6 Benefits of Acupuncture for Women’s Health
Chinese Medicine and acupuncture has a very long history and is still well known today for its benefits towards treating and supporting women’s health. This history goes back to 652 AD, to one of the first Chinese medical texts on gynaecology, written by legendary physician Sun Simiao. He was a scholar and author, known as the ‘King of Medicine’ and is believed to have founded Chinese gynaecology and paediatrics.1
He emphasized that women and children are the root of life and continuation of families and due to pregnancy and giving birth, along with the damage they can cause, that women’s disorders can ten times more difficult to cure than those of men.2
With such a strong focus on women’s health it is easy to see why Chinese medicine has become such a strong and popular therapy for modern women across the world. With acupuncture being one of the most common Chinese therapies, let’s explore the benefits for women.
1.Overall Women’s Health & Wellbeing
Chinese medicine treats the body as a whole, so while treatment will look at specific ailments, factors such as stress, energy levels, pain, sleep, digestion and mental health are all considered. If these areas are out of balance, they can affect other parts of the body. By improving sleep patterns, digestion and energy, it acts as a foundation for supporting specific women’s’ health issues.
2. Healthy Menstruation
Regulation and support of a healthy menstrual cycle has been treated using acupuncture for a very long time. Chinese medicine has developed to include treatments for women’s menstruation issues such as irregular cycles, painful periods, PMS symptoms, abnormal loss of periods, heavy bleeding and spotting. Modern medicine has given names to conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Endometriosis, however the symptoms are common with what Chinese medicine and acupuncture have already been treating for thousands of years.
3. Fertility Health
Acupuncture is used by women to support fertility for a natural conception and is also used in conjunction with IVF. Using acupuncture for this reason often focuses on helping to relieve stress, which may be an underlying issue and one which may not be apparent to the patient.
Stress can come from months or years of trying to conceive, failed IVF attempts or pressure from families, society and even ourselves, to start a family. If our body is caught in a chronic ‘fight or flight’ stress response, the body thinks the environment is unsafe for reproduction and as a result uses less resources to support fertility processes. This is not just women – it happens to men too.
Combining stress reduction with traditional acupuncture points on the body relating to fertility can have some great results.
4. Pregnancy
The body changes a lot during pregnancy and very rapidly, so it’s no wonder women can experience such a wide range of symptoms. Common ones are morning sickness, tiredness, chronic pain, insomnia and swelling. It is advised that many common medications are not used while pregnant, so acupuncture is a great natural, safe alternative for relief.
Treatment options change as the pregnancy progresses and closer to the due date, specific acupuncture points are used to promote a healthy labour. There are also points that can be tried for breech and posterior position babies.
5. Post-Partum
According to traditional Chinese culture, the time after pregnancy is to be dedicated to recovery and bonding between parents and baby. While some things have changed, such as not being allowed to leave the house or even wash your hair, this should still be top priority. Acupuncture treatments can help with recovery as well as assisting with other things like breast milk production, energy levels and pain.
6. Menopause Relief
Perimenopause and menopause affects women in many different ways and one woman’s experience can be vastly different to another. Some well-known symptoms include hot flushes, mood changes and insomnia which can vary in intensity. Again, this is where Chinese medicine treats the woman as a whole person, rather than just relieving particular symptoms. Acupuncture is effective within a few weeks and may be used in conjunction with Chinese herbal medicine to further assist.
Chinese medicine and acupuncture milwaukee are safe for women during all stages of their life, with significant results and little to no side effects. If it’s time to prioritise your health care, consider Chinese medicine and book a consultation with a registered practitioner who is experienced in women’s health.
