Often called “brain fog,” this includes difficulties with memory, attention, and processing speed.
  • Autonomic Dysregulation: Dizziness upon standing, heart palpitations, and temperature sensitivity are common.
  • Sensory Overload: Lights, sounds, and even touch can feel overwhelming or painful.
  • Social and Occupational Impact: Many individuals are forced to reduce work hours or stop working entirely. Relationships often suffer due to misunderstanding or stigma.
  • Emotional Toll: Chronic illness and loss of independence can lead to depression, anxiety, and isolation.

Common Symptoms of ME/CFS

The core diagnostic criteria established by the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) include:

  • Substantial reduction in activity level lasting more than six months
  • Post-exertional malaise (PEM)
  • Unrefreshing sleep
  • Cognitive impairment and/or orthostatic intolerance

Additional symptoms may include:

  • Muscle and joint pain without inflammation
  • Sore throat and tender lymph nodes
  • Headaches of a new type or severity
  • Sensory hypersensitivity
  • Digestive issues like bloating or irritable bowel symptoms

Common Co-Morbid Conditions

ME/CFS rarely exists in isolation. Many patients also experience:

  • Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
  • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) or joint hypermobility
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
  • Autoimmune thyroid disease
  • Anxiety and depression—often secondary to the chronic nature of the illness

These comorbidities complicate treatment and point to widespread autonomic, connective tissue, immune, and neurological dysregulation.

Current Medical Treatment Approaches

There is no cure for ME/CFS, and treatment is usually symptomatic. Medical approaches typically include:

  • Sleep Aids: To address unrefreshing sleep or insomnia
  • Stimulants or Antidepressants: Occasionally used to improve alertness or mood, though often with limited success
  • Pain Management: NSAIDs, neuropathic pain medications, or low-dose naltrexone
  • Autonomic Support: Medications like beta blockers or fludrocortisone for POTS symptoms
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Once promoted as primary therapy, now seen as supportive rather than curative
  • Graded Exercise Therapy (GET): Once widely recommended, but now discouraged due to risk of worsening post-exertional malaise

While these tools may help some, many patients feel as if they are left to navigate ME/CFS alone, with only modest symptom relief.

How Chiropractic Neurology Offers a Different Approach

At Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center, we approach ME/CFS through the lens of functional neurology, which focuses on restoring proper function to the nervous system through non-invasive, individualized rehabilitation.

Instead of suppressing symptoms, we ask: Where is the nervous system failing to regulate energy, sensory input, or autonomic tone—and how can we support it back into balance?

Key Areas of Focus in Chiropractic Neurology:

1. Brainstem and Autonomic Nervous System Regulation

The brainstem, especially the medulla and pons, governs autonomic function—heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and respiratory rhythm. In ME/CFS, this system is often in a persistent state of dysautonomia.

We assess:

  • Orthostatic blood pressure and heart rate changes
  • Pupillary responses
  • Light and sound tolerance

Rehabilitation may include:

  • Vestibular stimulation to modulate brainstem activity
  • Breathing retraining to enhance vagal tone
  • Gaze stability and oculomotor exercises to support parasympathetic integration

2. Sensory Processing and Midbrain Modulation

ME/CFS patients often experience sensory hypersensitivity to light, sound, and touch. This reflects upregulated midbrain and thalamic circuits that process sensory input and pain.

Our work often involves:

  • Graded sensory desensitization
  • Visual motion training to stabilize midbrain output
  • Sensorimotor integration tasks to help the brain re-learn how to filter stimuli appropriately

3. Limbic System and Neuroimmune Interactions

The limbic system, especially the amygdala and hippocampus, is tied to emotional regulation, stress responses, and immune modulation. Chronic stress and inflammation can “prime” this system into a hyper-reactive loop.

Chiropractic neurologists often use:

  • Cognitive exercises to encourage frontal-limbic inhibition
  • Low-level laser therapy to reduce neuroinflammation
  • Functional nutrition support targeting neuroinflammatory pathways

4. Proprioceptive Rehabilitation

Proprioception—the brain’s sense of body position—is often impaired in ME/CFS, especially with comorbid hypermobility or dysautonomia. Faulty proprioceptive input can create central fatigue by forcing the brain to work harder to control basic posture and movement.

Interventions may include:

  • Balance and coordination drills adapted to the patient’s tolerance
  • Cervical spine proprioception exercises
  • Myofascial release techniques to improve mechanoreceptor input from muscles and joints

A Roadmap for Healing

Recovery from ME/CFS is rarely quick—but with the right roadmap, improvement is possible. Chiropractic neurology offers a customized rehabilitation plan that respects your nervous system’s current capacity while nudging it toward greater resilience.

What makes our approach different is this:

  • We do not push you to do more than your nervous system can handle
  • We understand how visual, vestibular, autonomic, and limbic systems interact in complex conditions
  • We tailor each session to reduce neurological demand and improve brain efficiency

We believe that a regulated nervous system is the foundation for healing—and we are here to help you find your way back to one.

If You Are Ready for a Different Kind of Care…

You do not have to keep fighting your own body. If you or someone you love is struggling with ME/CFS, there is hope. A chiropractic neurology approach offers a unique, brain-based perspective on restoring energy, improving function, and regaining your life.

If you or someone you love is suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and you would like to learn how chiropractic neurology can help, contact the team at Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center today. We look forward to hearing from you.


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Written by Sophie Hose, DC, MS, DACNB, CCSP

Peer-Reviewed References

  1. Committee on the Diagnostic Criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Institute of Medicine. (2015). Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/19012
  2. Jason, L. A., Mirin, A. A., & Floersch, J. (2020). Reporting of demographic data in clinical trials of ME/CFS: A review of the literature. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(3), 279–287. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317705982
  3. Rowe, P. C., Barron, D. F., Calkins, H., Maumenee, I. H., Tong, P. Y., & Geraghty, M. T. (1999). Orthostatic intolerance and chronic fatigue syndrome associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Journal of Pediatrics, 135(4), 494–499. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(99)70057-0
  4. Nijs, J., Meeus, M., McGregor, N., Meeus, L., De Schutter, G., Van Hoof, E., & Truijen, S. (2012). Chronic fatigue syndrome: Exercise performance related to immune dysfunction. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 44(12), 2224–2231. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318267f0d2