Adrenal Fatigue
Over working ourselves is common these days. It is especially true since the pandemic began. People have been suddenly thrown into working from home causing the lines between our restful personal space and professional life to blur. Without the separation of home and work, people are clocked in all hours of the day, becoming more burnt out than ever. Overworking short term will cause fatigue but overwork over a long period of time can cause a deeper sense of exhaustion, exhaustion that does not improve by taking a nap or eating a healthy meal. This exhaustion can be caused by adrenal fatigue.
Our Adrenals Produce Necessary Hormones
Adrenal fatigue occurs over time when our adrenal glands are taxed. The adrenal glands are small organs just above the kidneys. They pump out hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that we need for regulating blood pressure, metabolism, immune responses, blood sugar levels, and more. But if you are in constant “fight or flight” stress mode, these little organs can begin to work improperly. Signs of adrenal fatigue can be: fatigue not relieved by adequate amounts of sleep, salt cravings, and foggy-headedness. If your adrenals are then unable to produce enough cortisol, the medical term is adrenal insufficiency and possible symptoms are chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, weakness in muscles, lack of appetite, weight loss, stomach pains, nausea/vomiting, low blood pressure, diarrhea, increase sensitivity foods, chemicals or other allergies, premature aging, and a tendency to feel cold.
According to Chinese Medicine adrenal fatigue is a combination of deficiencies of Kidney Yin, Kidney Yang, Kidney essence, Qi, and blood and Spleen/Stomach Qi. Basically, your body has worked so hard and has been so stressed out for so long that you have nothing left to give and nothing to fuel your bodily functions. So what can be done to remedy this?
Supporting the Adrenals
Decreasing workload of course, avoiding stressful situations and triggers, getting adequate rest, and eating healthy, unprocessed food will all help. Avoid alcohol, fats, processed food, caffeine, and other stimulants, and make sure your food is packed full of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, iodine, iron, and B vitamins. You can also use some alternative medicine. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas tonify the deficiencies to build the body back up again, regulate the hormones, and increase energy, mental focus, and immunity. Restorative yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises are a few other ways to heal the adrenals. If you are interested in treating adrenal fatigue Chinese medicine may be an option to consider.
Traditional Chinese Medicine seeks to restore balance within the body, mind and environment. Garden Acupuncture uses Whole-Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine (WS-TCM) to restore balance and health not only within individuals, but within our greater Brooklyn, New York community. Through acupuncture, herbs, nutrition and lifestyle support, we empower our clients to understand, improve and maintain holistic health. For more information click here.