Many women turn to acupuncture for help when conventional medicine hasn't helped with their symptoms or because they are looking for a more natural, non-drug approach. Acupuncture is helpful for women's reproductive health from the onset of menstruation in puberty to the challenges of menopause and beyond.
Menstruation
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, menstruation is referred to as Heavenly Water: heavenly, because it is recognized that menstrual blood is necessary for conception, and water, because the reproductive organs are so closely associated with the Kidney system (which generally includes the functions of the kidneys, adrenal glands, pituitary and hypothalamus), whose element is water. Acupuncture can be helpful with many problems related to a woman's menstrual cycle, including:
- painful menstruation
- irregular cycles
- heavy bleeding or spotting between periods
- short, scanty periods
- breast swelling and tenderness
- headaches
- mood swings
- vaginal itching or recurrent vaginal infections
- polycystic ovaries
- endometriosis
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is often a very special time in a woman's life, but brings with it any number of physical and emotional challenges. Acupuncture is also a very healthy and safe treatment during pregnancy, and women often find it very relaxing. Some of the challenges during pregnancy that acupuncture can help with include:
- prevention of miscarriage
- morning sickness
- heartburn
- constipation, hemorrhoids
- aches and pains
- depression or other mood disorders
- insomnia
- irritable uterus, premature labour, overdue labour
- baby in breech presentation
- intrauterine growth retardation (small-for-dates babies)
- sinusitis
- mild pregnancy-related hypertension
- edema
Menopause and Beyond
Just as menstruation occurs when a girl's body recognizes that it has developed strong enough resources of qi and blood to sustain menstruation, menopause occurs when a woman's body recognizes that it can no longer sustain the loss of blood from monthly periods. This transition may be smooth, or it may bring challenges with it. Acupuncture can be useful in treating the following conditions, often associated with perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause:
- hot flushes
- night sweats
- night waking
- heavy menstrual bleeding
- headaches
- fatigue
- irritability or anxiety
Extra Reading
Zhao, Xiaolan and Kinoshita, Kanae. 2006. Reflections of the Moon on Water: Healing Women's Bodies and Minds Through Traditional Chinese Wisdom. Vintage Canada.
To find out any further information, please contact Genevieve at 780-499-9749 or at boyer.genevieve@gmail.
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