Women's Health Month
October is Women’s Health Month! At Life Balance Clinic, we see a growing awareness among women about taking control of their health through holistic therapies like acupuncture and Chinese medicine. More women are turning to these treatments to address a variety of health concerns. Here are some common women’s health issues that acupuncture can help manage. Period Pain
Period pain is a sadly common complaint, with up to 90% of women experiencing it at some point. Fortunately, many trials have shown acupuncture to be an effective treatment for period pain. This is likely because acupuncture can reduce inflammation, which drives pain during menstruation through mechanisms such as excessive muscle contractions.
Acupuncture may even be effective in cases of endometriosis. Its symptoms include severe period pain that often appears outside of menstruation. One study found that volunteers’ average pain scores fell from 7-8/10 to 2-3/10 after 10 treatments. Their Pain Disability Index scores halved, from around 4 to 2. The “control” group received random, non-specific acupuncture, showing how essential it is for you to receive skilled, experienced treatment for such a condition.
Infertility
If you have a smaller ovarian reserve from certain health conditions or deciding to start a family later, acupuncture may help achieve your dreams.
A trial involving women with lower egg cell counts found that an acupuncture protocol for menstruation and fertility dramatically improved pregnancy rates during IVF. Here, the pregnancy rate was 53% with treatment, compared to 18% without it. Acupuncture’s ability to improve blood flow to organs and boost tissue repair processes was the most likely cause of these benefits. Although women do not produce any more egg cells after their own birth, acupuncture can support the health of egg cells you do have.
Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are another condition where acupuncture may be helpful. These are benign growths in the uterus’ muscle layer. Anywhere up to 80% of women are expected to develop them before reaching menopause. However, they are more common at older ages and with higher estrogen levels. Women over 40 or 50 are 10 times more likely to have fibroids than women under 20.
Although you may no longer desire more children, traditional treatments for fibroids are invasive. Fortunately, a review found that acupuncture can significantly reduce fibroid and uterus size, with electroacupuncture potentially more effective in shrinking fibroids. There was a dramatic drop in symptom scores, too. Women did not experience a loss of estrogen either, showing that acupuncture works on different mechanisms. This is an important advantage because of newer research showing the benefits of replacing estrogen, which you may not want to lose in order to protect bone health.
Menopause
Menopause brings many mixed feelings. While you may celebrate an end to menstruation and the risk of unwanted pregnancy, the fall in hormones can bring many debilitating symptoms.
The most common symptoms belong to the “vasomotor” category, which includes hot flashes and night sweats. Many trials demonstrate that acupuncture reduces their severity, making it helpful if you cannot take HRT or can only have very low-dose preparations. With no side effects, you can easily fit acupuncture in with other treatments that you may need.
Besides temporary symptoms, menopause also has long-term effects on body composition. Interestingly, a study on electroacupuncture found an average drop in BMI from 30.78 to 29.6 after 12 weeks. Body fat percentage fell from 36.7% to 33.79%, while waist-to-hip ratio dropped from 0.86 to 0.83. All of these show a significant reversal in the changes to body shape and composition, potentially improving metabolic health in the long-term.
Acupuncture for Women’s Health Issues at Life Balance Clinic
Dr. Vadim Dekhtyar, DACM, brings over 30 years of experience in acupuncture and women’s health. Whether you’re dealing with period pain, menopause symptoms, or fertility concerns, Life Balance Clinic offers effective, holistic care. To contact us, click here, or call our Glenview, IL clinic at 847-724-1777.