Ways to kill fatigue and enliven body in spring

By Lee Sung-hun

Spring is here at last. The weather is warming up and it is even hot sometimes. Everything is bursting with newborn energy. We wish the same for our body as far as life’s vitality is concerned, but some of us are feverish and sluggish with headaches around this time.

The condition is not an illness but a natural physiological phenomenon known as spring fever, caused by a reinvigorated metabolism after the winter. But if the symptoms persist for several months, you should suspect chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

The fatigue, despite being common, cannot be quantitatively measured through blood or urine tests. Most people feel fatigued after physical exercise, mental stress or lack of sleep. If you feel, however, overly tired every day, even after ample rest, or feel lethargic for months, you are likely experiencing CFS.

CFS is more common among people in their 30s and 40s than the elderly, and among men more than women. Symptoms vary, such as fatigue, light fever, joint pain, throat pain, headache, forgetfulness, short attention span, disturbed sleep and neck pain.

While CFS is a relatively new term defined in the 1980s, Oriental medicine has treated it for a long time under two different classifications: “Nogwonsang” and “Heoro.”

Nogwonsang refers to the flight of blood and qi from our body as a result of excessive labor, stress, sex, alcohol consumption and irregular lifestyle.

Heoro is when the symptoms worsen and the blood, qi and bodily fluids are depleted to the level of making us unconscious.

You have probably experienced a light fever lasting for the entire day after a heavy workout. This occurs because our body produces fever when it lacks blood and qi.

When our body and mind are exhausted, the qi weakens and the qi of fire (heat) strengthens. This heat damages the qi in our spleen. The spleen’s functions include digestion and strengthening of the muscle and the flesh. As a result, the reduced qi in our spleen leads to the muscles being weakened, making us sluggish, drowsy and low in appetite.

In this case, normalizing and replenishing the blood and the qi in the spleen become essential. A popular herbal medicine for treating the common cold, “ssanghwatang,” is effective. It fights off cold by restoring the body’s natural immunity via the replenishment of qi and blood. This is why it is effective in treating CFS. Treatments for stressed heart and liver are required separately.

Some patients at my clinic often ask if acupuncture is appropriate for CFS.

Acupuncture in general treats the circulation of the qi and blood in our body, but it is geared towards reducing excessive rather than insufficient qi. For patients experiencing CFS, “hanyak,” the herbal medicine, is better. Nevertheless, acupuncture can be combined with the medicinal application to relieve pain in the neck, shoulder, head and back areas, as well as to reduce fatigue and relieve tension in those muscles.

Having a regular diet, plentiful sleep, deep rest and routine exercise is vital to preventing CFS.

Avoid foods that give you digestive problems. There is no food inherently good for battling the fatigue, so don’t waste your time and money on so-called “well-being” foods.

Exercise regularly rather than excessively. Start off with a light exercise and gradually increase your strength in line with your body’s condition.

The writer practices Korean Oriental medicine at the UN Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul. He can be reached at sung_hun@naver.com.