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Let’s Talk PMS! 5 Ways Acupuncture Helps Smooth Your Cycle

My periods sucked when I was in my teens and twenties. Constipation, bloating, fatigue, achey low back, and wicked cramps.  While these issues are common, they are not normal or healthy.  No one had told me that, so that’s why I’m here. To tell all the women in Naperville and beyond, that a healthier easier cycle is totally possible.

 

Does everyone get PMS?

Lots of women get signs before their period starts.  Some get emotional, while others get sore breasts, some get irritable and short-tempered.  We all have friends, relatives, or ourselves that experience one or more signs of PMS.   While almost everyone gets some sort of signal of when their period is coming, there’s a difference between a gentle signal and pain and suffering.

In fact it’s so common to have discomforts or disruptive issues associated with the menstrual  cycle,  that more women do than don’t.  According to the Department of  health and  human  services, 90% of women report  having some PMS.

 

PMS vs Dysmenorrhea Vs PMDD

The range of experiences varies as much as our toenail polish choices! Some get no sign at all before bleeding and some notice mild moodiness or mild cramping.  Dysmenorrhea which is the term used for any type of pain associated with the menstrual cycle, to Pre Menstrual Dysphoria Disorder (PMDD) which is severe mood alterations.  All of these can happen before and or during menstruation but happen cyclicly.

 

Take Charge of Your Health!

Our monthly cycle should not cause us to miss work or school, or have a negative impact on our relationships.  I’m here to advocate for you. in a world that doesn’t always understand.  Read on to learn 5 ways acupuncture can help you get your life back.

 

Regulate the Cycle

Irregular can mean coming  at different frequencies, even skipping months or coming twice in a month.  It often indicates that the Liver system is not functioning properly.  Stress and sugar are the big culprits, and acupuncture helps to reduce stress and cravings. Using pulse diagnosis, abdominal diagnosis, and questioning we pinpoint the imbalance and work to correct it to regulate the cycle.

 

Reduce Pain

Dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, are miserable! Pain can include the lower abdomen,  low back, thighs, breasts, and head.  Get a migraine every month the day before your  period? That points to what we call Qi Stagnation, which is pent up energy blocking the normal flow of blood and nerve signals.   Acupuncture works by unblocking the energy channels which in turn relieves pain.  Low back super achey?  This points to low energy creating weakness, and sometimes herbs may be added to your treatment plan for internal nourishment and support.  Uterine cramping is lack of proper flow in the uterus, which can be due to a variety of reasons that I differentiate to tailor treatment.

 

Mood Management

So many women are  upset by  how  they seem to transform into a  beast the week  before their period.  Understandable – we know it’s not our true nature yet it  feels out of control.  This is yet another manifestation of how the  body can’t regulate smoothly due to being overburdened.  Acupuncture will help you feel yourself more and less out of control.  And of course the relaxation factor is not to be underestimated!

 

Smooth Digestion

Lots of women experience bloating, constipation, or diarrhea before and/or during their period.  This is because the fluctuation in estrogen, progesterone, and prostaglandins affecting the muscles of the intestines.  Acupuncture really helps regulate the hormones, prevent energy blockages, and again, smooth out the fluctuations.

 

Promote Fertility

Whether you have been told high FSH, idiopathic (unexplained), or male factor infertility are  interfering with conceiving, acupuncture works by  balancing the hormones, calming the nervous system, and promoting circulation, all of which contribute to increased fertility.  If you have trouble conceiving and have any of the above issues, then resolving those issues often helps to resolve the obstacle pregnancy.

 

 

Sources:

https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/premenstrual-syndrome

https://www.healthline.com/health/period-poop#constipation

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327490

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