Adrenal Fatigue
Every time you experience stress, your adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol.
What do the Adrenal glands do?
The adrenal glands, from their perch atop the kidneys, produce hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone that perform the following roles in the body:
- Respond to stress
- Burn protein and fat
- Regulate metabolism
- Control blood sugar
- Regulate blood pressure
Your adrenal hormones also play a role in your physical growth, immune system, and mood.
What is Adrenal Fatigue
The adrenals control your body’s “fight or flight” stress responses. If those stress levels remain elevated for a long time, you may work your adrenal glands to exhaustion.
Adrenal fatigue results when the adrenal glands can’t keep up with the stress anymore. High cortisol and adrenaline levels also divert attention away from the other processes in the body, such as digestion and sleep.
Adrenal fatigue causes symptoms such as:
- Fatigue and low energy
- Lightheadedness
- Body aches
- Weight gain
- Brain fog
- Depressed mood
- Getting sick often
- Digestive problems
What are some underlying causes of adrenal fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue is usually a secondary condition to other underlying factors. Some of those factors include:
- Chronic stress
- Inflammation
- Gut bacteria imbalance
- Chronic pain
- Sensitivity to environmental factors
- Relationship troubles
How do you treat adrenal fatigue?
Once we identify the underlying factors that contribute to your adrenal fatigue, we use holistic treatments to resolve the condition’s causes. Part of his holistic approach includes functional medicine, acupuncture, and other stress-relieving modalities.
Functional medicine
Adam Learner, LAc approaches adrenal fatigue with an investigative treatment technique, rooting out the cause and addressing it with lifestyle changes, dietary adjustments, physical exercise, and nutritional supplementation.
Acupuncture
By stimulating certain points on the body, acupuncture can help restore proper balance and function in your endocrine system. The procedure also restores yin-yang energy balance and relaxes the body.
Stress management
Because adrenal fatigue is so heavily influenced by your stress levels, learning how to manage that stress is imperative. Adam can help you implement relaxing practices into your routine to lower your stress response.
If you suspect you might be suffering from adrenal fatigue, schedule an appointment with Family Acupuncture & Wellness online or over the phone.
