It is normal to feel tired sometimes. Persistent fatigue or low energy is different: it can affect concentration, motivation, physical activity, work, relationships and the ability to manage everyday life.
Fatigue may feel physical, mental or both. It can occur alongside poor sleep, stress, pain, low mood, recovery from illness, hormonal changes or other health concerns. Sometimes the reason is not immediately clear.
Persistent or unexplained fatigue should be medically assessed. This page discusses fatigue as a symptom and does not assume that somebody has myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
The NHS explains that tiredness and fatigue can have many causes. These include insufficient sleep, stress, depression, lifestyle factors, hormonal changes, illnesses, medicines and medical treatments.
Fatigue can also be associated with conditions such as sleep apnoea, iron-deficiency anaemia, diabetes and thyroid problems. A GP may recommend an assessment or tests depending on the symptoms and wider health picture.
During treatment, Jamie considers when the fatigue began, its daily pattern, sleep, stress, digestion, appetite, activity, mood, menstrual or hormonal health, recent illness, medication and other symptoms.
Chinese medicine uses an individual diagnosis rather than treating everybody experiencing fatigue in the same way. Two people describing low energy may therefore receive different acupuncture treatments according to their symptoms, health history and wider presentation.
Jamie combines more than 20 years of clinical experience with detailed pulse diagnosis to understand each person's pattern. Treatment is adapted over time according to the individual's presentation and response.
Acupuncture may be considered as one part of wider care. It should not delay investigation of unexplained fatigue or replace treatment for an underlying medical condition.
The first appointment provides time to discuss the fatigue in detail, including when it began, what makes it better or worse, and how it affects everyday life.
Jamie will ask about sleep, stress, mood, digestion, appetite, activity, recent illness, medical assessment, medication and other relevant symptoms. The appointment includes an individual Chinese medicine assessment and, where appropriate, your first acupuncture treatment.
Jamie will explain the initial approach and discuss suitable review points. No fixed recovery schedule or outcome can be promised.
Fatigue and low energy connect naturally with the Foundations of Health and Wellbeing Pathway. This pathway provides a structured starting point for considering sleep, nourishment, activity, recovery, stress and wider health together.
The pathway is clinical guidance rather than a rigid package. Where fatigue relates to a diagnosed condition, treatment should sit alongside appropriate medical care and any specialist advice.
Foundations of Health and Wellbeing Pathway
There is no single acupuncture evidence conclusion that applies to all fatigue because fatigue is a symptom with many possible causes.
The British Acupuncture Council has a specific fact sheet concerning ME/CFS. It reports that existing studies suggest possible benefit, while emphasising that the quality of the clinical trials is very low and that further research is needed. Evidence concerning ME/CFS should not be used to claim that acupuncture treats all forms of fatigue.
Responses vary. Decisions about acupuncture should consider the possible cause of fatigue, medical assessment, the individual's preferences and health, and any other care they are receiving.
Further reading:
NHS: Tiredness and fatigue
British Acupuncture Council: ME/CFS fact sheet
See a GP if you have felt tired for a few weeks and do not know why, if fatigue affects everyday life, or if it occurs with other symptoms such as weight loss, mood changes, breathlessness, palpitations or disrupted breathing during sleep.
Seek urgent medical help for severe breathlessness, chest pain, fainting, sudden weakness, confusion or other serious symptoms.
Do not self-diagnose or begin supplements to treat a suspected deficiency without appropriate advice. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without speaking to the clinician responsible for your care.
If fatigue or low energy is affecting everyday life, a first appointment gives us time to understand your individual presentation and discuss whether acupuncture may be a suitable part of your wider care.