Antidote to stuck fascia tissue triggering energy drain and joint pain in 9 in 10 women

For Trisch Richardson, 57, every day was a battle against fatigue—until she discovered the surprising culprit and the simple remedies that made all the difference

Honey, I’m not fun to be around tonight,” Trisch Richardson said to her husband during a rare dinner out. Maybe we should have stayed home, I thought to myself. With nine kids, we didn’t have a lot of time for date nights, so sneaking out was special. Yet I was always exhausted—and it was deeper than the tiredness you’d expect from caring for a big family. It was so frustrating. I knew I could be a better wife and mother. My husband was understanding, but he felt bad because he didn’t know how to help me. On this particular night, all I could think about was getting home, putting on my pajamas and going to sleep.

Tired all the time

“That was 10 years ago, when everything felt arduous, whether it was taking a shower or making a decision about where to hang a picture. I felt like I wasn’t doing my part when it came to keeping the household running smoothly, including contributing to the necessary chores.

“When it came to homeschooling my kids, I was able to complete their lessons, but anything extra, like the field trips we had always enjoyed, was out of the question. Even parenting, which was my joy, became emotionally draining. If one of my kids needed to talk through an issue, it was hard to give them advice and support. On my worst days, I’d take two or three naps.

I felt like I was falling apart.

“But it wasn’t just that I was tired. I had brain fog and problems with focus. I could never find the right words, whether I was talking to a friend or plugging in search parameters to look up my symptoms online. Plus, I had muscle pain and weakness, insomnia and trouble losing weight.

“Six years earlier, I’d been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and it was well-controlled. But when the fatigue got really bad, I went to the doctor who diagnosed me. She adjusted my medication, which helped me feel a little better, but the exhaustion and other symptoms still lingered. I went to see my general practitioner, but

I didn’t feel like he understood what I was going through. It was so frustrating to live this way day after day without any answers, but I was determined to get to the bottom of it.”

One-minute QUIZ

A total turnaround

Since I wasn’t getting answers from my doctor, I decided to make an appointment with my midwife, who is also a women’s health practitioner. She suspected I had adrenal fatigue and referred me to a compounding pharmacist she works with. The pharmacist recommended I have a saliva cortisol test, and the results showed I had low levels of cortisol. The pharmacist explained that my adrenal glands were no longer functioning properly—and that I’d probably had adrenal fatigue for years, which was causing my exhaustion.

“My midwife suggested that I do moderate exercise and stay away from high-intensity workouts, which I had little energy for anyway. I did manage to do the low-impact workout T-Tapp (T-Tapp.com) for 15 minutes three times a week. It was the one exercise that didn’t leave me feeling more exhausted. I followed its founder, Theresa Tapp, on Facebook, where she started to talk about fascia, a bodywide band of tissue that connects all of our organs. I learned that when fascia becomes tight and inflamed, it causes muscle pain and creates internal stress that can signal the adrenal glands to work overtime producing cortisol. Eventually, the glands wear out, cortisol production crashes and fatigue sets in. I suspected tight fascia might be the case for me, so I decided to be more consistent with the workouts, which focused on ‘breaking up’ fascia, to heal my adrenal glands.

“I started eating antiinflammatory foods like salads and berries, and I aimed to drink at least eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. I also took baths with Dead Sea salts, which I learned help pull out toxins, another cause of inflammation.

“In less than a week of making the changes, I noticed a huge boost in my energy and stamina, my brain fog lifted, I had less pain and I felt so much happier. I couldn’t believe how such easy changes could make such a big difference in my health and my life. I felt amazing! Since I’m no longer sidelined by fatigue, I’m busy doing activities I love, like spending time with my family and husband. Instead of feeling depleted, I look forward to our dates and our marriage couldn’t be stronger. Recently, we went for a 32-mile bike ride and I had energy to spare!”