The Mayo Clinic describes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a “complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that lasts for at least six months and that can’t be fully explained by an underlying medical condition. The fatigue worsens with physical or mental activity but doesn’t improve with rest.” It’s estimated that there are more than 200,000 cases of CFS in the U.S… Let’s discuss how research has proven that acupuncture, combined with other treatments can help to alleviate the symptoms that come with CFS.

There are several factors that can impact the severity of the symptoms of CFS. Let’s take a look at just three symptoms of fatigue and how acupuncture can be effective at dealing with these issues.

Recognizing links between stress and fatigue is common sense. Prolonged stress triggers physical and mental exhaustion, leading to issues like poor decision-making and anxiety, even depression, stemming from chronic fatigue.

Restful sleep is essential for peak performance. Exercise and nutrition support quality sleep, but insufficient rest leaves us depleted. Behavioral changes, like more exercise and balanced diets, promote better sleep.

Fatigue in women often stems from hormonal changes, like during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. Herbal formulas and acupuncture effectively address hormone-related fatigue.

How Acupuncture Can Help

The most basic way that acupuncture begins to address the symptoms of fatigue is to look at the body’s balance of qi, or the life force of energy that flows throughout our bodies. If a person is deficient in qi, that is the primary cause of the fatigue.

Here’s what you can expect if you are looking to acupuncture to help with your fatigue. The first thing we will do is perform a thorough consultation and exam to determine the specific symptoms of fatigue that you are dealing with. We can then determine a course of treatment that might include addressing specific acupuncture points along the body, the use of Chinese herbal formulas in customized forms to address imbalances in your system, or even moxibustion.

And we have plenty of research to share about just how effective acupuncture is at dealing with fatigue. A 2018 study of patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome showed “significant improvement in both physical and mental fatigue among participants who received daily acupuncture over the course of 10 days.”

Acupuncture has also been proven to increase serotonin levels which helps to improve sleep as well as mood. It’s an effective drug-free treatment without the side effects often caused by prescription medications. Another study from 2015 found “chronic fatigue patients who were given acupuncture as a supplement to conventional treatment showed greater improvement over patients who did not receive acupuncture.”

Don’t let chronic fatigue keep you from facing your daily life. Give us a call today so we can help you put a treatment plan together to deal with the triggers causing your chronic fatigue.