One of the most common complaints I see in my office is brain fog and fatigue. So many people are spending their days feeling foggy, dragging in the mornings, not fully focused, low energy, and feeling afternoon slumps.
The most common underlying reasons I see for brainfog and fatigue:
- HPA Axis Dysfunction/Adrenal Fatigue: usually a result of chronic stress over time, an acute trauma, or chronic illness or chronic pain over time. The adrenals and the nervous system are not able to regulate the right amounts of cortisol, adrenaline and hormones to keep you feeling well. The nervous system has stayed in a fight or flight mode for too long and dysregulation has occurred. Add on the use of stimulants, caffeine, sugar and poor diet and you have the perfect recipe for adrenal exhaustion. Typical symptoms include feeling jittery, exhausted, tired but wired, disrupted sleep, anxiety, poor libido, poor immune system/sick easily, trouble losing weight, hormone imbalances
- Irregular or Poor Sleep: This one seems obvious enough — if you aren’t getting enough sleep . . . you’re going to feel tired and less focused. However, it is not always so straightforward, as there are many ways one could have inadequate sleep. Sleep and waking times, quality of sleep, how much sleep, time spent in REM vs. deep stage sleep, and also sleep apnea all can contribute to feeling foggy and even depressed, anxious, or difficulty losing weight and regulating metabolism and appetite. Some people don’t even know that they are having sleep issues.
- Auto-Immune Disease: The most commonly seen in my office is Hashimoto’s, which is hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune disease. However, there are many other ways this can manifest. I find that many of my patients with autoimmune issues have some form of disrupted sleep, and also report feelings of intense fatigue and difficulty concentrating or feeling fully engaged.
- Post-Viral Sequela: Examples of infections that can come with post-viral symptoms include lyme, shingles, epstein-barr/mono, herpes. Post-viral symptoms often include nerve inflammation (tingling, sharp pains), feeling “off”, fatigue ranging from mild to intense, brain fog, dizziness or vertigo, sciatica, sleep disruption, anxiety, depression, TMJ, digestive issues, hormone imbalances
- Poor Diet, Hypoglycemia, Insulin Resistance, PCOS: Ups and downs in blood sugar is a major contributor of brain fog, anxiety, panic attacks, and fatigue. Many times, just fixing patient’s diets (what and when they are eating) helps to improve energy and focus and mood (and often reduce symptoms like headaches and migraines). If this is not the main underlying issue, it can at least help with healing and feeling better while we fix the other issues.
- Digestive Issues: SIBO, leaky gut, IBS, etc. If your gut is compromised and you are not absorbing or digesting your nutrients well, you will feel symptoms ranging from hunger, reflux, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, to irritability, fatigue, lack of focus, and possibly pain, headaches and chronic body aches. Common causes include GI bugs (parasites, bacteria, viruses), stress (which lowers your stomach acid and enzymes, compromising your ability to digest and absorb nutrients), or poor diet.
So, how do we heal? Step one is to determine underlying causes or causes (most of the time it is a combination of causes). Step two is to come up with a treatment plan to address the underlying cause. For example, if GI issues are present, the plan may be to eradicate GI bugs with herbs or antibiotics (if needed), prescribe proper healing diet, heal gut lining, heal inflammation, and address gut flora. In addition, if chronic stress has made the condition worse or made the patient susceptible to GI bugs in the first place, we must heal the adrenals with herbs and acupuncture, optimize their sleep, and fix their immune system.
The approach is usually multi pronged and varied, hence the importance of a detailed health history Initial Intake to learn about the patient’s current symptoms, and also their history — how they ended up with these issues, and the background that fueled the imbalance. Symptoms are just the end result of an imbalance that has existed for a long time already. The plan is personalized to address the patient’s unique presentation and unique circumstances.
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Email: Nicole@SageBostonAcupuncture.com
Brookline Acupuncture
