What is burn-out?
Burn-out means “being burnt up”, having used up all reserves, having no more energy. Burn-out is preceded by a combination of frustrations, stress factors and working too hard. The consequence of chronic overburdening is that one has to do more and more effort to keep functioning well. To keep this functioning at a good level, one needs to work harder and harder.

How does a burn-out develop?
Burn-out usually develops in work situations though chronic emotional and physical overexertion. You are being given more to do than you can cope with. This overburden can be both qualitative (the work is too difficult) or quantitative (there is too much work).

It depends your character too, for example:
- you have difficulty saying no
- you want to do everything too well
- you want to be appreciated
- you want to do more than is possible, etc.

What are the symptoms of a burn-out?
The most important is fatigue combined with a difficulty falling asleep or sleeping. People suffering from a burn-out often have a negative and cynical attitude and a poor self-image. The following symptoms might also appear: muscle pain, headache, dizziness, nausea, irritability, moodiness, difficulty relaxing, edginess, restlessness and all kinds of nervous tics. Physically there might also be stomach and intestinal symptoms, increased heart rate and respiration, hyperventilation, menstruation and potency disorders, higher blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels, and skin conditions such as eczema.

How can burn-out be treated?
In the first place, it is important to get out of the downward spiral by filling up the tank, taking a breath, getting the rest you need, considering the energy lost. Moreover, it is important to investigate - preferably with help - which situations at work are responsible for the development of this downward spiral and how to cope with them, so the problems can be resolved and the energy losses stopped.

What can acupuncture do for burn-out symptoms?
The chief symptom for people with burn-out is fatigue, and lack of energy.
Acupuncture can help with this. The acupuncturist will target certain points that will make the body function better again, and through which energy production will work more effectively.
Acupuncture helps stock up energy supplies. When you get more energy, all physiological processes in the body work better again, so the symptoms connected to “arousal” (being on alert) decrease. By this we mean symptoms such as: insomnia, higher blood pressure, heart palpitations, muscular tension, etc. Patients can then relax more and look more calmly at their own situations and work out how they got into this downward spiral.

Acupuncture helps treat pain 
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pain symptoms appear when energy (Qi) and blood (Xue) are not flowing well. If there is too little energy, it does not flow well. Fluids stagnate.
With body energy this is the same. By remedying the stagnation, acupuncture promotes the flow of energy and blood and the pain disappears.