Do you wake up exhausted no matter how much sleep you get? Does your body feel heavy, your mind foggy, and your energy drained—day after day? You may have wondered if something deeper could be going on.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), is more than just being tired. It’s a long-term condition where the body struggles to create and sustain energy. People with CFS often experience extreme exhaustion that doesn’t improve with rest, along with other symptoms like brain fog, muscle pain, dizziness, and feeling worse after even small amounts of activity. Unlike ordinary fatigue, this isn’t something that a good night’s sleep or a cup of coffee can fix.
Unfortunately, many people with CFS go years without a clear diagnosis. Traditional medicine often treats fatigue as a symptom rather than a condition, leading to prescriptions for sleep, depression, or pain instead of searching for the deeper cause. This leaves many patients feeling unheard and without lasting solutions.
That’s where functional medicine comes in. Instead of just managing symptoms, it looks at how the body’s systems are working together. It asks why the body is so drained in the first place—whether it’s from long-term stress on the cells, poor digestion preventing nutrient absorption, or hidden inflammation that keeps the body stuck in a low-energy state. By identifying and addressing these deeper issues, functional medicine offers a more complete path to restoring energy and well-being.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- What could be causing your fatigue beyond just poor sleep or stress
- How your body’s ability to produce energy is affected by nutrition, digestion, and inflammation
- Cutting-edge therapies such as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Cold Laser Therapy, and AO scanning that may support recovery
If you’ve been searching for real answers, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into what might be causing your exhaustion—and what you can do to start feeling like yourself again.
What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
We all feel exhausted from time to time, but Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is something entirely different. It’s not just about feeling tired—it’s a condition where the body simply can’t create or sustain energy the way it should. No matter how much sleep you get or how well you try to take care of yourself, the exhaustion never fully goes away.
People with CFS often describe it as feeling like their body’s “battery” won’t hold a charge. Even small activities—like taking a shower, running an errand, or concentrating on a conversation—can leave them completely drained. And unlike typical fatigue, this exhaustion doesn’t improve with rest.
Beyond energy levels, CFS impacts the entire body. Many people experience:
- Brain fog – Trouble focusing, forgetfulness, and mental fatigue.
- Muscle and joint pain – Aches and soreness that seem to have no clear cause.
- Unrefreshing sleep – Waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to bed.
- Post-exertional malaise (PEM) – A worsening of symptoms after even minor physical or mental effort, sometimes lasting for days. This is one of the key hallmarks of CFS, making recovery unpredictable.
- Dizziness and lightheadedness – Especially when standing up or changing positions, due to the nervous system struggling to regulate blood pressure and circulation.
These symptoms can make everyday life incredibly challenging, which is why finding the right support and treatment is so important.
Why is CFS So Often Misdiagnosed?
One of the biggest frustrations for people with CFS is how difficult it can be to get a proper diagnosis. There isn’t a single test that can confirm it, and because symptoms overlap with conditions like thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases, and depression, many people are misdiagnosed—or worse, told that their symptoms are psychological.
For years, mainstream medicine has struggled to understand CFS, often treating it as a vague or psychological issue rather than a real, physical condition. However, research now shows that CFS is linked to deeper biological imbalances—including long-term stress on the cells, gut dysfunction, and chronic inflammation that keeps the body in a constant state of depletion.
When the body is running on empty for too long, it shifts into conservation mode, prioritizing basic survival over energy production. This means even everyday functions—like thinking clearly, digesting food properly, or bouncing back after activity—start to suffer. It’s like your body is trying to get through the day with only a fraction of the fuel it actually needs.
How is CFS Diagnosed?
Because there is no single test for CFS, diagnosis is based on symptom patterns and ruling out other conditions. This can make the process frustrating and time-consuming for many people. Since fatigue is a common symptom of other health issues—such as thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases, and chronic infections—doctors typically perform a thorough evaluation to rule out other possible causes before confirming a CFS diagnosis.
To diagnose CFS, healthcare providers look for key signs, including:
- Persistent fatigue lasting six months or longer that isn’t improved with rest.
- The presence of Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM), which means symptoms worsen after even small amounts of physical or mental activity and may take days to recover from.
- Sleep disturbances, brain fog, and widespread pain that interfere with daily life.
Additional symptoms, such as dizziness, digestive issues, and immune dysfunction, are also common and can provide further clues in the diagnostic process.
Since there’s no definitive test, patients often go years without answers, cycling through different specialists and treatments that may not fully address the issue. By understanding what’s really happening beneath the surface, we can move beyond just managing symptoms and start addressing the root causes of chronic fatigue.
Why Does Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Drain Your Energy?
If you’ve been struggling with extreme fatigue, you might be wondering—why does my body feel so depleted all the time? While everyone feels tired now and then, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is different. It’s not just about needing more sleep or taking better care of yourself. It’s a sign that something deeper in the body isn’t working as it should.
Unlike traditional medicine, which often focuses on symptom relief, functional medicine looks at why your energy levels are so low in the first place. Three major factors play a role: your body’s ability to make energy, how well your digestion absorbs nutrients, and whether chronic inflammation is slowing everything down.
Your Body’s Energy Factory: Is It Running on Empty?
Think of your body like a phone battery. When it’s healthy, it charges up fully and holds power throughout the day. But with CFS, it’s like the battery won’t charge past 20%, no matter how much rest you get. That’s because the tiny power plants in your cells—the mitochondria—aren’t producing enough energy.
When these power plants aren’t working well, it’s usually because they’re overwhelmed. This can happen when:
- The body is under constant stress, using up energy faster than it can be made.
- Inflammation is clogging the system, making it harder for cells to do their job.
- Key nutrients are missing, like B vitamins and magnesium, which mitochondria need to generate power.
Without enough energy at the cellular level, you’re left feeling drained, mentally foggy, and struggling to get through the day.
The Gut Connection: Why Digestion Affects Your Energy
It might not seem like your gut has much to do with your energy levels, but research shows they’re closely linked. Your digestive system is responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and supporting your immune system. But when something’s off—like an imbalance of good and bad bacteria—it can trigger inflammation and make it harder for your body to get the fuel it needs.
Your gut health and nervous system are closely connected, and both play a role in CFS. When the gut microbiome is imbalanced, it can lead to poor nutrient absorption, inflammation, and immune system dysfunction, all of which drain energy levels. At the same time, a dysregulated nervous system can keep the body in “fight or flight” mode, making it harder to rest and recover.
The good news? Simple changes—like eating more whole, unprocessed foods, adding gut-friendly probiotics, and reducing sugar and inflammatory foods—can help restore balance and improve digestion over time.
Inflammation: The Hidden Drain on Your Energy
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense system, but when it stays activated for too long, it can actually do more harm than good. Think of it like a fire alarm that won’t turn off—your body is constantly in “alert mode,” using up energy and making you feel exhausted.
Inflammation can be triggered by:
- Chronic stress – Keeping the body in fight-or-flight mode.
- Unhealthy gut bacteria – Causing immune system overreactions.
- Toxins in the environment – From processed foods, chemicals, or pollutants.
When inflammation is constantly running in the background, it can affect everything from muscle pain to brain fog, making CFS symptoms even worse. That’s why reducing inflammation is a key step in restoring energy. Chronic inflammation can keep the body in a constant state of stress, using up valuable energy and making it harder to heal. Reducing inflammation is a key part of restoring balance and improving energy levels.
But inflammation is just one piece of the puzzle. When the body’s ability to produce energy is weakened, digestion is compromised, and the immune system is constantly on high alert, exhaustion becomes the norm instead of the exception.
The good news is that when these imbalances are addressed, the body can begin to recover. By supporting natural energy production, improving digestion, and calming inflammation, many people with CFS find a path toward real healing—one that goes beyond just managing symptoms.
How to Start Rebuilding Your Energy
If you’ve been dealing with persistent fatigue, you might feel like your body is working against you. But healing is possible—and it starts with understanding what your body needs to function at its best. Unlike conventional treatments that focus on managing symptoms, a functional medicine approach looks at why your energy levels are so low and what can be done to restore them.
Every person with CFS is different, which is why finding the right approach starts with identifying the underlying imbalances in the body. Functional medicine practitioners may look at:
- How well your body is making and using energy – When your cells struggle to produce energy efficiently, even small tasks can leave you drained.
- How your digestion is supporting (or draining) your energy – If your gut isn’t absorbing nutrients properly, your body won’t get the fuel it needs to function.
- Signs of long-term inflammation – Ongoing inflammation can keep your body in a constant state of stress, making it harder to recover.
Once these deeper issues are identified, the next step is supporting your body’s natural ability to heal.
Fueling Your Body for More Energy
What you eat plays a huge role in how much energy you have each day. Foods rich in vitamins and minerals—like leafy greens, healthy fats, and high-quality proteins—help nourish your cells and provide steady energy. On the other hand, processed foods, refined sugars, and artificial additives can spike blood sugar and leave you feeling even more depleted.
Healing the gut is just as important. Many people with CFS have digestive imbalances that prevent them from fully absorbing nutrients. Adding more fiber-rich foods, probiotics, and fermented options like yogurt or sauerkraut can help rebalance gut bacteria, improve digestion, and support overall energy production.
Daily Habits That Help Restore Energy
Beyond food, everyday habits can make a big difference in how you feel:
- Prioritizing sleep – Deep, restorative sleep is when your body recharges. Creating a relaxing bedtime routine and reducing blue light exposure can help improve sleep quality.
- Gentle movement – While intense exercise can sometimes make fatigue worse, light activities like yoga, stretching, or short walks can help improve circulation and energy levels.
- Managing stress – Chronic stress keeps the body in “survival mode,” making recovery harder. Practices like deep breathing, meditation, or spending time in nature can help calm the nervous system.
By making small, intentional changes, you can start giving your body what it needs to heal—one step at a time.
Supporting the Body with Supplements & Natural Therapies
Along with diet and lifestyle changes, certain supplements and natural therapies can help give your body the extra support it needs to heal. Since CFS affects multiple systems in the body, a personalized approach is key—but here are a few ways targeted support can make a difference:
- Boosting energy production – Nutrients like CoQ10, magnesium, and B vitamins help support the body’s natural energy-making process, so your cells can recharge more efficiently.
- Healing the gut – If digestion isn’t working properly, it’s harder for the body to absorb the nutrients it needs. Probiotics, digestive enzymes, and L-glutamine can help restore gut balance and improve nutrient absorption.
- Calming inflammation – Chronic inflammation can keep the body in a constant state of stress. Natural anti-inflammatory compounds like omega-3 fatty acids, turmeric (curcumin), and adaptogenic herbs (such as ashwagandha) can help bring the body back into balance.
Since every person’s journey with CFS is unique, working with a knowledgeable practitioner can help determine which supplements and therapies will be most effective for your specific needs. The goal isn’t just to mask symptoms—it’s to give your body the tools it needs to rebuild energy and resilience from the inside out.
For a deeper look at how supplements can help reduce inflammation, check out this article.
Advanced Therapies to Help Restore Energy
For many people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), diet, sleep, and lifestyle changes can make a big difference—but sometimes, the body needs extra support to truly heal. That’s where inovative therapies come in. These treatments work at a deeper level to help repair cells, reduce inflammation, and restore energy production, giving the body the boost it needs to start feeling better.
At Hyperbaric Wellness Center, we offer Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Cold Laser Therapy, and AO Scanning—three non-invasive therapies that may help those struggling with chronic fatigue.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): Giving Your Cells the Oxygen They Need
Oxygen is essential for energy, and HBOT helps deliver more of it to the body’s tissues and cells where it’s needed most. This therapy takes place in a special pressurized chamber, where you breathe in concentrated oxygen. The increased pressure allows oxygen to dissolve more easily into the bloodstream, fueling the body’s natural healing process.
For those with CFS, this added oxygen can enhance energy production by supporting the mitochondria—the tiny powerhouses in cells responsible for generating energy. Many people also report that HBOT helps with mental clarity, muscle recovery, and reducing inflammation, all of which play a role in fatigue and overall well-being.
Cold Laser Therapy: A Gentle Way to Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is a major roadblock to recovery for many people with CFS, and Cold Laser Therapy (also called Low-Level Laser Therapy, or LLLT) offers a non-invasive way to stimulate healing and relieve pain. Unlike surgical lasers, this therapy doesn’t generate heat—it works by gently energizing cells, improving circulation, and reducing inflammation at the source.
By helping the body repair itself at the cellular level, Cold Laser Therapy may be beneficial for reducing muscle and joint pain, improving mitochondrial function, and supporting overall energy levels. Because it’s completely non-invasive, it can be a great option for those looking for a gentle yet effective way to encourage healing.
AO Scanning: A New Way to Understand Energy Imbalances
Sometimes, healing starts with understanding what’s really going on beneath the surface. AO Scanning is a biofeedback tool that analyzes the body’s energetic frequencies to detect imbalances that could be contributing to fatigue, stress, and poor recovery.
By scanning the body’s electrical signals, AO technology can offer insights into which systems need support, whether it’s nutrient deficiencies, stress-related imbalances, or areas of inflammation. While it doesn’t diagnose conditions, it provides a clearer picture of what may be affecting energy levels, helping to guide a more personalized recovery plan.
These therapies are just one piece of the puzzle, but for many people, they provide the missing support their body needs to finally start recharging. When combined with good nutrition, better sleep, stress management, and a personalized approach to healing, they can be powerful tools in the journey toward restored energy and well-being.
Moving Forward on Your Healing Journey
Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can feel overwhelming, especially when answers are hard to find. But just because CFS is complex doesn’t mean there’s no path forward. Healing is possible—especially when you start addressing the deeper imbalances that may be draining your energy.
By supporting your body’s natural ability to heal—whether through better nutrition, improved digestion, reducing inflammation, or advanced therapies like HBOT, Cold Laser Therapy, and AO Scanning—you can take meaningful steps toward restoring your energy and reclaiming your life.
No two healing journeys look exactly the same, and progress takes time. But with the right approach, small changes can lead to big improvements. More clarity, less exhaustion, and a greater sense of well-being are within reach.
If you’ve been searching for real answers, know that you’re not alone. There is hope, and there are options to help you move toward lasting wellness.
Ready to learn more about how Functional Medicine can help you understand your chronic fatigue? Schedule a free 30-minute consultation at Hyperbaric Wellness Center today!
Resources
Chaoran, L. I., Yan, Y., Chuwen, F., Heng, L. I., Yuanyuan, Q. U., Yulin, W., Delong, W., Qingyong, W., Jing, G., Tianyu, S., Xiaowei, S., Xue, W., Yunlong, H., Zhongren, S., & Tiansong, Y. (2023). Integrated ’omics analysis for the gut microbiota response to moxibustion in a rat model of chronic fatigue syndrome. PubMed, 43(6), 1176–1189. https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20231018.004
Hyperbaric Wellness Center. (2024a, November 25). Discover the power of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Grand Rapids! https://hyperbaricwellnesscenter.com/hyperbaric-oxygen-chamber-therapy
Hyperbaric Wellness Center. (2024b, December 10). AO scan Technology at Hyperbaric Wellness Center Grand Rapids. https://hyperbaricwellnesscenter.com/services-we-offer/ao-scan
Hyperbaric Wellness Center. (2024c, December 10). Non-Invasive, Drug Free, Pain Relief is Possible with Cold Laser Therapy! https://hyperbaricwellnesscenter.com/services-we-offer/cold-laser-therapy
Sweetman, E., Kleffmann, T., Edgar, C., De Lange, M., Vallings, R., & Tate, W. (2020). A SWATH-MS analysis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome peripheral blood mononuclear cell proteomes reveals mitochondrial dysfunction. Journal of Translational Medicine, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02533-3
Vernon, S. D., Funk, S., Bateman, L., Stoddard, G. J., Hammer, S., Sullivan, K., Bell, J., Abbaszadeh, S., Lipkin, W. I., & Komaroff, A. L. (2022a). Orthostatic challenge causes distinctive symptomatic, hemodynamic and cognitive responses in long COVID and myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome. Frontiers in Medicine, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.917019
