Energy

Finding Vitality

We’ve all experienced low energy from time to time. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep last night or you’ve been burning the candle at both ends?

It’s a normal response to be a bit tired and often a good night’s sleep or a relaxing weekend reset will solve the issue. But what do you do when that doesn’t work?

Low energy, fatigue or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a feeling of tiredness or lack of energy, that ultimately interferes with motivation and overall happiness. When the fatigue becomes chronic, patients also struggle with insomnia, worry, motivation, sadness, depression or even irritability.

How can Chinese Medicine Help with Fatigue?

Chinese medicine is essentially an energy balance medicine. Our goal is to balance Qi (Energy) and Blood, Yin and Yang and through that treat deficiency and excess, flow and stagnation. There is no right or wrong, the intention is simply to restore balance and align the body.

After a thorough intake, including questions around energy level, sleep hygiene, digestive health, eating habits, level of happiness and uncovering any pain related issues, the practitioner will then perform some diagnostics, paying special attention to the presentation of your tongue and feel of your pulse. With a Chinese medicine diagnosis, a treatment plan starts to take shape including acupuncture points, a Chinese herbal prescription and lifestyle recommendations.

No two patients are alike in Chinese medicine, but uniqueness aside, some common diagnoses for an issue around fatigue might be Spleen Qi (Energy) deficiency or Yang deficiency or even Liver Qi (Energy) stagnation or perhaps all three. These essentially mean that there is too little energy or heat, or that some of the energy is being stuck. All cause less circulation which inhibits the brain, organs and muscles to fed this essence or valuable energy. Hence, fatigue ensues.

Acupuncture is also a master at balancing hormones and regulating neurotransmitters, like serotonin, melatonin, and cortisol. This is extremely valuable for a number of reasons. If a patient’s melatonin is too low and cortisol, the stress hormone, is too high at night, this disrupts their sleep/ wake cycle and will cause restless, sleepless nights, which in turn will cause fatigue in the day. An altered cycle doesn’t allow the body to truly rest and recover.

Many studies have shown that acupuncture can lower cortisol levels successfully, one Korean study found that acupuncture reduced cortisol levels by up to 30%. High cortisol doesn’t just interfere with sleep, but also emotional wellness, patients that have higher cortisol seem to experience a constant underlying anxiety or worry. If you are curious about what your cortisol levels or circadian rhythm looks like, we offer saliva testing for a clear snapshot.