Candida And The Musculoskeletal System

Most wholistic practitioners agree that a wide range of muscle symptoms are often seen in patients suffering from chronic candidiasis. These symptoms include muscle soreness, tenderness, aching, stiffness, weakness, cramping and rapid fatigue. In particular, the muscles of the upper back, shoulders and neck often become tight and painful. At times, sufferers state that their muscles always feel like they have just finished exercising. It's likely that the muscles may be in a heightened toxic state due to high levels of circulating stress-related hormones and a waste product of yeast cell activity called acetaldehyde.

Candida yeast cells can multiply very quickly and after a prolonged period of growth, the buildup of acetaldehyde toxins can be overwhelming to the body tissues. These toxins are then transformed into ethanol and converted by the liver to alcohol. This depletes the body of magnesium and potassium, two minerals that are absolutely essential for tissue strength and integrity. This depletion, in turn, reduces overall cell energy. As more alcohol is produced, an individual may experience symptoms of being drunk, disorientated, dizzy, or mentally confused. Panic attacks, feelings of anxiety, depression, irritability and headaches are often the results of a Candida yeast overgrowth within the body. Acetaldehyde can also cause excessive fatigue, thereby reducing strength, stamina and clarity of thought. It can destroy the enzymes needed for cell energy and cause the release of free radicals, contributing an acceleration of the aging process.

Dr. Orian Truss (author of Missing Diagnosis) has theorized that acetaldehyde may also interfere with the flexibility of red blood cell membranes. This considerably reduces their ability to make the change from the discoid shape to the fusiform shape necessary for their passage through small capillaries. He has demonstrated that patients with candidiasis have a greatly reduced red blood cell filtration rate through a micropore filter, which increases back to normal after treatment. This may reduce the rate of blood flow to the muscle tissues, impair the delivery of oxygen and nutrients (like glucose and fatty acids) to the tissues, and slow the excretion of metabolic by-products.

Defects similar to those found in red blood cell membranes may also interfere mechanically with the transport of materials through the muscle cell membranes. It is also possible that the various enzyme systems responsible for cell membrane transport are inhibited, making it difficult to keep an optimum intracellular balance of Na, K, Ca, and Mg (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium). Subsequent defects in the ability to provide enough glucose and fatty acids can impact the ability to use these nutrients to produce energy, thereby interfering with normal muscle function.

Arthritis-like pains and even formal diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis are common in patients with candidiasis. Many times treatment of the candidiasis together with dietary changes will result in remarkable improvement in joint pain and swelling.