Chronic Fatigue Root Cause Care
Chronic Fatigue Care in Columbia, TN | Serving Nashville & Clients Nationwide
Chronic fatigue is rarely a standalone issue. In our clinical experience, it is often closely connected to mold illness (CIRS), Lyme disease and complex infections, hormone imbalances, immune dysregulation, and metabolic stress. Our approach is designed to identify why energy production has broken down and which underlying systems are involved.
A National Destination for Complex Fatigue, Mold, and Lyme-Related Care
Reviewed by Dr. Martin Hart & Dr. Koji Aoki
Why Chronic Fatigue Becomes Persistent
In clinical practice, Dr. Hart and Dr. Aoki frequently see fatigue persist when the underlying drivers of energy regulation remain unaddressed. Fatigue is rarely caused by a single factor and is more commonly influenced by overlapping stressors, including:
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Chronic immune and inflammatory signaling
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Environmental or biotoxin exposure
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Mitochondrial energy impairment
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Nervous system overstimulation
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Mineral and nutrient depletion
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This layered burden helps explain why individuals with chronic fatigue often feel “stuck” despite multiple prior treatments.
Chronic Fatigue as a Multisystem Condition
Chronic fatigue is commonly misunderstood as a lack of motivation, poor sleep, or stress overload. While stress can contribute, persistent fatigue that does not improve with rest usually reflects disruption across multiple biological systems.
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Many clients describe feeling physically exhausted despite sleeping, mentally foggy despite trying to focus, or unable to tolerate normal levels of activity without significant setbacks. From a functional medicine perspective, these patterns often reflect impaired communication between the immune system, nervous system, endocrine system, and mitochondria, which are the structures responsible for producing cellular energy.
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Rather than asking, “How do we push more energy?” our practitioners ask, “Why is the body unable to generate and sustain energy in the first place?”
The Connection Between Chronic Fatigue, Mold Illness, and Lyme Disease
At Keystone Total Health, chronic fatigue is very often associated with mold-related illness (CIRS), Lyme disease, or other complex infectious or inflammatory patterns. These conditions place a significant burden on the immune system and can disrupt energy production at a cellular level.
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Mold illness may contribute to fatigue through ongoing immune activation, inflammatory signaling, and impaired detoxification capacity. Lyme disease and related infections can affect the nervous system, immune regulation, and mitochondrial function, leading to profound and persistent exhaustion. In many cases, fatigue develops gradually and worsens over time as the body compensates under chronic stress.
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Understanding whether fatigue is being driven by biotoxin exposure, infection, immune dysregulation, or a combination of factors is a critical part of creating an effective care plan.
What Is Chronic Fatigue?
Chronic fatigue is more than feeling tired. It often involves persistent, unrelenting low energy that does not improve with rest and may worsen after physical or mental exertion. Many individuals describe feeling mentally foggy, physically depleted, or unable to sustain normal daily activities.
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From a root-cause functional medicine perspective, chronic fatigue is typically a downstream effect of deeper system dysfunction, such as:
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Impaired cellular energy production
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Chronic immune activation or inflammation
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Hormonal and stress-response dysregulation
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Toxic or biotoxin exposure (including mold)
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Chronic infections such as Lyme disease
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Nutrient and mineral depletion
Rather than treating fatigue as the primary problem, our practitioners focus on identifying what is driving the fatigue.
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​Because these systems are interconnected, chronic fatigue often overlaps with conditions such as Mold Illness (CIRS), Lyme Disease, and Autoimmunity.
Common Symptoms Associated With Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue often presents with a wide range of symptoms that affect multiple body systems.
Energy & Physical Symptoms
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Persistent exhaustion
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Exercise intolerance
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Post-exertional fatigue or “crashes”
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Neurological & Cognitive Symptoms
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Brain fog
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Difficulty concentrating
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Memory challenges
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Sensory sensitivity
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These neurological symptoms frequently overlap with Lyme Disease and chronic inflammatory neurological stress.
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Sleep & Nervous System Symptoms
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Unrefreshing sleep
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Difficulty falling or staying asleep
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Heightened stress response
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Digestive & Metabolic Symptoms
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Appetite changes
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Bloating or digestive discomfort
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Food sensitivities
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Digestive patterns often align with Gut & Digestive Issues and impaired nutrient absorption.
Mold Illness, Lyme Disease, and Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue is one of the most common shared symptoms seen in mold illness and Lyme disease. Dr. Hart and Dr. Aoki often observe fatigue driven by:
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Ongoing inflammatory signaling
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Neuroimmune stress
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Toxic burden and impaired detoxification
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Mitochondrial dysfunction
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This is why evaluating fatigue in isolation often fails to provide lasting clarity.
Why Chronic Fatigue Is Often Missed in Conventional Care
Many individuals seeking care for chronic fatigue have already undergone basic lab testing and have been told results are “normal.” Unfortunately, standard evaluations often do not assess how energy is being produced, regulated, and sustained, nor do they explore the impact of infections, toxins, or long-standing immune stress.
Fatigue may persist when:
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The immune system remains chronically activated
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Hormonal signaling is dysregulated by stress or inflammation
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Nutrient or mineral depletion limits cellular energy production
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Gut dysfunction impairs absorption and detoxification
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Mold exposure or Lyme disease continues to burden the system
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Without addressing these contributors, fatigue often becomes chronic and self-perpetuating.
How We Evaluate Chronic Fatigue at Keystone Total Health
Through the Keystone Root Cause Intensive™, our practitioners take a comprehensive, systems-based approach to understanding fatigue. Rather than relying on a single test or diagnosis, evaluation focuses on identifying patterns of dysfunction across interconnected systems.
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Advanced functional testing may be used when appropriate to assess immune and inflammatory signaling, stress and hormonal regulation, metabolic and mitochondrial function, gut health, detoxification capacity, and contributors related to mold illness or Lyme disease. Testing is always personalized and selected based on each client’s history, symptoms, and goals.
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Results are interpreted by Dr. Martin Hart and Dr. Koji Aoki within the context of the full clinical picture, ensuring findings are integrated thoughtfully rather than viewed in isolation.
A Root-Cause Approach to Restoring Energy
Care for chronic fatigue at Keystone Total Health is not focused on stimulants, quick fixes, or symptom suppression. Instead, recommendations are designed to reduce physiological stress on the body while supporting the systems required for energy production and recovery.
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This may involve addressing immune and inflammatory burden, supporting nervous system regulation, improving hormone signaling, optimizing gut and nutrient function, and reducing the impact of environmental or infectious stressors. Because each client’s physiology is different, care is individualized and adjusted over time as the body responds.
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Our role is not to force the body into performance, but to help remove the obstacles preventing it from functioning as designed.
Who This Approach Is Best Suited For
This approach is often well-suited for individuals who experience persistent fatigue that interferes with daily life, especially when symptoms are complex, unexplained, or associated with mold exposure, Lyme disease, or chronic inflammation. Many of our clients come to us after years of searching for answers and are seeking a practitioner-led, investigative approach rather than another temporary solution.
Persistent fatigue can be complex and multi-factorial, especially when mold illness, Lyme disease, or chronic inflammation are involved. The FAQs below provide clear answers about common causes, evaluation, and how Keystone Total Health supports clients in Tennessee and nationwide.
What is chronic fatigue?
Chronic fatigue refers to persistent low energy that does not improve with rest and interferes with daily functioning.
What causes chronic fatigue?
Fatigue may be influenced by immune stress, inflammation, nervous system dysregulation, hormone imbalance, gut dysfunction, nutrient depletion, or toxic load.
Can mold illness cause chronic fatigue?
Yes. Mold-related illness is a common contributor to persistent fatigue.
Can Lyme disease cause long-term fatigue?
Yes. Lyme-related immune and inflammatory stress may contribute to ongoing fatigue.
Why are standard labs often normal?
Conventional labs may not capture functional patterns affecting energy regulation.
How is chronic fatigue evaluated?
Is chronic fatigue reversible?
Evaluation focuses on identifying system-wide contributors rather than isolated lab values.
Each individual is different. Supporting regulation and reducing stressors may improve resilience and energy over time.
Do clients travel for chronic fatigue care?
Yes. Clients travel from across the U.S. to Keystone Total Health.
Here’s How We’ll Do This Together
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Book Your Keystone Root Cause Analysis™
During your initial one-hour appointment with one of our practitioners, the Keystone Root Cause Analysis™ provides a comprehensive, root-cause evaluation that reviews physical, environmental, and social factors to understand your symptoms and identify personalized next steps.
Chronic Fatigue Care in Columbia, TN
Serving Nashville and Clients Nationwide
Experienced Expertise
Care for chronic fatigue at Keystone Total Health is guided by Dr. Martin Hart and Dr. Koji Aoki, whose clinical work focuses on complex, multisystem conditions. Their collaborative approach ensures fatigue is evaluated in the broader context of immune function, inflammation, infections, hormone balance, gut health, and environmental exposures.
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This level of oversight is especially important for clients whose fatigue is linked to mold illness, Lyme disease, or other complex contributors.
Taking the Next Step
Chronic fatigue looks different for every individual. Our role is to help you understand your unique fatigue pattern and the systems influencing it, then provide structured, personalized guidance based on careful clinical analysis—not assumptions or one-size-fits-all solutions.
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If you are navigating persistent fatigue and are seeking a practitioner-led, root-cause-focused evaluation—especially if mold illness or Lyme disease may be involved—we invite you to schedule a complimentary discovery call.