Women’s Health and TCM

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been helping women reach their full potential of health for over 3000 years.  In my practice, I rely on this historical information and evidence to treat my patients.  I am a firm believer, however, that the treatments must be tailored to each patient’s specific lifestyle needs.  Together we will embark on a journey to discover the root of the imbalances in your body, whether they be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual or a combination.

MENSTRUAL CYCLE

According to Chinese Medicine, one of the most important markers of a woman’s health is her menstrual cycle.  As women, we are likely to have grown up comparing notes with our girlfriends, sisters or mothers only to discover that it must be “normal” for our periods to be uncomfortable and to be something we should dread.  As adolescents and young adults, it is common for women to experience irregular cycles, PMS, and painful periods.  As we age, our cycles seem to constantly evolve, and with the hormonal changes that come along at various life stages, we can suddenly find ourselves with an entirely new set of menstrual issues.  This does not need to be the case.  Each month we do not need to go through intensely painful cramps, or uncontrollable mood swings.  As I said earlier, our menstrual cycles are markers of our health.  This means that even if we feel great physically, but our periods are not properly regulated, our health is not optimal.  Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and lifestyle modifications are a safe and effective way to regulate this system of the female body through all stages of life, from adolescence through menopause and beyond.

FERTILITY AND PREGNANCY

Another time of life that can give rise to health concerns is that of our childbearing years.  The process of starting a family can be a daunting one, and can challenge your body, mind, and spirit.  Fertility is a complicated part of being a woman, and acupuncture and herbal medicine are gentle methods that can help you navigate the process.   It can be scary to “try” to conceive, only to find out that things are not happening as quickly as you would like.  Acupuncture has been shown to help enhance fertility, and can be used alone or as an adjunct treatment to IVF/IUF or other fertility treatments.  Often the fertility process involves two people, and if the issues involve male infertility, TCM can also help to address those issues.  The American Pregnancy Association has great information for those trying to conceive — follow this link to read a short but comprehensive article about acupuncture aiding conception: Treating Infertility using Acupuncture : American Pregnancy …

Once you have conceived, a whole new set of emotions take hold.  Many women feel great joy and an intense connection with their bodies.  If this is not how you feel, if you fall into the category of women who feel scared, overwhelmed, uncomfortable or anxious, you are most definitely not alone.  Even when everything goes according to “plan,” pregnancy is a time during which it is easy to feel a loss of control.   Add to this hormones that are rapidly shifting, nausea, back aches, and all kinds of questions that swim through your head, and you may start to question your decision.  Along with safely treating all kinds of physical issues that come up during pregnancy, acupuncture and herbal medicine are excellent at bringing balance and helping to find relief from emotional instabilities as well.  I have a great passion for helping women through all stages of pregnancy, and understand the burden that emotional instability can place on your life.  There is hope and relief, and I would love to help.

If you are someone whose pregnancy is going smoothly, congratulations!  There are still benefits to having an acupuncturist on your team during this time.  I can help prepare your body for labor by encouraging and enhancing the natural cycles that your body is about to undertake.  I am also here for you after you have given birth to ensure that any issues you may have, such as tight neck and shoulders from breast feeding, insufficient lactation, postpartum depression, or just plain old fatigue, can be addressed early on before they turn into more serious problems.

PERI-MENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE

For many women the peri-menopausal time can be one of increasing discomfort.  Menopause is not an ailment, it is a natural part of life, but it is a time during which the hormonal shifts that are occurring can amplify other imbalances your body may have.  It is common to hear about hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, decreased sex drive, or foggy brain (as several of my patients call it) as part of the menopausal picture.  These issues respond very well to Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Here is a link to some a research article about Menopause and Acupuncture

With the help of acupuncture and herbs, I have seen my patients shed the discomforts of peri-menopause and menopause and to begin to find a new sense of self and to really be empowered to head into the next phase of their lives on their own terms.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is a great help in the field of women’s health.  It offers natural and gentle solutions for discomforts that arise, and as a maintenance tool it is fabulous for keeping a woman’s health at its peak.  Here are just some of the symptoms commonly treated at Solstice Natural Health:

I am a member of the American Pregnancy Association.

For more info about the APA, click HERE.