Can Osteopathy Help with Chronic Fatigue or Burnout?
Understanding the Nervous System, Body-Based Stress, and How Hands-On Therapy Can Help
If you’ve been feeling constantly tired, the kind of exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest, you’re not alone. You might be dealing with chronic fatigue or burnout, both of which are becoming increasingly common in today’s fast-paced world.
At our osteopathy clinic in Banstead, we see many patients who describe feeling drained, foggy, or “not quite themselves.” And while osteopathy is often associated with back pain or injuries, it also plays a powerful role in supporting the nervous system and helping the body recover from long-term stress.
What Are Chronic Fatigue and Burnout?
Although they overlap, the two terms describe slightly different experiences:
Chronic fatigue: Ongoing tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest. Often comes with brain fog, aches, and low energy.
Burnout: Emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, common in caregivers, parents, and professionals.
In both cases, the nervous system is heavily involved. Long periods of stress can keep your body stuck in “fight or flight” mode, making it harder to rest, digest, and recover.
The Link Between the Nervous System and the Body
When the nervous system is overloaded, it often shows up physically:
Tension in the jaw, shoulders, chest or diaphragm
Shallow breathing and breath holding
Digestive issues
Sleep disturbances
Generalised pain or tightness
Emotional fragility or sensory overload
It’s a full-body response, and one that osteopathy is well placed to support.
How Osteopathy Can Help with Fatigue
Osteopathy is a hands-on therapy that works with the body’s natural systems to promote balance, movement and recovery. For those experiencing fatigue or burnout, osteopathic treatment can:
✅ Release Physical Tension
We often store stress in our muscles, especially around the ribcage, shoulders, jaw and abdomen. Gentle osteopathic techniques can reduce tension and support better circulation and lymphatic flow.
✅ Improve Breathing and Diaphragm Function
Restricted breathing can keep the nervous system stuck in stress mode. Improving rib and diaphragm mobility supports the body’s ability to shift into a calmer, more restorative state.
✅ Activate the “Rest and Digest” System
Hands-on osteopathy often helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs rest, digestion, and healing. Many patients report feeling relaxed or sleepy after treatment, a good sign the body is downregulating.
✅ Increase Body Awareness
Fatigue can disconnect us from our own needs. Osteopathy encourages deeper body awareness, helping patients notice and respond to tension, fatigue, or breath-holding before it builds up.
Osteopathy and Somatic Support
There’s increasing awareness of the value of somatic (body-based) therapies for managing stress, trauma and nervous system overwhelm. Osteopathy fits naturally within this space, offering a non-verbal, non-invasive way to regulate the body and restore a sense of calm.
It’s not about “fixing” you, it’s about supporting your body’s capacity to heal itself.
What You Can Do at Home
Alongside osteopathic care, small daily habits can support recovery from fatigue and burnout:
🧘 Gentle movement like walking or stretching
🫁 Diaphragmatic breathing or paced breathing
🥗 Regular meals, hydration and blood sugar balance
🌳 Time in nature and natural light
😌 Reducing sensory overload (noise, screens, multitasking)
💤 Prioritising deep rest over constant productivity
Recovery takes time, but it starts with small, consistent choices.
Final Thoughts
If you’re struggling with fatigue, brain fog, or stress-related symptoms, you’re not broken. Your body is responding exactly as it should to prolonged pressure, and it needs space, support, and recovery.
At Body Zest in Banstead, we help people reconnect with their bodies, restore movement, and support their nervous systems through gentle, effective osteopathy.
If you’re local to Banstead and want to explore osteopathic support, click here to book.