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Adrenal Fatigue Context

Meaning

The Adrenal Fatigue Context refers to the non-Addisonian state where prolonged exposure to stressors, whether psychological or physiological, leads to a constellation of nonspecific symptoms such as persistent fatigue, body aches, and sleep disturbances. This is a controversial term in conventional endocrinology, often used in functional medicine to describe a suboptimal, yet clinically non-pathological, function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Clinically, it represents a spectrum of HPA axis dysregulation rather than a definitive adrenal gland failure. We recognize the profound impact these symptoms have on a patient’s quality of life and functional capacity.