Many of my patients inquired about the adrenal fatigue concept and it has been discussed a lot recently so here is a short explanation:
Adrenal fatigue in functional medicine is different from the Addison’s disease recognized by the conventional medicine not only from a testing perspective but also in terms of treatment and goals of care.
When your adrenal glands are overworked or dysfunctional, a condition known as adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion sets in, which in turn can set a cascade of disease processes into motion. One of the most common signs of adrenal burnout is feeling chronically fatigued.
The 4 most common reasons for adrenal fatigue and dysfunction are intense emotional stress, poor diet, chronic inflammation, and underactive thyroid.
The Kalish Method normalizes dysfunctional adrenals and restores normal adrenal function. It involves nutrition changes, supplements, and stress reduction. Healing the adrenals will have a great effect on the rest of the body including the thyroid.
The adrenal protocol calls sometimes for carefully replacing just a small portion of the exact level of the missing adrenal hormones which stimulates your body to begin producing it more naturally.
In May 2016 a research study published by two Mayo Clinic researchers confirmed the efficacy of the Kalish Method showing significant improvements in GI health and quality of life in the study participants. The study was based on Dr. Kalish’s model of Functional Medicine based on 25 years of successful clinical results. Graduates of The Kalish Institute include practitioners ranging from Dr. Mercola’s medical staff to Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic physicians.
A research team, including Daniel J. Kalish, founder of the Kalish Institute and Susanne M. Cutshall and Larry R. Bergstrom, currently practicing at Mayo Clinic, proudly release a study around functional medicine. The study shows a variety of stress, fatigue, and quality of life measures can be improved through functional medicine, a growing field utilizing lab-based supplement programs, including lifestyle and nutritional counseling.
The 28-week study assessed the effectiveness of a specific functional medicine approach for improving stress, energy, fatigue, digestive issues and quality of life in middle-aged women exposed to high-stress work environments. This method, known as the Kalish Method and taught exclusively through the Kalish Institute, provides a systems approach to chronic illness addressing the “whole person” rather than an isolated set of symptoms and restoring three key body systems: hormones, digestion, 
and detoxification.
The study, which was completed in April 2015, has been published in the May 2016 issue of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
Happy reading!
