PCOS is a complex disorder that needs a multifaceted treatment. Because of this complexity, Chinese Medicine is the perfect way to provide symptom relief and guide your body back to balance.
PCOS, or Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome, shows up in different ways in each person so diagnosing it can be time consuming and frustrating. The general criteria is, at least two of the following:
• Anovulation(no period) or oglioovulation (long or irregular cycles)
• Excess Androgens (male sex characteristics such as facial hair, acne and abdominal fat)
• Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound
These symptoms may or may not be present (notice how you just have to have 2 of these symptoms to get diagnosed) and are just the tip of the iceberg with PCOS unfortunately. It’s such a complex problem that it can feel like every system in your body is affected from your weight and metabolism to your mood, energy level, stress level and body image.
Because PCOS can has such an enormous effect of quality of life and the way women feel and show up in their body’s we absolutely love treating it with Chinese Medicine. It is typically very responsive to acupuncture, herbal medicine and nutrition therapy; we see some remarkable changes in women’s body’s and lives.
So how exactly does Chinese Medicine help with PCOS? Here are just a few ways:
Decrease androgens– The mechanism for this is not yet fully understood but both recent studies and clinical observation has shown that acupuncture successfully reduces signs of increased testosterone as well as lab values.
Manage Stress – Acupuncture specifically is one of the best ways to calm the “fight or flight” nervous system which is usually dysregulated in women with PCOS. This has a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, normal ovulation, obesity and cardiovascular disease
Regulate Metabolism – A combination of nutritional therapy, plant medicine and acupuncture work synergistically to balance hormones that regulate your weight and metabolism. Hormones like insulin, thyroid hormones and appetite regulation hormones are all affect by this synergistic treatment.
Improve mood– In a recent study 14 acupuncture treatments over 16 weeks showed improvement in social functioning, energy, vitality and general health in women with PCOS versus the control group which showed no significant improvement.
Promote normal menstruation– Chinese Medicine has been successfully regulating and improving periods for thousands of years safe and effectively. We pay close attention to subtle variations through a cycle to target exactly what’s going on from a Chinese medicine perspective. Whether you haven’t had a period in years or have just a few a year, we see women consistently and predictably improve with proper acupuncture and herbal treatment.
New research is constantly coming out about PCOS and we are coming to understand it more all the time. One thing we know for sure Is that for the women who suffer from it, it can greatly affect their quality of life. Chinese medicine is the perfect solution to both relive symptoms and restore balance within the body. A complex, interconnected condition requires a treatment that views your body as whole and interconnected. We provide that for you.
