If you suffer from “women’s troubles”, chances are you’ve most likely tried to sort out the problem using all sorts of treatments, from pills to surgery.
one thing many people probably don’t consider is acupuncture, yet research shows it can have good results, especially when it comes to dealing with pain from conditions like endometriosis.
Auckland acupuncturist Sam Corban says that about one third of his clients are women who are seeking help with hormone-related conditions, from polycystic ovaries to period pain.
Sam points out that acupuncture can’t fix underlying physical conditions. For example, with endometriosis it can’t rid the pelvis of the build-up of abnormal endometrial cells – they still need to removed surgically.
But it may be able to help by stimulating the body into functioning properly and also by relieving pain.
“It can reset your body to get things back on track,” he says.
Acupuncture can work well alongside other treatments, like surgery, and people also need to be aware that it’s not a one-off quick fix, says Sam. “You usually need a course of treatments – the effect has to build up over time and each treatment builds on the previous one.”
Conditions that acupuncture may offer some help for include:
Painful periods
Acupuncture can help women with normal period pain, as well as the more severe pain that comes with conditions such as endometriosis.
It’s thought it works by stimulating the body into releasing its natural painkillers, endorphins and serotonin. It may help suppress pain-causing inflammation by improving the way your nervous system works.”once you’ve created a change, it should stay that way for months or even years, with just the occasional top-up needed,” says Sam.
PCoS
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCoS) is a leading cause of infertility and can result in unpleasant symptoms such as weight gain, excess body hair growth, acne and irregular periods.The exact cause is not understood, but it’s known that levels of the hormone oestrogen drop in women with PCoS. Acupuncture can stimulate the body into changing oestrogen levels, says Sam.
“When you put the needles in they trigger the release of certain chemicals that change the way your system functions,” Sam explains. “It retrains it.” one form of treatment often recommended for women with PCoS is the contraceptive pill, but this is no help to those who are trying to get pregnant. Acupuncture may be particularly useful for them, says Sam.
He adds that he’s seen great results among patients who’ve had irregular periods, or no periods at all, with some beginning to ovulate regularly after just three or four treatments.
Fertility
By regulating ovulation and levels of hormones, as well as assisting your reproductive system to work effectively, acupuncture can help with fertility.
Sam says he also uses it to treat women who are undergoing IVF. “I have used it before and after the embryo is put in as it makes it more likely the embryo will hold. It also helps to reduce stress levels – high stress can affect conception.”
Pregnancy
Acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of conditions in pregnancy, including morning sickness. It works in several ways – including by regulating the part of the brain that controls feelings of nausea and also by affecting the way the stomach contracts.
In Chinese medicine, morning sickness is seen as an imbalance in energy and blood flow, caused by all the changes taking place in the body of the pregnant woman, and acupuncture is seen as a way of correcting that.
Acupuncture can also be used to encourage breech babies to turn and to gently induce labour, says Sam.
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