mups: medically unexplained physical symptoms

Just the other day I wrote a post on MYSTERY PAIN, calling it yet another of medicine’s “dirty little secrets“.   Strange as it may seem, this was validated while at a weekend seminar on WHOLE FOOD NUTRITION and the ENDOCRINE SYSTEM.   Stupid me; I found out that the medical community actually has a name for this phenomenon —- MUPS (Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms).  How common are these “mystery” symptoms that leave doctors scratching their heads?  More common than you would have ever dreamed possible! 

It seems that depending on whose study you choose to believe, as great as 66% of doctor visits involve MUPS.  After spending some time researching this topic, I would guess that the average is around 40%.  If this is true (and if the second quote at the top of the page is to be believed), this statistic is rather shocking.   It literally begs the question of how these “Mystery Patients” are dealt with medically?  I can assure you that in the majority of cases of MUPS, the underlying cause(s) of their problem(s) are not being addressed in the least.  But before we talk about treatment, lets take a look at just a few of the more common problems frequently associated with MUPS.  I created my list in no particular order.  Some of the things on the list are my own, but most are from a mish-mash of “official” lists.

• ADRENAL FATIGUE / FIBROMYALGIA:  No surprise here.  HERE is my page on this topic.  Be aware that while they are telling us that this problem does not really exist, the drug companies are working on Adrenal Fatigue hot and heavy.  When they create a drug for this problem, rest assured that we will go from a situation where no one has ever heard of Adrenal Fatigue, to the fact that everyone has it — get your medicine today!

• IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME:  This is a known AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE (HERE) that continues to baffle most physicians.

• LEAKY GUT SYNDROME: Although much (if not most) of the medical community denies the very existence of this problem, there are over 10,000 peer-reviewed studies on the topic.  The only thing is, they use the medical term for this problem; “Increased Intestinal Permeability” (HERE).

• EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS AND / OR XENOHORMONES:  This is A BIGGIE that you had better understand if you are a female who is hoping to avoid FEMALE CANCERS.

• ADHESION OF THE FASCIA:  HERE is our world-famous Fascia Page.  HERE are some of the various fascia-related health issues we commonly see in our office.  Not all of these are baffling, but many are.

• PELVIC PAIN:  Some of these are of a known commodity (HERE), many aren’t.

• MANY CASES OF BACK OR NECK PAIN:  CHRONIC NECK AND / OR BACK PAIN is frequently associated with injured or scarred Fascia.

• MANY CASES OF HEADACHES:   Many CHRONIC HEADACHE cases are related to Fascia.  However, many are related to OTHER THINGS as well.

• CERTAIN BRAIN-BASED CASES OF AUTOIMMUNITY: This is particularly true in those who have been unfortunate enough to suffer some sort of HEAD INJURY.

• MANY OF THE SYMPTOMS OF SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE: SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE is a rampant problem here in America.  If you are not sure what it is, click the link to find out.

• GLUTEN SENSITIVITY:  (HERE) is a link showing the neurological problems associated with GLUTEN SENSITIVITY, as well as the fact that this problem is largely off the medical community’s radar.

• CHEST / RIB PAIN:  A common problem that has the potential to be debilitating (HERE).

• CHRONIC SKULL OR FACE PAIN: According to research I found for the other day’s post on “Mystery Pain”, THIS CATEGORY accounts for four percent of the 100,000,000 Americans who deal with some degree of CHRONIC PAIN.

• GENERALIZED CHRONIC PAIN:  (THIS and THIS) provide some valid explanations for some of these sorts of problems.  However, they are not the only things that can cause this problem — not by a long shot.

• SUB-CLINICAL HYPOTHYROID:   According to some of the most current stats, as many as one in ten Americans are dealing with some degree of thyroid problem — 90% of it Autoimmune (HERE).
• GENERALIZED GUT ISSUES:  Once you realize that 80% of your entire immune system is found in the Gut (HERE), you begin to understand just how important Gut Health is for overall health (HERE).
• OTHERS: Believe me when I tell you that there are lots and lots more. 

As you might imagine, most of these problems are thought to have some sort of “psychiatric component”, with the most common being Depression.  Furthermore, people suffering with these sorts of problems are all too often associated with something called “Somatization” or “Pscycho-somatic Illness” (the it’s-all-in-your-head thing).  While some people with unexplained symptoms would definitely fall into this category, the sheer numbers of people with MUPS tell us this cannot possibly be the case.  Either way you slice it, the number one way the medical community deals with these problems is to prescribe a class of drug that has been exposed as a massive and even dangerous fraud — ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.

Now we can begin to see why DEPRESSION is such big business in the United States.   Anti-depression meds are not only one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in America, they are one of the most lucrative as well, with 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 12 taking them.  And another of those dirty little secrets that your doctor failed to let you in on is just how TERRIBLE this class of drug really is for you.

So; how would I suggest that you help yourself if you are one of the 40% who find yourself in a situation where you are dealing with MUPS?  Rather than re-creating an entire list for you, I am going to give you SEVERAL LINKS to look at.  Bottom line, you are going to need to step outside “the box” to find solution(s) to the underlying problems causing the list of MUPS above.  But if you are interested in doing something to stop the tide, at least take a look at THESE POSTS. 

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