While acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is probably most often thought of for pain management, there are so many other areas of health that it can help. One of those areas is Women's Health, and it is also happens to be one of our specialties at AcuCascadia - helping women thrive throughout the lifespan. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat women’s health issues and can often help treat symptoms that Western medicine may downplay or write off as “psychosomatic;” a common frustration for women of all ages.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be used to support:
-Menstrual cycles- Do you suffer from painful periods? Acupuncture has been shown to help treat menstrual cramps and dysmenorrhea (1). Your acupuncturist will ask you a lot of questions about your period flow, cycle length and symptoms to determine what organ systems need support. It can also support cyclical symptoms that arise from PMS or PMDD such as mood changes, breast tenderness and insomnia. Our aim to to help your body have more regular and gentler periods naturally.
-Fertility- Acupuncture is often used to support fertility. Acupuncturists will use acupuncture and Chinese herbs to help support the menstrual cycle, hormonal balance, and decreasing stress. Studies have shown that acupuncture may also help success rates when done during fertility treatments such as IVF (2).
-Pregnancy and postpartum- Pregnancy and Postpartum periods can come with a variety of different symptoms. Acupuncture is safe during pregnancy and can help with things like nausea (3), insomnia (4) and back pain (5). Stress management and mood support is often something we focus on as well during this time. Acupuncture during the postpartum recovery period can also be a really beneficial complementary therapy helping to support emotional and physical wellbeing.
-Perimenopause and Menopause- Hot flashes, insomnia, mood changes, and low libido are just a few of the issues many women face during perimenopause and menopause. We help many women find balance during this natural transition. Research shows that acupuncture can be really helpful during menopause to treat common symptoms and support quality of life (6).
Feel free to contact us if you have questions on how acupuncture may support you, or schedule an appointment to meet with one of our practitioners.