Are you tired after the simplest activities? Do the days drag on until you reach home, only to slump on the couch and crash, unable to enjoy your daily activities? If so, you are suffering from low energy. Energy normally fluctuates according to daily rhythms, which varies from person to person. In general, we have more energy in the morning and wind down toward the evening. However, many people suffer from chronic low energy and fatigue. They start the day tired and end the day tired. The causes of low energy are numerous. But first and foremost, low energy is often a result of stressful living in our modern world. Coping with stressful situations requires a lot of energy, leaving the av­erage person drained and at times depressed. Poor diet also contributes to low energy. Instead of eating foods with a sustainable energy content, most people eat too many foods made of simple sugars, which supply a rapid burst of energy, but burn out fast and furious, leaving us depleted. Lack of exercise is the final nail in the coffin. Exercise helps us deal with daily stresses; without it, the body is rapidly depleted of vital energy.

Immune system malfunction--either an underperforming or hyperactive immune system-can also cause fatigue, contributing to low energy. Underperforming immunity is often a result of an acute or chronic viral or bacterial infection. Hyperactive immunity includes autoimmune inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and lupus. And the functional decline of organs that occurs with diseases like congestive heart failure, emphysema, hepatitis, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, and anemia can leave patients tired and exhausted.

Energy is qi. The level and quality of a person's qi define how he or she feels. Chinese medicine recognized the concept of vital energy thou­sands of years ago and has developed a full understanding of the es­sential functions and role of qi in health and wellness. As a result, very effective means of addressing low energy have been developed. Once we've figured out the underlying cause of the fatigue, I work with in­ternists to create a treatment plan specific to each patient's needs. Treatment usually consists of acupuncture and herbal therapy for three months or more, depending on the condition. In the more than twenty years that we've been working with patients with low energy, we've helped the majority of my patients overcome their fatigue.