Tiredness and Herbal Treatment

Tiredness seems to be on the increase with many patients complaining that they feel tired all the time. Surveys have shown that almost 25% of the UK population will say fatigue has been a problem for them over the past month.

Such fatigue is often related to periods of stress, over-work, depression, or loss of sleep. But in some cases, fatigue becomes persistent and is sufficiently severe to interfere with daily life and often there is no medical explanation following a consultation with the G.P.

‘Tired all the Time Syndrome’

Feeling tired all the time, without anyone being able to tell you why, is extremely frustrating and depressing. So what are the possible causes and what can you do about it?

Medical tests simply cannot detect all disturbances in bodily functioning. Orthodox medicine often categorises illnesses into, for example, mental/psychiatric or physical/medical but this over simplifies things as tiredness can have a combination of different causes. Emotions and moods have a physical effect on the body, and what happens to the body has an effect on your mind. This is true of any illness, not just tiredness.

Consultation to Determine the Cause

When we treat patients through a consultation for tiredness/ lack of energy we often unravel layers of causes which build up over time. For example a patient may have a difficult relationship with their partner which they find emotionally draining and then in the proceeding months work becomes too busy, the patient’s diet goes awry and then they pick up a virus. Without adequate time for rest and recuperation it’s not surprising that you can be left with no energy!

As someone once said life should be a series of sprints not an ongoing marathon, the body has to rest.

How can Herbal Medicine help to boost your Energy Levels?

One of the tools that we have in our ‘herbal tool box’ is that of Tonics. Tonics are herbs which impart added strength and vitality to the body and they improve the functioning of organs and systems. Unfortunately most G.P’s do not prescribe tonics like they did in times past so if all your blood results come back normal some patients are just told to rest in the hope that they will feel more energised in time – this isn’t always the case, rest alone doesn’t always enable the body to rebalance.

Nervines and Adaptogens Help the body to cope

There are many herbs which are tonics and can help improve energy levels by helping the body get back on track. For example, if someone is lacking in energy because they have recently experienced emotional trauma then there are tonics for the nervous system (nervines). These might be given when the herbalist believes that the patient’s nervous system has been overworked. We may also give tonics for the adrenal glands (adaptogens). The adrenal glands are essentially our ‘stress glands’ and they can get quite worn out when we have undergone periods of sustained stress. When the adrenal glands are not functioning properly this can lead to exhaustion.

When someone has been suffering with exhaustion/ tiredness for a prolonged period of time we often suggest that the patient books in for an appointment and is prescribed a herbal medicine. However, if the patient is going thorough a short term bout of tiredness then they may find that herbal medicine ‘over-the-counter’ i.e. not prescribed may help.

Energy Tonic Mix (100ml or 250ml available)

Ingredients: Herbal Tinctures of -
Siberian ginseng – Anti-stress, Adaptogen, Tonic, Increases immune resistance
Skullcap – Relaxing nervine, Tonic to nervous system
Borage – Adrenal gland restorative, anti-depressive
Astragalus – Adaptogen and Immune Stimulant
Oat straw – Nerve restorative, improves stamina

Price: £9.90

Here is a testimonial for our Energy Tonic:

‘I had been suffering for a long time with lack of energy, especially in the mornings and I went to the Drs and had some blood tests which all came back clear. A friend suggested I tried herbal medicine as it had really helped her. I contacted Foreman and Jones and they suggested that I could try the Energy Tonic Medicine, after a week of taking it I feel a lot better and I will recommend it to my friends and family. ‘
Mrs C Simpson

DISCLAIMER

Any mentioned uses or actions are for information only and are not intended to constitute any medical advice, nor intended medicinal action. If you require medical treatment of your health complaint, please contact us to book a consultation, or alternatively contact the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) on 01392 426022 or use the ‘Find a Herbalist’ function on the following website to find a herbalist near you. www.nimh.org.uk

Tagged as: Astragalus, Borage, energy, Herbal Medicine, Mixes, Oat Straw, Siberian Ginseng, skullcap, tiredness