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According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, one in ten people in the UK, at any given time, experiences chronic fatigue. Fatigue is best described best as ‘feeling tired all the time’ (even if you are regularly getting a good night’s sleep), it may include experiencing debilitating levels of tiredness and other symptoms like sleeplessness, headaches and musculoskeletal pain.

Here, at your local Putney clinic, we may be able to help. Available therapies include acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, talking therapy and cranio-sacral therapy.

It is currently unclear what causes chronic fatigue. It can be difficult to determine as it may result from a number of health disturbances such as food intolerances, stress, poor posture or hormonal imbalance. Some ailments such as anaemia (blood iron deficiency) and problems associated with the thyroid are well-known for causing fatigue, but diabetes and food intolerance can also be at the root of the problem. In addition, it is thought that some viruses such as viral meningitis and Epstein-Barr virus may explain chronic fatigue. Physical tiredness can result from psychological causes as well, such as anxiety or depression. Emotional disturbances can in turn disrupt your sleeping, making it more difficult to get the rest you need.

Our lifestyles are sometimes incompatible with our physical and emotional needs; even looking at a screen long after the sun has set can cause stress to the nervous system and not changing our diets to suit the change in season (moving to warm, hearty foods in autumn, from cold, raw foods in summer, for instance) can add strain to our system.

It is not necessarily unusual to experience fatigue, but this does not mean it is normal.

Conventional approaches to fatigue include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Where the cause of fatigue is evasive, natural health treatment can focus on reducing the symptoms. Acupuncture, for example, is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurotransmitters. Certain acupuncture points have been shown to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, by affecting the brain and can promote relaxation. In relation to fatigue, acupuncture may help to reduce symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, depression and physical pain.

References:

  • British Acupuncture Council. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Available.
  • Free Republic. Computers Put Workers at Risk of Mental Illness. Available.