Women’s Health: Menstruation, Fertility, Pregnancy, Menopause, and Stress Relief.

A woman’s body goes through many different hormonal cycles in the course of a lifetime. These changes start at puberty with menstruation, then again with pregnancy, and eventually through menopause.  A woman’s body is in a constant state of change. Women of all ages can benefit from acupuncture care. For young women just beginning to menstruate, acupuncture can help relieve cramps and PMS. The menstrual cycle can be comfortable and regular so that it won't interfere with normal activities. Your mother may tell you that her period was difficult until she had her first baby. But you don't have to wait that long. PMS symptoms usually begin to disappear quickly with acupuncture treatment.  Acupuncture and/or Chinese Herbal Medicine can work to restore hormonal and emotional balance and overall vitality to women during any stage of their journey.

 

Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for women's health. Acupuncture can be & has been used for thousands of years to address hormonal health problems,  including PMS, menstrual cramps, fertility, hot flashes/menopause and endometriosis, PCOS, pregnancy complaints and more.

Hormonal Health

Acupuncture can be used to address the following:

-PMS

-Endometriosis

-Cramps

-Mood swings

-Spotting

-Heavy period

-Clots

-PCOS

-Irregular  menstruation

-Breast tenderness/pain or lumps

-Digestive upset

-Symptoms of menopause

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Menopause

Many women are using Acupuncture and/or Chinese medicine to help the transition.  As your body changes, subtle energy imbalances may show up in the form of irritating symptoms.During menopause, acupuncture and/or chinese herbal medicine can eliminate hot flashes, night sweats and sugar cravings while promoting weight loss and better sleep patterns. It can also relieve pain, emotional stress, and stabilize mood swings. Acupuncture treatments can also minimize osteoporosis and poor mental function by increasing clarity and focus while also treating anxiety and depression often associated with menopause.

Common symptoms that Acupuncture could treat, related to Menopause:

-Mood changes

-Hot flashes

-Night sweats

-Digestive issues

-Fatigue

-Menstrual irregularities

-Insomnia

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Fertility

Not only can acupuncture help with regulating the menstrual cycle but it can help with fertility and those trying to conceive.  The inability to get pregnant can be due to unforeseen reasons, fibroids, lack of ovulation , luteal phase deficiency, endometriosis, PCOS, and low sperm count or motility issues [in men]. For women trying to get pregnant, acupuncture can promote conception by boosting blood flow to the pelvic organs, providing them with better nourishment, normalizing FSH levels, balancing estrogen and progesterone levels, increasing follicle size and improving and strengthening the lining of the uterus; therefore, promoting conception and a healthy, full-term pregnancy.  

Acupuncture not only helps the body get ready to be pregnant but helps women relax and de-stress so their bodies are able to become pregnant more easily.  Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system to be over stimulated causing blood flow to be diverted away from the ovaries and uterus to the adrenals instead.  This contributes to a potential inability to become pregnant.

Acupuncture helps many women get pregnant with or without the additional use of conventional methods such as IUI or IVF. Optimally, twice a week or weekly is recommended for many fertility patients. Acupuncture can also be used before and during IVF (in vitro fertilization). Typically 3-4 months of regular treatments before an IVF cycle are recommended.

In regards to reproductive health, research has shown that Acupuncture can help the following:

 

• Reduce stress

• Balance hormones

• Increase blood flow to the uterus

• Regulate menstrual cycle

• Promote ovulation

• Decrease menstrual cramps

• Improve endometrium (uterine lining)

• Prevent recurrent miscarriage