Chinese medicine and acupuncture have a long history of treating ailments and discomfort commonly experienced by women, while also supporting their overall health and wellbeing. One of the earliest Chinese medical texts for gynaecology dates back to 652AD and was written by a famous physician, Sun Simiao. The text explained how acupuncture was used to support women’s health.
Many women undergo acupuncture treatments to assist with the following:
- Menstrual health
Acupuncture has been used to support healthy menstruation for decades in Western countries. Chinese medicine practitioners have developed various treatment methods intended to regulate and treat women’s menstrual cycles, including painful periods, PMS symptoms, irregular cycles, amenorrhea, heavy bleeding, spotting, and much more.
- Overall health and wellbeing
In our modern lives, stress is an everyday factor, especially when we want to keep pace with our work, families and our own needs. If stress becomes chronic and you are having a hard time relaxing, it could lead to several issues that may affect your life more significantly.
Acupuncture has been known to support healthy digestion, restore sleep patterns, reduce pain, uplift moods, and boost energy. Improvements in these areas will have a positive impact on overall health and wellbeing.
- Fertility
Many couples seek out acupuncture when they are having trouble conceiving, or to support Western interventions such as IVF. The main focus of acupuncture is to help relieve stress, which in turn increases fertility. If our body is in a chronic cycle of fight or flight stress, the body will perceive the environment as hostile and unsafe for reproduction.
- Pregnancy
During pregnancy the body is undergoing several changes, and it is common to experience various symptoms such as morning sickness, lethargy, pain, insomnia and swelling. Many common medications and treatments are unsafe during pregnancy, so natural and safe treatment options can be used to alleviate these symptoms.
- Post-partum
Post-partum recovery can be a painful and challenging time for new mothers. Acupuncture may help with recovery while also enhancing breast milk production, alleviating pain and improving moods.
- Menopause
Menopause affects individual women in different ways but the most common symptoms are dizziness, hot flushes, insomnia and mood changes. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, acupuncture may provide lasting relief from these symptoms.
If you would like to try acupuncture, it is essential to seek out a registered acupuncturist who will work closely with you and your individual needs.