Acupuncture is often used to relieve body pain and stimulate the body’s natural healing. It is also said that it can help with other health problems. Since it can help with one’s natural healing, it can help with other health issues such those affecting one’s reproductive health.
For women, this means that acupuncture can help regulate reproductive health issues they may be experiencing such as an irregular menstruation cycle. Having a regular period is crucial if you want to conceive naturally and having an irregular period can make it difficult for you to determine when you are fertile. But, how can acupuncture help with your period?
Basics of Menstruation
Women experience menstruation because of their uterus. The uterus has a special tissue known as the endometrial tissue that lines the organ. This tissue thickens as the body’s hormones shift around the body caused by the feedback cycle from the brain to their ovaries and uterus.
When the period starts, the body’s hormone levels are low, which then sends a signal to the brain to assist in maturing an egg in the ovary by releasing Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH). The egg will respond to the hormone and will start developing, releasing another hormone, estrogen. As the egg matures, estrogen levels increase and triggers the uterus’ linings to thicken.
When the body’s estrogen level reaches a critical stage, it will send a signal to the brain to release Luteinizing Hormone to ovulate the egg. When this happens, it will leave a cyst behind to produce progesterone, a key hormone that helps the uterus’ lining to stay thick and help with conception. If conception does not take root, the cyst will slowly disappear and the lining will be ejected out of the body through menstruation. Menstruation usually happens after 14 days of the egg’s ovulation.
Benefits of Acupuncture for Irregular Menstruation
Considering the stages of menstruation, it is clear that there are many areas that can cause your cycle to have problems and lead to irregular menstruation. If it is not improved, it can be an issue in the long run and affect your overall reproductive health. While there are medicines and medical treatments that can help your reproductive organs return back to its regular cycle, non-invasive treatments like acupuncture can be a big plus. It can also save you a lot of money if it works for you and even improve your overall health.
So, where does acupuncture come in the picture? Here are the ways on how acupuncture can help with irregular menstruation:
- It can help regulate the right hormones that influences your menstruation
As mentioned above, there are a lot of hormones which assist with menstruation. Acupuncture enters the picture by improving the feedback cycle between your brain and your ovaries or the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovarian (HPO) axis. When the hormones normalize in this axis, the feedback will be smoother, enable ovulation and period to follow according to schedule. There have been studies that supported acupuncture’s benefits to hormone levels and how it improved ovulation cycles for participants.
2. It improves blood flow in your ovaries and uterus
To help regulate your hormones and enable a regular cycle, acupuncture will also improve blood flow in your ovaries and your uterus. Stress and aging can affect blood flow in these organs, which then affects your body’s menstrual cycle. When you undergo acupuncture, it can calm you down and cause your blood vessels to open up to let the blood flow more easily. Ovaries enjoying regular blood flow works more efficiently and for the uterus, its endometrial lining will develop properly and enable menstruation to happen naturally afterward.
3. It helps with ovulation
As acupuncture assists your body to regulate its hormone levels and help your reproductive organs to receive blood regularly, it will also improve your overall reproductive health. When your hormone levels are balanced and blood flow is stable in your uterus and ovaries, ovulation will definitely happen naturally and on time. Furthermore, with the HPO axis operating smoothly, the ovaries will be able to protect and assist your maturing eggs and enable smooth ovulation. Your menstruation will follow after 14 days if conception will not occur. The cycle will continue to regulate so long as your body’s hormone levels and blood flow stays the same.
Conclusion
It can be difficult to grasp how acupuncture can help with irregular menstruation if you are unfamiliar with acupuncture. However, it is a great avenue to explore if you don’t want to undergo medical treatments or take in medications that will cost you a lot of money and put your health at risk. Acupuncture is also safe if it is done by a professional acupuncturist. Whether you take the treatment or not, getting a regular period will be possible if your blood and hormone floor are stable and consistent.
If you want to try the treatment, make sure to approach a licensed acupuncturist certified by the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association. A licensed acupuncturist is trained to know where the key points in the body are located for a successful treatment. They can also explain how the treatment works and answer any questions you may have about it. You should also ask your doctor if it is ok to take the treatment because it may cause complications. Do your research accordingly and don’t be afraid to ask questions before trying this treatment for your reproductive health.
