Women’s Health
Constant change is normal, and healthy. As women we experience changes throughout our lives; menarche, pregnancy, birth and menopause. The ease or difficulty of these transitions represents health or imbalance. Good health is all these energies and processes working in harmony. Imbalance in any one area, like sleep, mood, digestion, or hormones, can affect all areas. Because the energies and processes of the body are interrelated and interdependent, we pay close attention to your symptoms, and also the context in which they show up.
We work hard to find the root cause in order to make lasting change.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is both effective and gentle in regaining balance, helping the body and spirit to move toward health. And it feels good, with most common side effects being less stress, more energy and a positive mood.
What we treat often and well:
- Menstrual Irregularities (Short, long, heavy, light, no periods.)
- PMS
- Endometriosis
- PCOS
- Menopausal Syndrome
Menstrual Irregularities
A period that is too long, too short, heavy, light, or even absent reveals information about hormonal imbalance in the body. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine provide a natural, effective and safe alternative to resolve many menstrual irregularities.
To understand the cycle and how Chinese medicine views it we must first visit the concepts of yin and yang. Yin and yang are only defined in relationship to one another. Yin is considered more cooling and nurturing while yang is considered more warming and energetic. They are constantly in motion and should always remain in balance. We can find yin/yang pairs in everything; the sun and moon, water and fire, feminine and masculine. Our cycles can also reflect this yin/yang balance, we must first build up a blood supply in order to nourish another life, and then shed this blood when it is not needed.
The menstrual cycle is a reflection of this balance. In order to have a regular, healthy menstrual cycle we need to have enough yin to build the blood, and enough yang to move the blood. When either yin or yang becomes imbalanced negative symptoms can occur.
PMS
Anxiety, depression, irritability, breast tenderness, bloating, cramping; do you find yourself managing these symptoms every month? Do you need medication, or crave certain foods to get through your days? Premenstrual syndrome is a common and often debilitating condition affecting many women.
What can Chinese Medicine help?
Acupuncture and herbs help ease the discomfort and regain hormonal balance, letting you live without worrying about where you are in your cycle. We begin by looking carefully at you as an individual. Are you generally warm? Cold? Thirsty? Do you get irritable or sad? We treat PMS every day, and tailor each treatment to benefit you as an infividual. We offer an effective, simple and gentle treatment.
How many treatments are needed?
1 time per week for 1-2 menstrual cycles
Generally PMS responds fairly quickly to treatment. You should notice a difference within the first month of treatment. Read our blog on PMS to learn more about how we can help relieve these symptoms.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is often found in women experiencing extremely painful, heavy menstrual cycles. It is defined as endometrial tissue growing outside of the uterus. This tissue responds to estrogen during the menstrual cycle, causing it to grow, and then bleed during the period. It is this bleeding that is suspected to cause pain. There are also theories that the endometrial tissue causes an autoimmune response in women, which could contribute to inflammation and infertility. While many women will experience painful cramping and heavy bleeding during the period, 30% of women with endometriosis present with no other symptoms than infertility. Endometriosis can only be confirmed visually by doing a laparoscopic procedure.
Western treatments can include birth control pills or other medications. Laparoscopic removal of the endometrial tissue is also used in cases of severe endometriosis or for women trying to conceive.
What can Chinese medicine do?
Through acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, we work to restore the cycle naturally and relieve pain and discomfort. Both acupuncture and herbs work to reduce pain, promote hormonal balance, and get at the root cause to help your body heal. The goal is to help your body regulate itself and find hormonal balance naturally so that you will no longer need to rely on any treatments either Chinese medicine or western medicine.
How many treatments are needed?
1-2 times per week for 1-3 menstrual cycles.
The length of treatment will vary based on the severity of your symptoms and your goals. If you are looking to become pregnant, treatment can last four to eight months and is often done in conjunction with western medicine treatments.
PCOS
Not getting your period? Is your period irregular? Do you struggle with easily gaining weight, or experience sugar cravings? These are some of the common symptoms that lead a woman to be diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian syndrome, is becoming more and more common for women of reproductive age. It is diagnosed by a combination of symptoms, and often presents in many different ways. It is a complex disorder affecting a woman’s hormonal levels, periods, and ovulation. For reasons that are not well understood, hormone levels become out of balance affecting the ovulatory system and often other systems as well, including insulin sensitivity.
What can Acupuncture do?
Chinese medicine, both acupuncture and herbs, are very effective at getting to the root of the issue. Studies have shown the beneficial effects of acupuncture in the treatment of PCOS. We focus on bringing your bodies reproductive hormones back into rhythm, helping you to ovulate naturally.
How many treatments are needed?
1 time per week for 3-4 menstrual cycles.
Treatment time can vary depending on a woman’s response, some need very little treatment while others need longer courses to have sustaining effects. For women experiencing an infertility diagnosis due to PCOS, we want to make sure to get you ovulating regularly and then help optimize your fertility, so plan on three to six months of treatments.
Menopause
Menopause is a natural and appropriate transition, something our bodies are designed to do. While it is normal to experience some changes for a few cycles as our bodies change, suffering for months or years before or after our periods stop indicate something is wrong.
Menopausal syndrome is a complicated condition occurring between the ages of 45-56 years for most women. What happens to you, and what your friends experience can be radically different. Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, depression, body aches, fatigue are symptoms we see regularly in our clinic. Menopause is a natural and appropriate transition, something our bodies are designed to do..
What can Chinese medicine do?
Acupuncture has been shown to be very helpful in treating menopausal syndrome, with clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness. Many women seek out our care because they are looking for treatment outside of hormonal therapies.
Our strength is in the inherent ability of Chinese medicine to tailor treatment to the individual. We treat you, not your diagnosis.
How many treatments are needed?
1-2 times per week for 4-6 weeks.
Research, and our own experience, has shown that a series of treatments once to twice weekly gives both immediate and long lasting relief. The frequency of the treatment can vary depending on how long you have been experiencing symptoms, and their severity.