Feeling Tired and Rundown? Increase Your Energy Level Naturally with Acupuncture

If you've been feeling sluggish since the weather's gotten colder, you may benefit from a few sessions with an acupuncturist. The ancient Asian medical therapy is often recommended for aches and pain and other symptoms but can also help you feel more energetic.

Why Am I So Tired?

The Chinese practitioners who invented acupuncture believed that issues with kidney Qi were to blame for winter lethargy. Qi is the lifeforce that flows through your body, keeping your mind and body healthy. Normally, your kidneys stockpile extra Qi and release it when needed.

Unfortunately, the winter months place greater demands on your body, causing you to use that extra Qi more quickly. With no extra Qi in reserve, you may feel tired and listless.

How Can Acupuncture Help?

Qi imbalances can cause a variety of ailments in addition to fatigue, including aches and pains, brain fog, gastrointestinal issues, and headaches. Acupuncture treatments restore your body's natural balance, eliminating or reducing your symptoms. Inserting hair-thin acupuncture needles in your skin at strategic points improves the flow of Qi and eliminates blockages.

Treatments allow your kidneys to slowly rebuild their supply of Qi and help you feel less tired. Acupuncture sessions also support the adrenal glands responsible for keeping your hormones balanced. When the adrenal glands are balanced, your body can use energy more efficiently and effectively.

Injuries, conditions, illnesses, depression, or stress, compounded with a natural slowdown during the winter, can make you feel exhausted. Acupuncture treatments prompt your body to make more endorphins and serotonin. Endorphins are natural painkillers that help improve your mood, while serotonin regulates your moods, aids in digestion, and enhances sleep.

If your joints no longer ache or your stomach issues have disappeared, you may find that your energy level naturally increases. Regular acupuncture sessions can prevent symptoms from recurring and ensure that you have the energy to do the things you want to do.

Your acupuncturist may also recommend other ways to boost your energy, such as:

• Moxibustion Treatment: Moxibustion involves burning dried mugwort near your skin. The plant offers many benefits for your health and can increase Qi by warming your kidneys.
• Herbal Medications: Your acupuncturist may also prepare or recommend natural supplements or herbal medications that will enhance the effects of your acupuncture treatments and help you build Qi reserves.
• Dietary Changes: Your acupuncturist can help you make changes to your diet that may increase your energy. Acufinder notes that eating several types of foods can increase kidney QI, including asparagus, celery, cucumber, leafy vegetables, nuts, black beans, kidney beans, and flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and black sesame seeds. Black and blue foods, such as black beans, blackberries, blueberries, and mulberries, are also recommended.
• Avoiding Cold Temperatures: Cold can be a factor in the depletion of kidney Qi. Drinking beverages at room temperature or warmer and opting for hot meals will help you avoid draining your Qi reserve. Bundling up when it's cold outside and keeping your home at a comfortable temperature can also help you prevent winter fatigue.

Are you too tired to participate in your favorite activities? Acupuncture offers a simple solution to your problem! Contact our office to schedule your first visit.

Sources:

Acufinder: How to Boost Your Energy with Acupuncture This Winter

UC Health: The Many Benefits of Acupuncture in Winter, 12/16/19

Steamboat Pilot & Today: Monday Medical: Acupuncture in Winter, 12/2/19