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The Most Common Undiagnosed Cause of Fatigue

Do you still feel tired when you wake up, even if you have had a really good sleep?  If you feel like you have poor energy all the time, you could be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue or Adrenal Exhaustion.  Your adrenals produce adrenaline, which is part of your body’s emergency response system.  If a tiger jumps out at you from behind a tree, your heart suddenly beats faster, your breathing gets faster, various muscles will tighten, your blood sugar levels rise, and non-emergency systems in your body are suppressed (such as your digestive system).  Your body is now in ‘fight or flight’ mode.  This is great for emergencies, but if your body gets stuck in this mode, it will eventually make you feel very run down, and it doesn’t seem to get much better no matter what you do.  (In the long run, it can also put a strain on your heart, and increase your chances of developing diabetes).

The main symptom of adrenal exhaustion is constant tiredness, but because the body gets very run down it can often cause stress, irritability, depression or anxiety.  The immune system is very sensitive to your energy levels, so immune weakness, allergies, or auto-immune diseases can develop.  Adrenaline is part of your hormone system, so adrenal exhaustion can also cause all types of hormone imbalances, including PMS, menopause symptoms, thyroid problems, or low libido.  Poor sleep and digestive problems are also very common symptoms.

The main causes of the body getting stuck in emergency response mode and causing Adrenal Exhaustion are

• Any type of trauma or shock, which could be recent or in the distant past.  It could be from a car accident, falling out of a tree when you were a kid, etc etc.  The trauma could be physical, mental or emotional.
• Prolonged stress, such as from work or an unhappy relationship.  (Again, could be recent or in the distant past.) 
• Overwork, or not getting enough sleep for a long period
• Any chronic illness or pain
• Severe pain
• Surgery
• Medications- steroid medication, antidepressants, strong painkillers, thyroid medication

When treating Adrenal Exhaustion, it is important to address 3 areas.

1. The adrenals themselves.  (Vitamin C is good for the adrenals, however stronger tonics are normally needed.)
2. It is important for the therapist to check the body’s nervous system and treat that as well if it needs it.  Specific treatments or supplements to clear out the current stress or the old, accumulated stress in the body are often necessary.
3. Because the body is quite run down, tonics for the body as a whole are important, and for any areas badly affected by the adrenals, such as the digestive system, immune system, or hormonal system.

Please  click here for a more complete Report on Adrenal Exhaustion. 

Both acupuncture and naturopathy are very good at treating Adrenal Exhaustion.  (A combination of the two is ideal.)  If you suspect that you may have Adrenal Exhaustion, please book in for a Health Assessment so that we can check and let you know if you do, and inform you on how best to treat it.