Understanding Your Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue can be accompanied by symptoms like brain fog, difficulty concentrating, lower mood, and sometimes things like chronic pain, gut issues, lower immune system, and anything else.
There can be multiple triggers or contributing factors, such as:
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Post viral
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After trauma (physical and/or psychological)
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Depression and anxiety
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Burnout
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Auto-immune conditions
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Gut imbalances
Whatever started it, once the chronic fatigue cycle has kicked in, it can be hard to break out of it by yourself. Mainstream treatment options can be limited to attempting to address the psychological components through medication and/or therapy. While this can be a valid approach and helpful for certain people, others will still feel stuck, tired and frustrated.
If you're ready to try acupuncture to help with your chronic fatigue, you can book your initial consultation below, or reach out with any questions you might have.
How do we use acupuncture for chronic fatigue?
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Restoring Balance
In Chinese medicine we have Yin Yang theory. Each day of our life has day and night, so there should be an expansion, activity and engagement with the world, that is balanced with a returning to root, resting and recharging the self. When there is chronic fatigue, we are restricted in our expansion and active phase, while simultaneously being impaired in the quality of our recharging phase.
It’s as if your body is like a phone on low battery, in a power saving mode that restricts all of your normal phone functionality. Your charging cable is then frayed and can only charge intermittently and very slowly so that even after keeping your phone plugged in for a long time, you’re only able to use it for a bit before returning it to charge.
Your acupuncturist’s job is to figure out how to help your body restore its natural ability to effectively recharge, and then to take the brakes off to help you start re-engaging more fully with the world. To do this we need to treat you as a whole person. Your life is unique, so we’ll need to take into account your unique history, internal imbalances, quality of digestion, sleep, diet and lifestyle, stress, pain and tension in the body, and whatever else comes up.
If you would like to find out more about the different acupuncture techniques we specialise in, you can check out our dedicated acupuncture page.
At Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Junction Sydney, we use acupuncture for chronic fatigue tailored specifically to you. Typically if it’s going to be helpful for you, we will know very early on within the first 4-6 treatments (often earlier). That doesn’t mean that you will be bursting with energy within that time as chronic issues can take some time to work with, but you should feel some early signs of improvement from the acupuncture if it’s going to help.
Once we know how you’re responding to the acupuncture, we’ll then work out a treatment plan for you. The ultimate goal would be to get you to a place where you don’t need acupuncture anymore, or it’s just something you do for maintenance.
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Tailored Treatment for Each Individual
Chinese herbal medicine may also be a useful adjunct when working with chronic fatigue as it helps to keep the treatment going each day. It’s the same idea as acupuncture, we use it for a period to help address certain imbalances, but as you improve, we aim to get to a point where it’s no longer necessary. If it’s something that we feel will help you along, we’ll discuss it as part of the treatment plan.
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Chinese Herbal Medicine
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to find out is to try for yourself. Treatments are highly individualised according to your body and the underlying patterns of imbalance. There are studies that show acupuncture may reduce fatigue severity and improve response rates compared to sham treatments or herbal medicine alone, though more research is required for stronger evidence. See here.
In the clinic I use a blend of traditional and modern techniques to best meet my clients needs. Depending on what we’re working on together, I may use any combination of traditional acupuncture, trigger point needling (or dry needling), motor point acupuncture, electroacupuncture, moxibustion (moxa), cupping, gua sha and acupressure release.
While individual responses vary, research protocols often include 8 to 12 weekly sessions. This is a good place to start for a chronic condition and we expect to see signs of improvement within that time. To experience the full benefits, longer courses of treatment are often recommended, but only when we can that you’re responding well.
When administered by a qualified practitioner using sterile, single-use needles, acupuncture has a strong safety profile and few reported adverse effects. For chronic fatigue, it’s important to know that there are many different styles and approaches to acupuncture, some of which may be too strong and draining for you. It is crucial your practitioner knows how to adjust according to what is right for your body.
It will depend on the cause of your fatigue. In Chinese medicine there are many possible causes that need to be assessed. Essentially there are two main categories of causes of chronic fatigue - issues of excess that block and stagnate the body leading to inefficiency within the body, and issues of deficiency or lack of vital substances required for optimal functioning. Sometimes it’s both. Your treatments will be tailored to you and what your body needs.
This comes down to a case by case basis. Herbs can certainly be useful, especially for chronic conditions, providing a form of daily treatment to help boost effects. Personalised recommendations will be made for you.
Visit Our Clinic
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LOCATION ADDRESS
2/15 Bronte Rd,
Bondi Junction NSW 2022
Located across the road from Westfield Shopping Centre
OPENING HOURS
MON: 9:00am - 6:30pm
TUE: Closed
WED: Closed
THU: 9:00am - 6:30pm
FRI: 8:00am - 1:30pm
SAT: Closed
SUN: Closed
Professionally Certified Acupuncture For Chronic Fatigue in Bondi Junction, Sydney
Meet Your Acupuncturist
Hi, I'm Gavin from Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Junction, Sydney.
Chronic fatigue is so much more than just feeling tired. You’re exhausted all the time and even a small amount of activity has you out of action for hours afterwards. It feels like no matter how much sleep or rest you get, it’s never enough.
If you would like to try acupuncture for your chronic fatigue in Sydney, then reach out below and book your initial consultation.
Gavin Martin-Rentz
Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Acupuncturist