The Hidden Healthcare Crisis: Why the General Population Must Learn Self-Treatment Strategies part 1

The Hidden Healthcare Crisis:

Why the General Population Must Learn Self-Treatment Strategies — Part I

From the Author

Abstract

This article examines what I identify as a hidden healthcare crisis: the growing number of individuals experiencing complex, multi-symptom disorders associated with chronic stress, Long COVID, persistent fatigue, cognitive difficulties, brain fog, headaches, sleep disturbances, autonomic dysfunction, and other neurological and physiological symptoms.

Based on more than fifty years of professional experience and observations from my clinical practice, I describe a major change in the patient population during the past five years. Patients who previously presented primarily with isolated musculoskeletal conditions increasingly present with multiple simultaneous symptoms involving several body systems. Based on available data and my clinical observations, I warn of the significant possibility that the general population may face an increasing risk of dementia and other degenerative brain diseases.

The article examines increasing pressure on primary and specialty healthcare, fragmented care, and the potential limitations of treating complex chronic stress-related disorders primarily through symptom management. Particular attention is given to persistent muscular tension, autonomic dysfunction, impaired cerebral perfusion, chronic stress, poor sleep, prolonged inflammation, and possible neuroinflammatory processes as interconnected components of these disorders.

I argue that the scale and persistence of these problems make patient education and active participation in self-care increasingly important. Patients experience physiological and psychological stress every day, while professional treatment may occur only intermittently. A structured self-treatment program may therefore help patients participate in their recovery between professional visits without replacing appropriate medical care.

A Personal Journey That Changed My View of Modern Healthcare

During more than fifty years of practicing and teaching medical and sports massage, I have worked alongside physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals in integrative medical settings. My clinical interests have included spinal disorders, prevention of unnecessary spinal surgery, sciatica, cervical dysfunction, vertebral artery compromise, hypertension associated with cervical pathology, headaches, and numerous neuromusculoskeletal disorders.

Most of my patients were physician-referred and required careful evaluation and individualized treatment.

Instead of primarily seeing patients with isolated orthopedic or musculoskeletal disorders, I began receiving referrals for people experiencing multiple symptoms simultaneously:

• Persistent headaches
• Dizziness
• Brain fog and poor concentration
• Memory impairment
• Chronic fatigue and overwhelming exhaustion
• Sleep disorders
• Anxiety and depression
• Autonomic dysfunction
• Unexplained muscle pain
• Exercise intolerance

The number of these complex patients increased enormously. Many had already consulted primary care physicians, neurologists, cardiologists, psychiatrists, rheumatologists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and other specialists.

Despite extensive diagnostic testing, many continued searching for answers. Treatment methods that had produced reliable outcomes for years also became less predictable, with patients frequently experiencing temporary aggravations or incomplete recovery.

Looking Back Helped Me Understand the Present

Earlier in my career, I worked with Olympic and professional athletes who were constantly exposed to intense physical and psychological stress.

Some developed severe burnout characterized by:

• Exhaustion
• Cognitive decline
• Insomnia
• Autonomic disturbances
• Persistent muscle tension
• Chronic fatigue
• Emotional instability

Their symptoms were remarkably similar to those I was now observing in the general population.

Recognizing this similarity became an important turning point in my clinical thinking. I began modifying treatment protocols I had previously used for severely overtrained athletes, with encouraging clinical responses.

During the last five years, chronic stress-related disorders and Long COVID gradually became the primary focus of my clinical practice. The growing number of these complex patients also motivated me to study not only the situation within the massage therapy field, but the condition of the healthcare system as a whole.

A Healthcare System Under Extraordinary Pressure

As I reviewed healthcare statistics and compared them with my clinical observations, one conclusion became increasingly difficult to ignore: healthcare professionals across virtually every discipline are treating an unprecedented number of patients with chronic, complex, multi-symptom disorders.

Published data indicate:

• Approximately 75–90% of primary-care visits involve stress-related complaints.
• Approximately 17–20 million Americans continue to experience Long COVID.
• More than half of American adults live with multiple chronic medical conditions.
• Demand for psychiatric and psychological care increased substantially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication use remains substantially higher than before the pandemic.
• Large longitudinal studies have reported increased long-term risk of cognitive impairment among many COVID-19 survivors, particularly those with persistent symptoms.

The Primary Care Crisis

Primary care physicians are expected to diagnose and manage an enormous variety of complex disorders while appointment times remain limited and patient complexity continues to increase.

Patients may present several different complaints during one visit, making identification of underlying physiological mechanisms difficult.

Patients are referred from one specialist to another, with each specialist often concentrating on one body system. Yet these patients may simultaneously involve the nervous, immune, endocrine, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and autonomic systems.

This fragmented approach may delay recognition of the broader pathophysiological picture.

Are We Treating Symptoms Instead of Addressing the Underlying Pathophysiology?

One of my greatest concerns is the growing dependence on medication to control symptoms while underlying physiological disturbances may remain unchanged.

Modern medicine has produced extraordinary medications that save countless lives and are indispensable for many serious conditions. However, in multi-symptom disorders, medications may control symptoms without directly reversing all of the pathophysiological processes contributing to chronic stress-related dysfunction.

When persistent muscular tension, autonomic imbalance, impaired cerebral perfusion, physical inactivity, poor sleep, chronic stress, and prolonged inflammation coexist, symptom suppression alone may not fully address the problem because there are currently no medications specifically designed to correct all of these dysfunctions.

Rather, it emphasizes combining appropriate medical care with rehabilitation, patient education, and other non-pharmacological interventions whenever appropriate.

Millions May Be Living With Persistent Neuroinflammation

Neuroinflammation has become central to my clinical thinking. Current research increasingly suggests that inflammation within the nervous system may contribute to persistent neurological symptoms following viral illness, chronic stress, immune dysregulation, and other conditions.

In my clinical opinion, a considerable number of patients with chronic stress-related disorders and Long COVID may experience persistent low-grade neuroinflammatory processes contributing to:

• Brain fog
• Impaired concentration
• Memory problems
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Autonomic dysfunction
• Chronic fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Emotional instability

Whether neuroinflammation is the primary cause or one component of a broader syndrome remains an important question.

Chronic stress-related disorders represent a cascade of multisystem disorders. Brain inflammation can be an early response to chronic stress and prolonged exposure to stress hormones, while persistent neuroinflammation may contribute to brain dysfunction and potentially to the development of dementia and other degenerative brain diseases.

Brain Dysfunction Is Becoming Increasingly Common

I have become increasingly concerned that subtle brain dysfunction affects far more people than most of us realize.

Many individuals continue working despite:

• Poor concentration
• Forgetfulness
• Mental fatigue
• Reduced productivity
• Emotional instability
• Sleep deprivation

These symptoms are often dismissed as normal consequences of stress, but they may indicate that the nervous system has exceeded its adaptive capacity.

Psychiatry Faces Its Own Challenge

Chronic stress-related disorders frequently produce anxiety, depression, irritability, panic attacks, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and emotional dysregulation that can resemble primary psychiatric illnesses.

From my clinical perspective, careful differential evaluation is essential. When psychiatric symptoms develop in association with chronic stress-related disorders, persistent pain, autonomic dysregulation, post-viral syndromes, or Long COVID, potential medical contributors should also be considered alongside psychiatric assessment.

It emphasizes comprehensive interdisciplinary evaluation so that both psychological and physiological factors receive appropriate attention.

Why Self-Treatment Has Become Essential

One conclusion has become increasingly obvious to me: the healthcare system's available approaches and treatments may be insufficient to address the scale and complexity of the clinical phenomenon I have described.

We are facing what can reasonably be described as a global dementia crisis.

Persistent neuroinflammation and cerebrovascular dysfunction are increasingly recognized as important contributors to processes underlying cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses support associations between inflammatory processes and dementia, while maintaining healthy cerebrovascular function and addressing modifiable vascular and inflammatory risk factors are increasingly recognized as important components of comprehensive dementia-risk reduction.

Many chronic conditions require continuous management, yet patients may receive only one or two professional treatments each week while experiencing physiological and psychological stress every day.

Economic Impact of Persistent Chronic Stress-Related Symptoms on Productivity, 2020–2025

Persistent chronic stress-related symptoms can have substantial economic consequences through absenteeism and presenteeism—when employees remain at work but function below their normal cognitive and physical capacity.

Fatigue, sleep disturbances, impaired concentration, memory problems, headaches, dizziness, and emotional instability can interfere with productivity and work performance.

A systematic review reported work impairment ranging from 10% to 70%, depending on the chronic condition studied.

These consequences further demonstrate why prevention, rehabilitation, patient education, and appropriate self-treatment deserve greater attention.

The Principles Behind My Clinical Approach

Throughout my clinical career, I have focused on several objectives:

• Reducing excessive muscular tension
• Improving soft-tissue mobility
• Supporting healthy circulation
• Encouraging normal venous and lymphatic drainage
• Promoting normal cerebrospinal-fluid movement
• Improving oxygen and nutrient delivery
• Supporting autonomic nervous-system regulation
• Encouraging relaxation and restorative sleep

These principles form the foundation of both my professional treatment protocol and the self-care program I developed.

Attention

I personally perform this self-massage protocol at least four times a week. Like millions of people in the post-COVID era, I have also been negatively affected by chronic stress, experiencing sleep disturbances, brain fog, and other problems.

After incorporating this self-massage protocol into my routine, my health has improved. Most importantly, my blood-pressure readings have returned to levels similar to those I had approximately 40 years ago.

It may be difficult to believe, but this is absolutely true. I do not attempt to explain my personal experience—the clinical results are what matter.

Over the past five years, hundreds of cases documented by referring physicians have provided clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of this massage protocol. That is what matters most.

I highly recommend spending 15 minutes watching my presentation on this subject. It will help you understand the pathophysiological processes involved in brain dysfunction associated with chronic stress and the importance of taking action to help yourself.

Watch the presentation on YouTube

References

Livingston G, et al. The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report. The Lancet. 2024.

Shen X-N, et al. Inflammatory markers in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis and systematic review of 170 studies. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 2019;90:590–598.

Heneka MT, et al. Neuroinflammatory fluid biomarkers in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a systematic literature review. Molecular Psychiatry. 2025;30:2783–2798.

Kuring JK, et al. Inflammatory markers associated with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2026;197:26–40.

Rojanasarot S, Bhattacharyya SK, Edwards N. Productivity loss and productivity loss costs to United States employers due to priority conditions: a systematic review. Journal of Medical Economics. 2023;26(1):262–270. doi:10.1080/13696998.2023.2172282.