Fatigue and Chinese Medicine

We all suffer from it at some point in our lives. Some of us more than others. It may be due to that long, hard week at work, or the 3 years you've been in college while working full-time with one more year still ahead of you and you'd really like to be done NOW so you can just sleep fatigue. No matter the cause of your fatigue, you may consider trying acupuncture to give you a little more pep in your day.

Acupuncture can help relieve the components of fatigue : Stress, unproductive sleep and lack of energy.

Acupuncture is a god-send when it comes to reducing stress. There are many acupoints that exist just to serve this purpose! (read Self-acupressure to try some of these at home, or work, or school... where ever you find yourself with a little extra time and need to relax!)

When it comes to improving sleep without the typical side effects associated with medications, Chinese medicine can't be beat! Chinese medicine reminds your body how to sleep efficiently, without the need to force it to sleep using a foreign substance. Acupuncture can help you fall asleep easier, stay asleep and make your sleep productive so that you wake feeling rested and ready to take on your day. All this is achieved without the drowsiness, "drugged feeling" or dependency that can be associated with medications.

As for the last component of fatigue, Chinese medicine is particularly helpful for regaining your energy. We've all worked ourselves too hard and noticed that we just don't feel like the energy is THERE anymore. Chinese Medicine helps your body to refill its stores of energy so that you can do all the things that you want to do in your day - and more!

If you suffer from fatigue, consider Chinese medicine. You might be surprised at how much better you feel, and how quickly that energy can be unlocked!

Wow, I didn't know acupuncture could treat THAT!

Today I've compiled a list of complaints that many people suffer from, but whenever I mention one of them, I hear, "Wow, I had no idea acupuncture could help with [fill in the blank]. I thought acupuncture only worked for pain!"

10.) Eczema - Though acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help with all types of skin conditions, eczema is one of the more common complaints, and one in which people don't tend to find complete relief through standard bio-medicine.

9.) Allergies - So many of us suffer from allergies. No matter what the allergy (pets, dust, mold, foods, chemicals), it's possible for acupuncture and Chinese herbs to remind your body that it doesn't need to over react to such common substances.

8.) Asthma - It's always important to have medications on hand for asthma, but using Chinese medicine may help you to need your rescue inhaler much less frequently.

7.) Depression - Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help balance your system so that your energy can flow smoothly, allowing for your mood to be stabilized.

6.) Weight loss - Though no one thing is the key to weight loss, it is possible for Chinese medicine to help speed the process of weight loss. You'll still need to exercise and eat right (I know, I know, that's no fun!), but if you keep up the good habits, acupuncture can help you see your hard work sooner!

5.) Anxiety - Chinese medicine can help slow the mind and allow you to be able to relax, feel calmer and more at peace.

4.) Sleep Problems - Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help all kinds of sleep problems. You'll fall asleep easier, you'll stay asleep, and you'll wake feeling rested without any of that foggy feeling or drowsiness often associated with sleep medications.

3.) Headaches - Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help with many different types of headaches. If you suffer from muscle tension headaches, your acupuncturist can get your muscles to relax. If you suffer from hormonal headaches (often associated with a certain time in a woman's menstrual cycle), it's possible to help balance your hormones.

2.) Menstrual Complaints - Some common complaints include: a lack of a period, heavy periods, cramping, PMS, infertility or irregular menstruation. Chinese medicine can help with all of these complaints!

1.) Menopausal Symptoms - Menopausal symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable, but conventional treatments often come with risks (some bigger than others!) Chinese medicine can help your body adjust to this natural change and decrease your symptoms!


So, while acupuncture and herbs are GREAT for pain, remember, Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years as a complete health care system!

Why you have to be careful with home herbal remedies

I was pregnant. I was nauseous. I wasn't so nauseous that it would have gone any farther (you know what I mean!), but I was nauseous enough that I was dying for some relief!

I had always heard that ginger was good for morning sickness (and why do they call it that? It's not just in the morning!). I heard this both before going to school to become an acupuncturist and herbalist and while in school. Ginger is the miracle herb for mothers-to-be!

So I went to the store and got myself some really good, natural-ginger ginger ale. That stuff was good! So tasty and it really did help the nausea!

What I didn't think about was the possible consequences of all of my ginger ale guzzling. All of a sudden I was having insomnia! I was physically exhausted, but was absolutely unable to sleep. What the heck?? At first I assumed that it was just another side effect of being pregnant. But later the dots were finally connecting (it actually took a couple weeks to figure out what was going on!).

In Chinese medicine, ginger is a "hot" herb. It has properties that will help warm the body. If you've ever thought about the flavor of ginger, you've probably realized that there is some spice to it that most would call warm, right? Unfortunately, for me at the time, pregnancy will also help warm the body! So what was happening was that I was getting super-heated. You know how it is in the summer when it's super hot and you have trouble sleeping? The same thing was happening to me internally, even though I didn't feel overly warm. As soon as I made the connection between ginger ale and my insomnia, I stopped drinking the ginger ale and was able to sleep again.

Not all herbs are right for all people all the time. Consider if a woman in peri-menopause with hot flashes was to take a "hot" herb - how much more miserable could that make her? It's important to consult with an herbalist prior to starting an herbal remedy. It may be a great choice, or it could lead to unforeseen and uncomfortable, if not dangerous, side-effects.