From Winter Fatigue to Spring Energy: How Acupuncture Helps the Body Reset

Why Your Body Might Be Asking for Acupuncture Right Now

Dennis ‘Kaz’ Kasunic | Forest Park Wellness

As March unfolds in the Pacific Northwest, the days are finally stretching out again. By the end of the month, we gain nearly an hour and a half of additional daylight. People start getting outside more, exercising again, and shaking off the sluggishness that often builds during the darker winter months.

At Forest Park Wellness in Portland, acupuncturist Dennis “Kaz” Kasunic sees this seasonal shift reflected clearly in his clinic. As activity levels increase and routines change, many patients begin noticing new aches, lingering injuries, sleep disruptions, or stress-related symptoms that seemed manageable during the quieter winter season.

What’s interesting is that many of these concerns—whether musculoskeletal pain, headaches, digestive issues, or seasonal allergies—are not random. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring represents a time when the body is naturally shifting into a new energetic phase. When that transition doesn’t happen smoothly, symptoms often appear.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are designed to help the body adapt to these changes before small issues turn into chronic ones.

What Patients Are Experiencing This Time of Year

Kaz reports seeing a wide range of conditions in the clinic this time of year, many of which are connected to increased activity or seasonal physiological changes. Some of the most common include:

• Low back and mid-back pain
• Shoulder injuries and neck tension
• Headaches and migraines
• Foot, calf, and tendon pain from running or increased training
• Post–car accident injuries (PIP cases are welcomed)
• Insomnia and stress overload
• Allergies and sinus congestion
• Asthma flare-ups or lingering respiratory illness
• Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
• Smoking cessation support
• Women’s and men’s health concerns

While these symptoms can appear unrelated, acupuncture practitioners often identify underlying patterns that link them together—particularly when seasonal changes are involved.

The Spring Season in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In TCM, each season corresponds with specific organ systems, elements, and patterns of energy in the body.

Spring is associated with the Wood element, which represents growth, movement, and renewal. It’s the same energy we see in nature as plants emerge, trees bud, and life begins expanding again after winter dormancy. Two organ systems play a key role during this season:

The Liver and the Gallbladder.

In Chinese medicine, the liver is responsible for maintaining the smooth flow of Qi (vital energy) and blood throughout the body. When this system functions well, people tend to feel flexible, energized, and emotionally balanced. When liver Qi becomes stagnant or restricted—something that can happen easily during seasonal transitions—symptoms may appear such as:

• Neck and shoulder tension
• Headaches or migraines
• Digestive discomfort or bloating
• Irritability or mood swings
• Sleep disturbances
• Menstrual irregularities
• Muscle tightness or tendon pain

Many of these complaints mirror what Kaz sees in patients every spring. Acupuncture treatments during this time often focus on restoring smooth energy flow, relaxing muscle tension, improving circulation, and calming the nervous system.

Why Early Treatment Matters

One of the guiding principles in Chinese medicine is that it’s far easier to correct imbalances before they become deeply established patterns. For example, a mild neck tension from poor posture or increased activity might be easy to resolve with a few treatments. But if that same tension continues for months, it can evolve into chronic headaches, nerve irritation, or structural dysfunction.

Acupuncture stimulates specific points along the body’s meridians—pathways that correspond with organ systems and physiological functions. Research suggests these points influence the nervous system, connective tissue, and circulation, helping regulate inflammation, muscle tension, and pain signaling. Patients often notice improvements such as:

• Reduced pain and muscle tightness
• Better sleep quality
• Improved digestion
• Decreased stress and anxiety
• Faster recovery from injuries
• Improved immune resilience

Because acupuncture addresses both symptoms and underlying imbalances, it can support the body’s ability to heal and regulate itself.

The Role of Chinese Herbal Medicine

At Forest Park Wellness, acupuncture treatments are often paired with customized Chinese herbal formulas. Herbal medicine allows treatment to continue between appointments and can address deeper physiological patterns that acupuncture alone may take longer to resolve. Depending on the patient’s needs, herbal formulas may help:

• Reduce inflammation
• Regulate digestion
• Calm the nervous system
• Support respiratory health during allergy season
• Strengthen immune function
• Improve sleep quality

Many of these formulas contain herbs that have been used for centuries within traditional medicine systems and are carefully combined to match an individual’s specific pattern of symptoms. When acupuncture and herbal medicine are used together, they often create a more comprehensive treatment approach that supports both short-term relief and long-term balance.

Spring Activity and Sports Injuries

Another pattern Kaz sees every year involves people returning to outdoor activities after a relatively sedentary winter. Distance runners begin increasing mileage, hikers hit the trails again, and weekend athletes push themselves harder as the weather improves. While this renewed activity is great for overall health, it can also expose weaknesses in muscles, tendons, and joints that haven’t been used as intensely for months. Acupuncture is frequently used by athletes to support:

• Tendon and ligament recovery
• Muscle relaxation and circulation
• Faster healing after strain or overuse
• Reduced inflammation and pain

Many runners and endurance athletes incorporate acupuncture regularly during training cycles to help maintain mobility and prevent injuries.

Microneedling: A Seasonal Window for Skin Renewal

Spring also happens to be an ideal time for microneedling, another service available at Forest Park Wellness. Microneedling works by creating very small microchannels in the skin, which stimulates the body’s natural healing response and encourages collagen production. Over time, this can improve skin texture, reduce fine lines, soften acne scarring, and restore hydration after the dry winter months. Because sun exposure is typically lower in early spring, this period allows the skin to heal and rebuild collagen before the stronger UV exposure of summer arrives.

Like acupuncture, microneedling works gradually. Starting treatments early in the season allows visible improvements to develop by late spring or early summer.

Aligning Your Body with the Season

Seasonal transitions can be powerful opportunities to reset the body’s internal balance. When addressed early, many symptoms resolve quickly and don’t develop into long-term problems. Kaz combines acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and supportive therapies to help patients recover from injuries, manage stress, improve sleep, and restore overall vitality. Appointments are often scheduled one to two weeks in advance, especially as activity levels increase during spring.

If something on this list sounds familiar—persistent pain, headaches, digestive issues, allergies, or simply feeling out of sync after winter—this may be the perfect time to support your body before patterns become chronic.

Schedule an appointment and experience how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help your body move into the new season feeling stronger, more balanced, and ready for the months ahead. SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT NOW >>