𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭?

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭?

Adrenal Fatigue – You wouldn’t let your phone battery run low or empty…..

Our lives can be hectic, fast paced and jam packed!

We juggle work (often more than one!) family (again more than one with modern families), community, and try and please everyone, except ourselves in most cases.

It’s all too easy to be overwhelmed.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞?

Adrenal fatigue in often categorised by some or all of the below:

• Exhaustion/fatigue
• Trouble falling asleep and/or waking up in the morning
• Low mood
• Reduced performance both mental and physical
• Increased sugar/salt cravings
• Steady, but consistent weight gain
• Stimulant dependent to get through the day i.e. caffeine
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Cramps
• Unexplained/random pain

These are some of the more common side effects with Adrenal Fatigue, although there are many more.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬’?

‘Adrenal glands, also known as suprarenal glands, are small, triangular-shaped glands located on top of both kidneys.’

-*Hopkins Medicine-

Adrenal Glands

The Adrenals produce hormones that help regulate the metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, responses to stress and other essential functions within the body.

Those of you who have received treatments at PW Therapy would have no doubt heard us talk about Kidneys, Jing and vital energy. This is because Chinese Medicine has known about this ‘new discovery’ of Adrenal Fatigue (which is still being debated by ‘modern doctors’) for many thousands of years. Almost every treatment we do in our clinic involves some kind of kidney boost as they are pivotal for optimal health and recovery.

Modern medicine treats Adrenal Fatigue (also known as Adrenal Insufficiency) with medication of which there are 8 main types used in the UK, with the most common being Dexamethasone (Steroid Corticosteroids) and Cortisone which is taken prior to bed. However, like with all modern medical approaches, these are aimed at treating the symptoms and not the causes.

Another downside to laboratory manufactured medicines and modern medical approaches is they often come with non-desired side effects. Let’s take Dexamethasone for example (also known as Neofordex, Glensoludex, and Martapan), according to NHS the potential side effects are:

• Sleep problems
• Mood changes
• Indigestion
• Weight gain

As you can see these are all very similar to the effects of Adrenal Fatigue which we are trying to fix in the first place!

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐂𝐌 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞

A good Chinese Medical Doctor will assess and diagnose their patient to find the cause, and from there will devise a structured treatment plan often consisting of a combination of:

• Acupuncture
• Nutrition Therapy
• Medical Herbs
• A movement/rest plan
• and importantly will be there to listen to you and offer advice where possible.

Within the treatment the medical professional will likely use acupuncture points around the body, however not necessary where you think. For example, the feet have extremely powerful points on them useful for many alignments.

Does TCM come with potential side effects? The answer is yes!

One of the most common ones is you feel sleepy after your treatment and extremely relaxed. This calmed state of mind may last a few days.

Acupuncture

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞?

Tips:

• Early to bed early to rise.  Making sure you are getting between 7-9 hours sleep a night, especially between the hours of 10pm and 2am. If this is not possible than napping day time can be useful or prioritising your health over Tv or work.
• Look after your digestive energy.  Eating a well-balanced diet, ensuring that your blood sugars remain stable.
• Avoid caffeine after lunch and no recreational drugs.
• Avoid stressful situations, or at least make sure you balance the stressful, high demand hours with rest and replenishment. If you are in a stressful/toxic job or relationship, it’s time to plan your exit strategy as you only get 1 life!
• Stay warm.  Keeping the lower back and feet covered protects the Kidney Yang.
• Acupuncture is a wonderful way of clearing those stress hormones and nourishing the Kidneys and well as the other vital organs. Have you ever heard your tummy start to gurgle during an acupuncture treatment? We consider it a compliment! It means you’ve entered into “rest and digest” mode, where the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in and activates the more tranquil functions of the body.
• Herbal medicine and food. There are many wonderful herbs within the Chinese Medicine that nourish the Kidneys and treats adrenal fatigue. One of my favourites are walnuts!

Thank you for reading!

Philip Wheeler