Living with POTS: Finding Real Treatment That Supports You
You might look fine on the outside — but what’s happening inside your body can feel like a full-blown storm.
POTS isn’t just “being dizzy” or “feeling tired.” It’s standing up and suddenly hearing your heartbeat in your ears. It’s reaching for a glass of water and realizing your hands are shaking. It’s having your vision go gray at the edges while you try to keep a conversation going at work.
It’s the frustration of being told to “just push through” — when pushing through often leads to collapse.
For many people living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), daily life becomes a series of exhausting calculations:
- How long can I stand before I feel faint?
- Will I have enough energy to shower and make a meal today?
- How do I explain to my boss — again — why I need to sit down right now?
And beneath the physical symptoms, there’s something even more depleting: the emotional toll of not being believed.
Especially for teenagers and young women, who are most commonly affected by POTS, symptoms are often dismissed or misdiagnosed as anxiety or stress.² Pediatric patients are frequently described as high-achieving, healthy adolescents who fall suddenly ill after an infection or growth spurt — and don’t bounce back the way others do.¹ These are the “ideal kids” who suddenly struggle to get out of bed, attend school, or even walk across a room without getting dizzy.
You may have been told it’s “all in your head,” or that you’re just sensitive or lazy. But what you’re living with is real — and it has a clear neurological basis. POTS is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, the part of the body responsible for regulating things like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. In people with POTS, the system becomes dysfunctional, often leading to an exaggerated increase in heart rate when transitioning from lying to standing.²
There’s grief in this, too: grieving the life you had before your body changed. Maybe you were athletic. Maybe you had a social life you loved, or a career you were building. And now, even simple things — walking the dog, standing in line, taking a shower — can leave you drained or collapsing.
It’s not just inconvenient. It’s invisible, life-altering, and sometimes deeply isolating. While estimates vary, it’s believed that 1 to 3 million people in the United States may be living with POTS, many without a proper diagnosis.³
The condition is still widely underrecognized, even among physicians — and that delay in diagnosis often adds to the emotional burden patients carry.³
But you are not alone in this. And while POTS can feel unpredictable and overwhelming, there are treatment approaches — some familiar, some less so — that may offer more consistent support, not just for your symptoms, but for your overall quality of life.
What Is POTS, and Why Does It Affect So Many Areas of Life?
POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, but those words don’t come close to capturing what it actually feels like to live with.
At its core, POTS is a form of dysautonomia — a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, which controls things your body is supposed to regulate automatically: heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature, and more. When you have POTS, this system doesn’t respond the way it should, especially when you shift from lying down to standing up. That change in posture causes your heart to speed up excessively — often by 30 beats per minute or more within 10 minutes of standing, even without a drop in blood pressure.²
What that feels like can vary from person to person, but most describe symptoms like:
- Lightheadedness or near-fainting when standing
- A pounding or racing heart
- Severe fatigue and post-exertional crashes
- Nausea or “tummy upset” after eating
- Brain fog, difficulty concentrating
- Cold hands and feet
- Exercise intolerance or full-body exhaustion after basic activity
Some people experience all of these at once. Others cycle through symptoms that flare unpredictably and make it difficult to trust their own body from one hour to the next.
Many patients are first told that these symptoms are due to dehydration, anxiety, or simply being “out of shape.” But in reality, these experiences are linked to measurable changes in circulation and nerve function that doctors can observe, if they’re trained to look for them.³
There are different types of POTS, including:
- Neuropathic POTS, where there’s damage or dysfunction in the small nerve fibers that help control blood vessel tone
- Hyperadrenergic POTS, where the body produces too much norepinephrine (a stress hormone), leading to feelings of panic or surges in heart rate
- Secondary POTS, which develops in connection with another condition like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lyme disease, or a viral illness like COVID-19²
Although POTS can affect anyone, it is most common in females between the ages of 15 and 50, and it frequently begins during adolescence — especially after a period of rapid growth, hormonal shifts, or recovery from an illness.¹ This is one reason many pediatric patients are misdiagnosed or brushed off early on, especially if they "look fine" on the outside.¹
And yet, the internal experience of POTS can be devastating. For young adults, it can mean missing months or years of school, watching friendships slip away, or feeling like life is passing by while they struggle just to get out of bed. For working adults, it can lead to job loss, financial strain, or a slow erosion of confidence in their own body and mind.³
Despite being recognized by the medical community for over a decade, POTS is still frequently underdiagnosed, and patients often see multiple doctors over several years before receiving an accurate diagnosis.³ This delay not only prolongs suffering, but also erodes trust in the healthcare system — leaving many patients feeling defeated before they’ve even begun treatment.
Why Typical POTS Treatments Often Fall Short
By the time a diagnosis arrives, many patients have already been handed a mix of standard treatment suggestions that, for them, haven’t led to real relief. Drink more water, eat more salt, wear compression stockings, try cardio, take this medication, then try that one. And while some of these strategies can be helpful, many patients find themselves still stuck in a loop: trying to follow the rules but still feeling exhausted, dizzy, and disheartened.
To be clear, these foundational strategies do have a purpose. Increasing fluids and salt helps expand blood volume, which can ease symptoms of poor circulation. Compression garments support blood flow to the brain. And graded exercise, done carefully and consistently, may help improve cardiovascular tolerance over time.²⁻⁴
But here’s the truth: POTS is not just about circulation. It’s about the broader dysfunction of your autonomic nervous system. And if treatment focuses only on blood pressure or heart rate, without addressing fatigue, gut symptoms, cognitive fog, or emotional overwhelm, it’s no wonder people feel like they’re missing pieces of the puzzle.
Medications Can Help — But They’re Not Always Enough
Some patients respond well to medications like beta blockers, which reduce heart rate and help stabilize blood flow. Others may try midodrine, which tightens blood vessels and raises blood pressure.¹ These meds can reduce certain symptoms, especially for those with more severe tachycardia or hypotension. But they can also come with side effects like fatigue, mood changes, or gastrointestinal upset — and for many people, they only partially relieve symptoms or stop working over time.
Dr. Philip Fischer, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic who treats adolescents with POTS, has observed that even when medications help, they’re not a silver bullet. In fact, many patients feel dismissed when medications don’t fully resolve their symptoms, leading them to wonder if recovery is even possible.¹
One-Size-Fits-All Doesn't Work for POTS
The most frustrating part? What works for one patient may not work at all for another.
POTS can present differently from person to person, and it’s often linked with other conditions — like hypermobility disorders, autoimmune issues, or post-viral syndromes.² That means a treatment plan that focuses solely on cardiovascular metrics may overlook the true drivers of a patient’s symptoms.
Many people report feeling like they’re just “patching holes” rather than truly healing. They’re handed a list of general advice and left to figure it out alone, without meaningful follow-up or personalized care.
It’s not surprising that a large portion of POTS patients turn to alternative or complementary therapies — not because they’re desperate or naive, but because they’re still searching for support that addresses the whole person.
A More Holistic Path to Managing POTS Symptoms
If you’ve tried all the standard recommendations — more salt, more water, medications, exercise plans — and still feel like your symptoms run your life, you’re not alone. Many people with POTS reach a point where they’re doing everything "right" but still not getting better.
At Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness, we’ve seen this same kind of nervous system dysregulation in patients with conditions like fibromyalgia and complex chronic fatigue — where symptoms such as dizziness, brain fog, and post-exertional crashes show up in different ways, even when the root diagnosis is different. What these conditions often share is the lived experience of not feeling “safe” in your own body — and that’s where treatment has to begin.
That’s where a more integrated, whole-person approach can make a difference.
At Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness in Tualatin, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all treatment. Instead, we take a deeper look at what’s driving your symptoms — and build a plan that works with your body’s unique needs.
Supporting the Nervous System, Not Just the Heart
POTS is fundamentally a disorder of nervous system regulation. That’s why our first goal is to help restore balance to your autonomic nervous system — the part that controls your heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, and more.
One of the most important players in this system is the vagus nerve — a communication superhighway that links your brain to many key organs. In people with POTS, vagal signaling can become impaired, contributing to symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and exhaustion.
Acupuncture is one of the few therapies shown to positively influence this system. In fact, studies have found that acupuncture can reduce markers of sympathetic overactivation (the “fight-or-flight” response) and improve heart rate variability, a key indicator of nervous system resilience.⁵ This shift can translate into fewer dizzy spells, a calmer heart rate, and improved energy throughout the day.
In a 2015 multicenter clinical trial, patients with chronic fatigue who received regular acupuncture treatments reported significantly less exhaustion, better stress tolerance, and an improved sense of well-being — all without the side effects of medication.⁶ These are the same issues that often wear POTS patients down over time.
Acupuncture has also been shown to improve brain fog, anxiety, and autonomic dysfunction by enhancing heart rate variability and restoring nervous system balance.⁷ For many patients with POTS, mental clarity and emotional steadiness are just as important as stabilizing heart rate — and often more elusive.
Functional MRI studies also show that acupuncture affects key brain structures involved in autonomic regulation, including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and regions of the brainstem that influence the vagus nerve.⁸ These areas are central to how the body regulates stress, mood, and homeostasis — all of which can be disrupted in POTS. This deeper level of nervous system modulation may explain why some patients notice improvements in not just heart rate or dizziness, but also mood stability and energy.
Real Relief for Digestive Symptoms
If POTS leaves your stomach in knots — bloating, nausea, cramping, or constipation — you’re not imagining it. These symptoms are common and often stem from how POTS disrupts gut motility and circulation.
Here too, acupuncture has proven value. A 2021 systematic review of 61 randomized controlled trials found that acupuncture significantly improved symptoms of functional gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia.⁹ These improvements were seen even compared to medication — and with a lower rate of side effects.
More Than One Modality, Working Together
While acupuncture forms the foundation of care, Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness takes it a step further with targeted, noninvasive therapies designed to support and stabilize your system more fully — especially when symptoms are complex or overlapping.
- ATP Resonance BioTherapy® uses gentle electrical currents to help regulate inflammation, support cellular energy, and promote systemic balance. This can be especially useful for patients struggling with chronic pain, fatigue, or stress-related dysregulation.
- O3 ReBoot Therapy® may benefit patients experiencing brain fog, digestive discomfort, or inflammatory symptoms. It helps support circulation and overall physiologic recovery in a way that complements acupuncture's regulatory effects.
These therapies are never one-size-fits-all. Instead, we use them strategically and in combination — based on how your body is responding and where you most need support.
Our approach is about helping your system regain rhythm and resilience — not just short-term symptom relief, but deeper stability over time.
We don’t treat the diagnosis. We treat the person living with it — with care, intention, and therapies that respect the full complexity of your experience.
You’re Not Making It Up, and You Don’t Have to Manage It Alone
Living with POTS can feel like you’re constantly defending your experience — to doctors, to loved ones, even to yourself.
You’ve probably been told it’s anxiety. That it’s “not that bad.” That you just need more sleep or less stress or a little more willpower. But none of that explains why your heart races when you stand up, why your brain shuts down halfway through a sentence, or why your body seems to need more recovery than movement.
You deserve to be taken seriously. You deserve care that doesn’t just treat numbers on a chart, but sees the full weight of what you’re carrying — and helps lighten it.
At Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness, we understand that POTS isn’t just about fainting or fatigue. It’s about how those symptoms chip away at your confidence, independence, and peace of mind. That’s why we take a whole-person approach to care — one that supports your nervous system, relieves your symptoms, and respects your lived experience every step of the way.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, years into your search for answers, or still wondering what’s going on with your body, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Dr. Jeffrey Savage, LAc, DACM offers individualized consultations to determine whether acupuncture and complementary therapies may be right for you. If you're a candidate, we’ll create a care plan tailored to your unique pattern, symptoms, and lifestyle. Learn more about our approach and philosophy here.
Ready to Take the First Step?
The best way to get started is to call us directly.
Call +1 (503) 336-4747 to schedule your free consultation with Dr. Savage. We welcome patients from Tualatin and the greater Portland area, and we’ll take the time to listen, understand your symptoms, and explore personalized options to help you start feeling better.
If you’re not able to call right now, you can also fill out the form on our New Patient Offer page, and a member of our team will follow up with you shortly.
You’ve carried this long enough. Let’s find out if we can help.
Frequently Asked Questions about POTS and Acupuncture
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Yes — acupuncture may help regulate the autonomic nervous system, which is often dysfunctional in POTS. Many patients report improvements in symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, and brain fog when acupuncture is used as part of a whole-person treatment plan.
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Natural approaches may include dietary adjustments (increased salt and hydration), compression garments, gentle movement, acupuncture, and therapies that support nervous system regulation. Some patients also benefit from stress management techniques and digestive support.
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When performed by a licensed provider experienced in treating dysautonomia, acupuncture is generally considered safe. At Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness, treatments are adapted to avoid triggering symptoms and to support recovery at your pace.
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Some patients experience fewer dizzy spells after starting acupuncture, likely due to improved blood flow and autonomic stability. Results can vary depending on the root cause of your symptoms.
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Medications can be helpful for some patients, but many find that their symptoms persist. Acupuncture and complementary therapies may support areas medications don’t fully address — like brain fog, fatigue, GI issues, and post-exertional crashes.
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Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness, located in Tualatin and serving the greater Portland area, offers acupuncture and integrative therapies for patients with POTS and related conditions. Schedule a free consultation to learn more.
References:
- Fischer P. Understanding POTS: Mayo Clinic explains symptoms and treatment. Mayo Clinic. Published January 29, 2009. Accessed May 18, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ9bv7jx-Ls
- Zhao S, Tran VH. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. [Updated 2023 Aug 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541074/
- Raj SR, Bourne KM, Stiles LE, et al. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): Priorities for POTS care and research from a 2019 National Institutes of Health Expert Consensus Meeting - Part 2. Auton Neurosci. 2021;235:102836. doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2021.102836
- Cleveland Clinic. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Updated 2024. Accessed May 18, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/neurological/depts/neuromuscular/postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome
- Chung JW, Yan VC, Zhang H. Effect of acupuncture on heart rate variability: a systematic review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:819871. doi:10.1155/2014/819871
- Kim JE, Seo BK, Choi JB, et al. Acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue: a multicenter, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2015;16:314. doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0857-0
- Martínez OM, Fossion R, Piceno YG, et al. Heart rate variability and psychometric analysis in patients with hyperactive heart fire syndrome. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2021;14(4):137–148. doi:10.51507/j.jams.2021.14.4.137
- Hui KK, Marina O, Liu J, Rosen BR, Kwong KK. Acupuncture, the limbic system, and the anticorrelated networks of the brain. Auton Neurosci. 2010;157(1-2):81–90. doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2010.03.022
- Wang XY, Wang H, Guan YY, et al. Acupuncture for functional gastrointestinal disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;36(11):3015–3026. doi:10.1111/jgh.15645
