Acupuncture to Help You with Your PMS Symptoms
About 70% – 90% of women in the United States who haven’t reached menopause suffer from PMS. The rate of PMS incidence in premenopausal women in Southeast Asia is significantly lower. This may be because of the difference in the social structure and the style of living in that region vis-à-vis that of the US. The definition of PMS is the malfunctioning of the ovaries in connection with the menstrual cycle of the woman. PMS usually affects the emotional and physical state of the woman. It may, at times, disrupt her daily activities due to the fluctuation of her hormones. PMS oftentimes strikes one to two weeks prior to menstruation and then the symptoms decrease and eventually clear during the actual onset of the period.
I. Definition
One of the oldest forms of treatment for PMS is acupuncture. This modality has helped relieve tension in any part of the body resulting from blood and qi stagnation.
II. How acupuncture helps women with PMS
1. Liver qi and blood stagnation
Most of the women suffering from PMS, according to Chinese herbal medicine, have that condition due to blood or liver qi stagnation or both. By inserting an acupuncture needle into a specific point in the body (sometimes combined with electrical stimulation to make the stimulation more effective), the function of the liver is improved leading to the treatment of PMS symptoms.
2. Releasing the tension in the nerves
In order to improve the flow of blood throughout the body, our nervous system needs to be in a relaxed state. A relaxed nervous system can help dispel anxiety, tiredness, insomnia and depression.
3. Yin and Yang qi
The human body possesses two natural energies known as yin and yang. According to Chinese herbalists, imbalance in the body of a woman is caused by an imbalance of her yin and yang. When the balance of these natural energies is restored through the needling of a specific acupuncture point, balance to the hormones is likewise restored prior to ovulation which therefore can help eliminate PMS symptoms.
4. Cramping and pain
Acupuncture can alleviate menstrual cramps and pain resulting from the over active muscle in the stomach region. Acupuncture removes the stagnation of blood and qi allowing the muscles to relax thus relieving stomach cramps and pain.
5. Kidney deficiency
Women with PMS often suffer from edema (water retention in the body) due to Kidney deficiency. Acupuncture can help bring back the healthy function of the kidney by stimulating more fluid secretion that can help clear out toxins from the body by means of urinary secretion.
Scott Paglia is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist in Bellingham, WA and provides master level pulse diagnosis, Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in Whatcom County, WA.