A 28-year-old woman came to our clinic complaining of debilitating fatigue. In addition, she had chronic stomach pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation. Her stress was high due to constantly feeling so poorly, and she had difficulty falling asleep. This fatigue acupuncture case study discusses her Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment plan, which led to increased energy and better overall health.
Understanding Fatigue
Fatigue, from a Chinese medicine perspective, always involves digestive problems. If your stomach is weak, then it cannot properly digest the food you eat and will not be able to transform the food into energy. So most fatigue treatments involve strengthening the digestive system.
Our patient had classic symptoms associated with poor digestion – stomach pain, bloating, nausea, and bowel irregularity. However, we told her during the intake exam that she would not only have more energy after acupuncture, but her digestive problems would also significantly improve.
Poor sleep is also common among people struggling with fatigue. First, difficulty falling asleep can lead to a lack of sleep, directly tying into feeling tired during the day. Second, it is common for people with weak digestion to have difficulty sleeping.
Weak digestion leads to both qi deficiency (lack of energy) and blood deficiency (insufficient blood). If your stomach is not digesting properly, it cannot generate sufficient blood. And blood deficiency is the primary reason people have difficulty falling asleep.
Fatigue Acupuncture Case Study
Our patient’s tongue was pale, swollen, with scalloped edges, and her pulse was thin and wiry. This information, along with her other symptoms, confirmed that her Chinese medicine diagnosis was Spleen Qi & Blood deficiency, with Liver Qi Stagnation. Her treatment plan included the following acupoints: ST36, SP3, CV12, CV6, ST25, PC6, and LV3.
We treated her once a week. After the first two treatments, she reported feeling about 20 percent more energy. She also experienced less bloating pain and nausea. However, her bowel function was the same, tending toward constipation.
After her fourth treatment, our patient was feeling 40 percent more energy. She was able to get to the gym and do a small workout, something that had eluded her for months. We warned her to take it slow – she didn’t want to push too hard and overdo it. Slow and steady is the game in recovery from fatigue.
Restoring Balance – Restoring Health
This fatigue acupuncture case study demonstrates a classic example of how restoring balance to the body’s organs leads to improved health and quality of life. Following the eighth treatment, our patient felt like her old self again. Her energy was 80 percent restored, she had no stomach and bloating pain, no nausea, and her bowel function was significantly improved.
In addition, she was sleeping better than she had in years, and her stress levels were nothing compared to before she started acupuncture. Furthermore, she was a regular at the gym again and, with each passing week, felt stronger with better stamina. Moreover, she had started attending a boot camp class, which seemed impossible just a few months earlier.
The Key To Healing
The key to our patient’s healing and overcoming fatigue was addressing her weak digestive system (Spleen Qi deficiency). As her stomach healed, her body converted the food she ate into energy, which gave her the resources she needed to engage fully in life again.
Secondarily, the treatments reduced her stress by smoothing her Liver Qi. We could not take her stress away, but promoting Qi circulation prevents stress from lodging in her body. In her case, the stress in the body overacted on her stomach, damaging her digestive system: less stress, less damage, more energy.
Next Steps
If you or a loved one struggles with fatigue, try acupuncture. Treatments are safe – all needles are sterile and single-use. And they are relaxing – our patient in this fatigue acupuncture case study fell asleep during all of her sessions.
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What our Clients are Saying
About six months ago I starting getting debilitating fatigue, to the point where I could not exercise and had to drag myself through the day at work. The doctors said it must be stress, because there was nothing wrong with me. But when I went to Raleigh Acupuncture, they said that my digestion was weak. They said I was not getting proper energy from the food I was eating, so they treated my digestive system. I was amazed to see my energy increase after the treatments. Within 10 treatments I was back to my old self, exercising again and working through the day no problem. And as a side benefit, I started losing weight. They said this was related to my improved digestive function. Now my friends want to go because they see my energy back and see me losing weight!
I am a long term patient of Raleigh Acupuncture. Prior to being under their care, I was disabled with terrible fatigue and pain all over my body. I was unable to drive, could only walk less than a block, and had numerous symptoms that mystified doctors. After countless lab work, x-rays, and MRI’s, several doctors including my primary physician told me that there was nothing that could be done. According to them, it was either an illness that was undiagnosable or it was all in my head. When I came to Raleigh Acupuncture, it was a breath of fresh air. They took me very seriously and were not mystified by my condition. They assured me that my condition was treatable and manageable. They treat me with respect, dignity and care; something that I didn’t receive at my primary care doctor. Thanks to their treatments I am now living a normal life. They have restored my health and taught me how to manage my condition. My family and friends can’t believe how much improvement I have made. My son is grateful to have his mommy back! And I am eternally grateful to Raleigh Acupuncture! They truly have the gift of healing!
I still am forever in your debt for helping me through the Lymes recovery. My body pain and fatigue were overwhelming before getting acupuncture. I still tell everyone today that I am 100% positive that my recovery was a direct result of your expert care. Truly. I have very little residual effects from the disease that I can easily live with. So again,thank you not only for your amazing skills, but for the compassion and kindness that you showed me during that time.