Before and during your period, your body goes through many hormonal changes, which can cause a raft of symptoms and disrupt your usual routine.
You might experience physical symptoms like abdominal pain, headache, migraine, backache and tender breasts. Other emotional and behavioural symptoms can include mood swings, food cravings, fatigue, irritability and even depression. (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals 2022)
Together, these symptoms are known as premenstrual syndrome or PMS. As many as 50-80% of women around the world experience PMS, and 30-40% of them have severe enough symptoms to require treatment.
PMS can impact your quality of life and affect people around you. Over-the-counter medication, heat packs and chocolate have long been treatment options – but if you’re looking for a natural alternative, acupuncture may also offer relief.
What causes PMS?
It’s not clear exactly what causes PMS, but it may be associated with chemical and hormonal changes in the brain. Studies have also shown that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are found in many items we use daily, like cosmetics, skincare and food packages, may increase the likelihood or severity of PMS symptoms (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals 2022).
Regardless of the medical cause, the effect of PMS on your life and those around you is obvious to those who suffer from it and some form of treatment is often needed to go about your regular life.
How does acupuncture help with PMS?
Many women who experience PMS every month turn to medication to manage their symptoms. But if you’re looking for a more natural way to manage your PMS symptoms, acupuncture might be just the ticket.
Acupuncture has been used to treat a range of complaints in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. It has been shown to have many benefits, including opening up blood vessels and restoring blood flow, which helps more effectively transport nutrients, oxygen and hormones to your uterus and pelvic area. In some cases, acupuncture has also helped women balance hormones.
Current studies suggest acupuncture is more effective than a placebo or associated medications in treating PMS symptoms (Acupuncture for Premenstrual Syndrome 2019).
So if you’re dealing with PMS and looking for a healthy, safe and natural way to manage symptoms, get in touch with out friendly team and make an appointment.
Sources
Park J, Lee JJ, Park S, Lee H, Nam S, Lee S, Lee H, Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Premenstrual Syndrome in Female College Students in East Asia: A Multi-Country Study, Int J Womens Health, 2022
Zhang J, Cao L, Wang Y, Jin Y, Xiao X, Zhang Q, Acupuncture for Premenstrual Syndrome at Different Intervention Time: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2019
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