Symptom Management by Addressing Root Causes

When symptoms like pain, dizziness, headaches, brain fog, or muscle weakness arise, they often feel like unwelcome intrusions. Yet, these sensations are more than challenges that impact how you feel; they are signals—ways the body communicates that something needs attention. Learning how to listen to these signals, and using them to understand and address the root causes of these symptoms, supports lasting symptom management and recovery, especially when coping with Long COVID or other post-infection conditions.

Viewing symptoms as helpful tools the brain uses to communicate with us and to protect the body can be a game changer. For example, the brain may generate sensations like fatigue or foggy thinking to slow us down, conserving and diverting energy to support vital processes. Think about how your brain reacts to toxins, like excessive alcohol—thinking becomes slow, coordination is impacted, and sometimes the body rejects the alcohol in the system. This reaction helps you stay safe, clear toxins, and restore functionality.

Similarly, pain or inflammation are signals that the body is working to repair damage or fend off threats, such as viruses or bacteria. With Long COVID, the body does not complete its typical repair cycle and distress signals continue long after the initial illness. 

While it’s natural to seek relief from discomfort, suppressing symptoms without addressing their underlying causes can hinder true recovery. Take inflammation as an example: it’s a natural immune response to injury or infection. Relying solely on anti-inflammatory medications may temporarily reduce inflammation but doesn’t address why the immune system is activated. The body doesn’t create inflammation without an underlying trigger. Suppressing inflammation without addressing its root cause risks allowing the issue to persist or even worsen. Finding and resolving these underlying triggers is key to long-term solutions that let you feel better in ways that don’t cause unwanted side effects.

During illness, the immune system prioritizes fighting invaders, redirecting energy from other systems like the metabolism or cognitive processes. This redistribution often leads to symptoms like weakness, fatigue, or brain fog. An immune response to a viral infection typically lasts 7–10 days during the acute phase. Recovery, during which inflammation resolves and the body normalizes, can extend to 14–21 days. For some infections, recovery may take up to six weeks, especially if the immune system needs extra time to resolve inflammation and repair tissues. Prolonged immune responses beyond this period may signal chronic immune activation or other unresolved issues.

For Long COVID and other post-infection conditions, symptoms persisting beyond the typical recovery time frame suggest ongoing immune system activity. Since Long COVID symptoms often affect multiple systems, the underlying causes are complex and interwoven. The body’s reaction to a COVID infection could have been heightened by other unresolved infections, environmental triggers, nutrient deficiencies, nervous system dysregulation, or other stressors. 

Integrative Approaches to Symptom Management

Rather than focusing solely on symptom suppression, we at ThriveNinety have worked with our clients and drawn on evidence to develop the PEDAL™ approach, a multi-system strategy that addresses root causes while supporting the body’s natural healing mechanisms:

• Pacing and Energy Management (P – Pacing)
  For individuals with Long COVID, fatigue and post-exertional malaise (PEM) are common symptoms. Pacing is essential for managing these, and pacing involves much more than just rest. Effective pacing includes a range of techniques to balance activity and recovery, prevent overexertion, reduce exposure to stressors and build resilience over time. At ThriveNinety, we cover these strategies in detail through our Pacing Essentials program.
• Movement (E – Exercise/Activity)
  Movement supports physical and autonomic functions, mental health, and overall recovery. We know that many in the Long COVID community are wary about exercise, especially those who experience PEM. Our experience shows that the right level of activity, that aligns with your stage of recovery, can be transformative. At the outset this activity may be extremely limited, but paired with other elements of PEDAL physical resilience and ability improves over time.  
• Reduce Inflammation with Nutrition (D – Diet)
  Optimal nutrition is critical for immune function and overall health. Deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, or essential fatty acids can impair the body’s ability to resolve inflammation and repair tissues. Incorporating nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods and targeted supplements provides essential building blocks for recovery.
• Regulate the Nervous System (A – Align the Nervous System)
  Chronic symptoms often signal an overactive stress response. Techniques such as deep breathing, eye exercises, and specific movement practices can calm the nervous system, creating a sense of safety in the body and reducing symptom intensity.
• Connective Tissue Health (L – Loosen)
  Healthy connective tissue is vital for circulation, lymphatic drainage, body alignment, and strength. Gentle activities targeting connective tissues improve flexibility and body function without triggering symptom flare-ups, promoting mental relaxation and effective recovery.

Addressing ongoing immune activation involves investigating and resolving potential triggers, such as lingering infections, gut health issues, environmental toxins, or chronic stress.

Symptom Relief vs. Long-Term Solutions

Pharmaceuticals and symptom-relief strategies have their place, particularly during acute discomfort. However, they should be part of a broader plan that addresses the root causes. For example, headaches are rarely caused by an aspirin deficiency. Instead, they may result from dehydration, muscle tension, toxin exposure or hormonal imbalances. By addressing these root causes, the need for ongoing symptom relief will decrease over time.

Integrative approaches to symptom management create a foundation for long-term health. By addressing root causes, supporting the body’s natural functions, and fostering a safe, nurturing environment for healing, we can move beyond symptom suppression toward lasting recovery. Part of this journey is embracing the mindset that symptoms are not your adversary; they are messengers. By listening to their messages and using those signals to address the root causes of symptoms, we can support our bodies in finding balance and thriving once again.

Warmly,
Katie & Andrea