Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome isn't simple tiredness — it's severe fatigue that persists for more than 6 months, making work, housework, or study difficult, and that doesn't improve with rest. The exact cause isn't fully understood, but it's thought to arise from a combination of factors such as a period after viral infection, immune or endocrine imbalance, and excessive stress with nutritional deficiency. Characteristic features include post-exertional malaise (PEM), where light activity leads to a bigger crash afterward, sleep disturbance, and reduced concentration.

Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective

In Korean medicine, this fatigue is seen as "a state where the body's engine — the internal organs — has lost its power to generate energy and circulate it through the whole body." When the usable energy (Qi) and blood are insufficient, the body feels heavy and the mind foggy, so treatment focuses on replenishing what's lacking and clearing blocked circulation to restore the body's own capacity to recover.