Acupuncture Santa Monica for Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Problems dealing with the female reproductive system are best treated through the use of oriental medicine and acupuncture. These problems can include premenstrual syndrome, menopause, infertility, fibroids, and endometriosis. The two methods use to treat these problems are not only for fertility, but are used to enhance a woman's life in general by making sure essential hormones are being produced as should.

The symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include irritability, anxiety, problems with bowel movements, loss of libido, lack of focus, depression, breast tenderness, or acne. These symptoms are not only distinct to each other, but can also change every month as well as increase or decrease in severity. The reasons for premenstrual syndrome usually correlate with the balance of a woman's Qi throughout the body which can be disrupted by factors such as a high stress level, traumatic events, poor diet, poor lifestyle, or a weak level of Qi. Qi can be enhanced through the means of the liver with oriental medicine and acupuncture.

The part of the body responsible for managing the flow of Qi is the liver. The liver regulates the flow of this energy in order for us to live in our bodies in its best condition. Liver Qi Stagnation occurs when the function of the liver becomes imbalanced or disrupted which can cause a person's life energy to weaken. If this occurs serious problems like premenstrual syndrome can occur. Symptoms of Liver Qi Stagnation can include moodiness, sighing, abdominal distention, sour regurgitation, feeling a knot in the throat, pain below the ribs, painful periods, irregular periods, nausea, irritability, chest congestion, constipation, belching, distention of the breasts before a period occurs, or diarrhea. Acupuncture is documented as very efficacious at alleviating menstrual disorders, such as PMS, painful periods, amenorrhea and irregular periods.

One of the earlier studies to examine the effectiveness of acupuncture for PMS was published in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics in 2002. In that study, acupuncture treatments successfully treated 77.8 percent of women experiencing PMS symptoms (compared to just 5.9 percent in a placebo acupuncture group). Symptoms examined in the study included anxiety, mastalgia, insomnia, nausea, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and migraines.

Since the 2002 study, research has continued to show the benefits of acupuncture in reducing or eliminating PMS symptoms and menstrual disorders. More recently, the Journal of Menopause (which studies PMS because it has similar symptoms as menopause) combined the data of eight previous studies focused on acupuncture and PMS. The combined results of these studies showed that acupuncture reduced PMS symptoms by 78 percent with just two to four treatments.

Evidence in these studies and in clinical practices around the world shows that women who use acupuncture to treat PMS symptoms are able to reduce or eliminate the use of medication. Often times, the medication was not helping much anyway, but these women were able to find relief from PMS symptoms thanks to acupuncture. And unlike many medications, acupuncture as a treatment for PMS has no major side effects.

If you are suffering from PMS or another menstrual disorder, please contact to learn more about how acupuncture can help minimize your symptoms and balance your Qi.

acupuncture PMS Los Angeles