Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine for PMS
- Posted on: Aug 24 2018
An article posted by Pacific College of Oriental Medicine states “Several million women report painful periods, cramps, and PMS that can disrupt life for 7-10 days each month. The most common symptoms include bloating, headache, acne, and irritability or severe mood swings. Proper diet, exercise, medicinal herbs, and acupuncture can all be used to better regulate these hormonal fluctuations.”
Many female patients who come to acupuncture report that they deal with cramping, headaches, mood swings, anxiety, disturbed sleep, back pain and digestive upset with their menstrual cycle. The worst part is, they think that it’s normal. Many women believe that these symptoms are inevitable every month and resort to using birth control and ibuprofen for relief as their only form of treatment. The truth is, that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help with the root cause of these symptoms and that periods don’t have to be so bad.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine work by treating the imbalances that occur in our bodies to promote wellbeing. Anytime there is pain or emotional upset, that is an indication that stagnation is present in the body. Regular acupuncture treatments as well as exercise and proper diet are all factors in removing stagnation from the body and creating harmony. The main pattern that arises with premenstrual syndrome is liver qi stagnation. This pattern is what can cause irritability, tension headaches, digestive issues, bloating, neck tension and acne breakouts.
Using Chinese herbal medicine has many benefits to heal the body and prevent pre-menstrual symptoms as well. There is a popular formula that can be safely used to treat cramping, mood swings and digestive issues that are due to hormonal imbalances that occur during PMS. Xiao Yao San is a Chinese herbal formula, also named “Free and Easy Wanderer”, that can be drank as a tea or taken as capsules. The formula consists of Chinese herbs that regulate menstruation and promote the flow of qi, or energy and includes a few familiar ingredients such as ginger, licorice and mint. This formula is one of the most popular that is prescribed by herbalists due to its effectiveness.
In conclusion, all the symptoms mentioned above are avoidable by taking care of yourself with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Don’t let PMS interrupt your life any longer, make acupuncture a priority in your health care so you can keep your body in balance!
Posted in: Acupuncture
