Women's Health & TCM
A woman’s body goes through many cycles in the course of a lifetime. From the onset of puberty, healthy pregnancy, and menopause, with many years of menstruation in between, a woman’s body is in a constant state of change. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine work to restore balance and overall vitality to women along any stage of their journey. Gynecological conditions including irregular menses, painful menses, heavy uterine bleeding, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), fibroids, endometriosis, and infertility along with menopause are some of the most successfully treated problems by acupuncture and TCM. TCM has long recognized that health and vitality can be sustained over a woman’s lifetime by restoring balance within the body and supporting the natural production of essential hormones.
How TCM can help
- Aids a dietary cleanse, digestion, appetite control, and weight management.
- Gently encourages the body’s systems to move toward balance and optimal functioning.
- Increases blood circulation and helps remove blockages such as blood clots and cysts.
- Soothes emotions sedates mental activity and reduces stress. Particularly effective in the premenstrual phase.
- Balances body fluid metabolism, helping reduce the retention of water and enhance the elimination of waste.
- Boosts resistance to viral and bacterial attacks and helps reduce inflammation via immune system regulation.
- Regulates the bowels and urinary function, optimizing the elimination of waste.
- Improves sleep conditions such as trouble falling asleep, light sleep, night sweats and waking early with difficulty going back to sleep.
- It helps in the management of painful conditions such as Endometriosis.
- Supplements deficiencies of vital energy and nourishes blood production.
- Helps stop unwanted bleeding as is the case with fibroids, polyps or the flooding that may occur as a result of hormonal shifting toward the end of a woman’s reproductive years.
- Regulates the menstrual cycle including ovulation and PMS via the restoration of hormonal balance.
- Is traditionally used to ‘secure fetus’ and reduce the incidence of miscarriage.
- Increases libido (both male and female) and helps manage erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
Women of all ages can benefit from acupuncture care
1. Young women
a) Premenstrual syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome covers a broad spectrum of issues that can include emotional symptoms such as depression, irritability, sadness, anxiety, or poor concentration. PMS can also include physical symptoms, such as breast tenderness, a change in bowel habits, acne, or loss of libido. Symptoms can change from month to month and vary widely in terms of severity. Imbalances can arise from a variety of factors, including poor diet, too much work, physical or emotional trauma, constitutionally weak Qi (energy) or stress.
In 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 treatment.
b) Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome(PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders, affecting an estimated 10% of women of reproductive age. Among the problems associated with the condition are elevated levels of androgens, ovarian cysts, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility.
Studies has shown that exercise and electro-acupuncture treatments reduce sympathetic nerve activity in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The finding is important because women with PCOS often have elevated sympathetic nerve activity, which plays a role in hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Electro-acupuncture treatments also led to more regular menstrual cycles, reduced testosterone levels and reduced waist circumference.
c) Endometriosis
Endometriosis is described as the abnormal growth of endometrial tissue outside the endometrium. Endometrial cells are those that are found in the uterine lining. Often associated with swelling and severe pain, endometriosis can be debilitating. Acupuncture causes the brain to stimulate your body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals – lessening your pain and improving blood circulation to reduce swelling. Acupuncture combined with herbal medicine restrains heavy bleeding associated with fibroids and endometriosis and relieves pain.
2. Getting Pregnant
For women who are trying to become pregnant, acupuncture helps solve problems of infertility. After childbirth, acupuncture and herbal medicine are very helpful in restoring and replenishing the new mother’s energy. Detailed explanation on how TCM can help with your fertility can be found by clicking the image below.
3. Menopause
Menopause is a transitional period marking the cessation of ovulation in a woman’s body. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and are brought on as our bodies try to adapt to decreasing amounts of estrogen. Symptoms can include hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, memory loss, dryness, headaches, joint pain, and weight gain. Menopause patients are encouraged to maintain a healthy weight, stabilize blood sugar, and eliminate stress, tension and anxiety or learn new techniques to cope with them to diminish the effects they have.
TCM does not recognize menopause as one particular syndrome and aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body. Therefore, if 10 women are treated each will receive a unique, customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different herbs and different lifestyle and diet recommendations.
We’d be happy to discuss your condition and answer any questions you may have. Call today to schedule your consultation.
Our TCM Physicians
Principal Physician
Edmund Pang
Senior TCM Physician
Jasmine Xie
Lau Ee Wen