Can Acupuncture Help You With Chronic Fatigue?

Do you always feel tired?

And not even just a regular, sleepy feeling, but a bone deep level of exhaustion?

If you’ve been feeling this way for a long time, you may be dealing with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Read on to find out how acupuncture can help you manage the symptoms of chronic fatigue.

What Is Chronic Fatigue?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a disorder characterized by extreme and disabling fatigue.

If you have CFS, you’ll notice that your extreme fatigue gets worse when you exert yourself physically or mentally.

Your fatigue has to last for at least six months to be considered CFS.

Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue

There are many symptoms of chronic fatigue.

Of course, an obvious one is extreme fatigue.

However, there are many other symptoms that you may not think are even connected to CFS.

It’s important to know the symptoms you may have if you’re experiencing CFS.

Some of the symptoms of CFS include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Sore throat
• Muscle pain
• Joint pain
• Memory loss
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and armpits
• Headaches
• Hypersensitivity to even minimal amounts of physical or mental exertion, especially worse the second day after exercising
• Brain fog
• Problems with digestion

As you can see, the symptoms of CFS are varied.

If you experience some or all of these symptoms, you may be experiencing CFS.

What Causes Chronic Fatigue?

The exact cause of chronic fatigue is unknown.

However, scientists have some theories.

It is possible that people might be born with a predisposition for it.

There’s also the possibility that chronic fatigue is triggered by other health problems.

Viral infections, hormonal imbalances, and immune system problems are theorized triggers for chronic fatigue.

Certain nutrient deficiencies have also been linked to CFS.

These include vitamins and nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Chronic fatigue is also sometimes associated with certain health conditions, like hypothyroidism, lupus, or fibromyalgia.

Unfortunately, mainstream medicine doesn’t always recognize chronic fatigue syndrome.

If you’re struggling to receive a diagnosis for CFS, you might have experienced doctors trying to tell you it’s “all in your head”.

This is a common problem for people who experience CFS.

Thankfully, this attitude has been slowly changing.

In fact, the Canadian government has begun providing funding for research into CFS.

Hopefully, this signals that more change and understanding is on its way.

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a complementary medical procedure that’s used as a treatment to alleviate pain as well as other health conditions.

It was developed millennia ago in China and is still widely practised today.

When you receive acupuncture treatment, your practitioner will apply tiny, thin needles to different points on your body.

But what does this actually have to do with alleviating pain?

Let’s find out more.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Although acupuncture has been around for millennia, we don’t know exactly why it works.

However, we do have some theories.

One theory is that acupuncture stimulates nerves at the point in the body where the needles are applied.

In response to these nerves being stimulated, your brain releases hormones through your pituitary gland.

This includes beta-endorphins.

Endorphins cause you to feel euphoria.

In turn, this euphoria makes your pain tolerance increase.

Another theory is that acupuncture reduces proteins present in your body that cause inflammation and pain.

For example, there is an acupuncture point just below the knee that is thought to decrease inflammation throughout your whole body.

How Can Acupuncture Help With Chronic Fatigue?

The short answer is that acupuncture can help reduce your chronic fatigue symptoms.

Don’t just take my word for it, though.

Many studies have shown acupuncture can be a safe and effective complementary treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.

One study, published in 2018 by the Healthcare Medicine Institute, examined 133 different patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

This study wanted to test if acupuncture truly helped chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms.

The researchers divided the participants into three groups.

Each group was given a different type of treatment.

The first group received traditional acupuncture.

The second group received something called warm needle acupuncture.

Warm needle acupuncture is a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion, using a heated needle.

Finally, the last group received sham acupuncture.

This means that they thought they were getting real acupuncture, but the acupuncture they were receiving was not targeting proper acupuncture points in the body.

The study found that its participants who received legitimate acupuncture experienced less physical, mental, and general fatigue than the sham acupuncture group.

This was true for both the traditional acupuncture group and the warm needle acupuncture group.

What this study shows is that acupuncture is an effective treatment for CFS, even if we aren’t exactly sure how it works.

And this isn’t the only study that shows these findings.

This study, from 2015 in the journal Trials, supports this conclusion.

Another study, this one from 2018 in the journal Supportive Care In Cancer, examined ten different randomized controlled trials of acupuncture treatment on cancer patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome.

This study involved over 1300 patients.

It found that acupuncture had a significant effect on relieving cancer related chronic fatigue.

You’re probably starting to get the picture by now.

The research on CFS and acupuncture all points towards acupuncture being a highly effective treatment.

If you’re worried about the side effects of acupuncture, you don’t need to be.

Any side effects from acupuncture are rare.

They are also typically mild.

Most people who experience side effects from acupuncture report some minor bruising, bleeding, or aching.

Acupuncture might also sound daunting if you’re scared of needles.

But you don’t need to worry.

The needles used in acupuncture are so small, most people say they don’t hurt.

It’s nothing like the kind of needle that gives you a vaccination or takes blood.

As a result, acupuncture has become a popular treatment option for those dealing with chronic fatigue.

Book Your Appointment With Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, Today

Have you been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome?

Or, did you read the above list of symptoms and find they hit just a little too close to home?

Have you always been curious about acupuncture and how it might be able to help you address your health concerns?

If so, let’s talk.

Book a naturopathic assessment appointment with me, Dr. Sheila, today.

We’ll sit down and chat about your current health concerns.

I’ll work to uncover the root cause behind these concerns, and from there we’ll build a treatment plan designed to address your concerns.

This treatment plan may include acupuncture, as well as nutritional counselling and other naturopathic treatment methods.

Book your appointment with me, Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, today.