Fatigue

Fatigue comes in many forms, and has many causes. Severe debilitating fatigue should be reviewed by a medical doctor to rule out the more serious causes. Other causes of fatigue include obesity, sleep disorders, adrenal malfunction, blood sugar imbalances, hormonal imbalances, digestive system disorders, improper diet, food allergies, latent viruses (chronic fatigue, Esptein Barr) and the list goes on and on.
The most important factor in treating fatigue is determining the imbalance in the body that is the primary cause, and using acupuncture, nutrition, hormone profiling, or supplementation to correct it.

General lifestyle tips for beating simple fatigue include obtaining adequate rest (this is an obvious one, but most people do not get the necessary 7 hours of sleep per night), balance stress, exercise moderately, eat a healthy balanced diet, and maintain a healthy weight. If making these changes does not improve your lack of energy, additional help from acupuncture and natural medicine may be necessary. Try to map out your fatigue, notice if it comes on at a certain time every day. If energy improves after 3 p.m. with difficulty falling asleep, the adrenal glands may be imbalanced. If fatigue occurs after meals, a digestive disorder or food allergy could be implicated. If fatigue is constant and unrelenting, a chronic virus or hormonal imbalance may be at fault.

Research has shown acupuncture to be effective for chronic fatigue, (some studies showing 92% effectiveness rate), cancer chemotherapy related fatigue, fibromyalgia related fatigue, and adrenal dysregulation. Your fatigue will be address by evaluating your complete health history, determining the cause of fatigue, and developing a customized treatment plan to address your specific imbalances and constitution.

[1] Pilkington K, Kirkwood G, Rampes H, Cummings M, Richardson J. Acupuncture for anxiety and anxiety disorders--a systematic literature review. Acupunct Med. 2007 Jun;25(1-2):1-10

[2] D. Warren Spence, M.A., Leonid Kayumov, Ph.D., DABSM, Adam Chen, Ph.D., Alan Lowe, M.D., Umesh Jain, M.D., Martin A. Katzman, M.D., Jianhua Shen, M.D., Boris Perelman, Ph.D. and Colin M. Shapiro, MBBCh, Ph.D., FRCP(C) Acupuncture Increases Nocturnal Melatonin Secretion and Reduces Insomnia and Anxiety: A Preliminary Report. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 16:19-28, February 200