Rhode Island Acupuncture - Stress and Fatigue

With today's hectic personal and work schedule it is easy to feel burned out and tired. In addition to this, so many people are walking around completely stressed out! We rely on a cup of coffee or a quick sugar fix to give us a few extra minutes of energy but then, just a few minutes later, bam!, we are right back where we started: tired, stressed out, and unmotivated.

Daily stress, anxiety, tension, overwork and lack of rest, all have long term health consequences such as high blood pressure and a number of other health disorders.

In our office, Rhode Island Acupuncture and Complementary Health Center, we treat patients like this all the time. Patient's come in because they are tired, fatigued, highly stressed and just don't know what to do to feel well again.

Even though we cannot make one's job and personal life less stressful or chaotic, we can help with how one's body deals with the stress!

This is the key! The stress is always going to be there but how you deal with it and how it affects you mentally and physically can definitely be controlled.

High stressed patients many times have an adrenal weakness. This means that the adrenal glands, which sit on top of each kidney, may not be functioning as well as they should. You see, these adrenal glands produce hormones, one set being the glucocorticoid hormones. In this group of hormones, cortisol is produced. This is the "stress hormone." If it is lacking, then stress can affect you much more than is healthy and this produces the tension, stressed out, anxious, burned out, and tired life many are suffering from.

There are several treatment principles when using acupuncture and Chinese medicine to treat the burned out and fatigued patient with an excessive amount of stress.

One of the primary treatment approaches is to use acupuncture points and herbal formulations which target regulating and improving the functioning of the adrenal glands and the endocrine system in general. This allows hormones, like cortisol, that help the body deal with stress work more efficiently.

During these treatments we also work to improve mental acuity and physical performance in addition to treating the numerous side effects of a highly stressed life such as restoring normal sexual function and boosting the immune system (both may be highly impaired under high levels of stress).


There are several outside of the office contributions the patient can make to their healing process to help with increasing their energy and decreasing their stress.

For example, increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with eating more fish and consuming omega 3 fish oils (both EPA and DHA) are excellent ways to start helping one's body overcome stress and fatigue.

Also, regular exercise stimulates the production and secretion of a variety of healthy brain chemicals which allow one to feel good and de-stress. In addition, taking 30 minutes each day to relax and focus on the good things in life is very helpful in letting the tension melt away.

With a little help and guidance, one can feel energetic again and deal with stress more efficiently. For more information on how to reach your goals, you can contact Dr. Hagenburg at 401-398-1103. He will be happy to set up a free consultation with you at which time he will discuss whether he feels acupuncture and Chinese medicine may help you.

Please also visit our website, ComplementaryHealthCenter.com, to download our free ebook, "Treating The Whole Body, Not Just Its Symptoms: The Key To Unlocking Your Health."