Women’s Health
The main health conditions concerning women relate to menstruation, infertility, pregnancy/childbirth and menopause. While the body undergoes significant changes throughout the monthly menstrual cycle or at the end of childbearing years, sustaining a state of equilibrium can be especially difficult. Oriental Medicine aims to help women by sustaining good physical and emotional health.
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for the Treatment of Women's Health
In Oriental medicine, menstruation is made possible by two main meridians in the body: the Spleen and Liver. The Spleen creates blood through consumption and absorption of food, while the Liver stores the blood in the body. The Liver prepares the body for monthly cycles that are smooth and occur on time. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The most common issues encountered during menstruation are pain, bloating, mood swings, headaches, clots, breast distention and PMT (pre or post menstrual tension).
Using acupuncture can help women with irregular periods (metrorrhagia or oligomenorrhoea) or absent periods (amenorrhea) to return to a regular cycle.
It is also beneficial to women with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) to regulate their menstrual cycle since they may experience irregular ovulation and irregular cycles, which can complicate conceiving.
Regular acupuncture treatments are recommended to achieve optimal results, since these treatments are aimed at correcting any underlying energetic imbalances in the body. These treatments are also timed to coincide with various physiological changes associated with each menstrual cycle phase.
Couples are increasingly turning to acupuncture and Oriental medicine to help with pre-conceptual care and support while trying to conceive to optimize their chances of achieving their fertility dreams.
In Chinese medicine, menopause is recognized as a natural part of women’s lives due to their bodies’ changing chemistry. As part of the natural process, Yin and Yang energies can become imbalanced and contribute to menopause. One possible scenario is a slowing down of the flow of Yin, the body’s cooling system. If this cooling system fails to function properly, heat symptoms will naturally occur, such as night sweats, restlessness, hot flashes, mood swings, and heart palpitations. An imbalance may also be caused by the decline of Yang energy. Yang represents the body’s warming and metabolism functions. When Yang is unbalanced, symptoms may include water retention, cold hands and feet, weight gain, edema, indigestion, hypertension, or elevated cholesterol levels. Acupuncture and herbal medicine call help alleviate these symptoms, balance the energies and make women more comfortable through this natural process.
Acupuncture is known to be effective for a wide range of women’s health issues, including:
- Menstrual irregularities
- PMS
- Pelvic Pain
- Interstitial Cystitis
- Vulvadynia
- Dyspareunia (pain during intercourse)
- Pain and Cramps
- Digestive Issues
- Breast Distention and Pain
- Headaches
- Mood Swings
- Night Sweating
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
Research Articles
The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5999465/#:~:text=The%20results%20of%20this%20study,%2Dterm%20follow%2Dup%20period.
Acupuncture to treat primary dysmenorrhea in women: a randomized controlled trial
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3140031/
