Acupuncture For Women’s Health Colorado Springs

Chinese medicine has been treating menstrual hormonal imbalances for over 3,000 years. Many ancient texts refer to symptoms of menstrual disorders such as PMS, irregular periods, cramping, clotting, heavy or scantly flow. While western physicians may call these symptoms “normal”. In Chinese medicine we take a different view. Our goal is to restore hormonal balance improving the menses to “optimal”. Subtle imbalances or deficiencies can be corrected with Chinese medicine helping you to be the vibrant youthful women you aspire to be.

In fact, hormonal imbalances are at the root of most female “disorders”.

Some common disorders we can treat are:

Irregular Periods
Anovulation, Late Or Early
Fibroids
Pcos (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
Endometriosis
Menopause/perimenopause
Pms
Infertility

Irregular Periods

Just because your cycles come at regular intervals the four phases of the cycle may not be optimal, especially if you are trying to get pregnant. We often see short or long luteal and or follicular phases within the menstrual cycle which is a flag that hormones are not regulated.

Your menstrual cycle occurs as the result of a complex hormonal interaction involving your brain, ovaries, and adrenal, pituitary and thyroid glands. If anything interferes with this delicate hormonal balance, you may experience irregular or absent periods. In Chinese medicine we track each week of the menstrual cycle to ensure the delicate hormonal shifts occur. The four phase cycles requires communication between your brain, ovaries, adrenal glands (which sit on top of your kidneys), pituitary and the thyroid gland. If any signal is not given or simply delayed it can interfere with this delicate balance.

There are many possible causes of irregular periods including long cycles, short cycles and cycles that come in various patterns; stress, chronic illness and thyroid dysfunction to name a few. There is a lot of research now on how our environment is playing a role in our hormonal balance with “endocrine disruptors “ that are flooding our environment causing disruption of this delicate hormonal balance.

Chinese medicine has tools to regulate and ease all aspects of menstrual disorders.

If you have irregular periods or your periods have stopped (amenorrhea), you should see your gynecologist for a more thorough investigation.

Uterine Fibroids (Myomas Or Leiomyomas)

Fibroids are solid muscle tissue growths (typically not cancerous) and are the number one reason why women have hysterectomies. They are measured by ultrasound, many are asymptomatic, and some cause pain with excess bleeding flooding or random spotting.

Depending on location and size they can affect your chance of getting pregnant. If fibroids are inside the uterus they can impede implantation of an embryo. If they are outside the uterus pressing into the uterus it can also impede implantation.

The causes of uterine fibroids are unknown, but estrogens, especially estradiol, promote their growth. After menopause fibroids often disappear.

Fibroids can cause a variety of symptoms such as:

Feeling Of Heaviness In The Belly
Low Back Pain
Pain With Intercourse
Urinary Frequency/ Incontinence
Severe Menstrual Pain And Flooding
Bowel Irregularity Or Pain

Major advances have been made in surgical treatments for women with fibroids so do your homework before any surgery. It is important to do everything you can do to save your ovaries.

Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy can be helpful to relieve symptoms. It is always a good idea to be assessed by your gynecologists.

Endometriosis Treatment Colorado Springs

Endometriosis is a painful condition that is chronic and affects many women.

It occurs when tissue, which normally builds in the uterine wall lining each month, starts to grow in other places within the abdomen and pelvis.

This unwanted tissue has been known to wrap around the bowels, fallopian tubes, ligaments that support the uterus, as well as between the vagina and rectum. The hormones that cause the uterine lining to grow also affect endometriosis because the tissue is the same. This can sometimes interfere with your fertility as well as quality of life.

Some women have mild or no symptoms, others spend days in bed each month. It is important to get a gynecological assessment, which typically involves a laparoscopy, ultrasound, and thorough physical examination.

Chinese Medicine and herbal therapy can help treat the root cause of endometriosis as well as alleviate symptoms. Please see one of our patients who had great results on the testimonial page.

Some symptoms we treat:

PAIN DURING MENSES
PAIN WITH INTERCOURSE
PAINFUL BOWEL MOVEMENTS
INFERTILITY

Menopause

At East Winds Acupuncture we have treated hundreds of women whose happy, dynamic lives were affected by Perimenopause and Menopause.

We have tools and knowledge using Chinese medicine to tailor treatment to the individual. We treat you, not your diagnosis.

Symptoms:

Irregular periods
Vaginal dryness
Fatigue
Low sex drive
Hot flashes
Chills
Night sweats
Sleep problems
Mood changes
Weight gain and slowed metabolism
Dry skin
Dry hair
Emotional discord

New Danish research suggests that acupuncture may provide much needed menopause relief to women. The Danish study “clearly demonstrates that menopausal symptoms can also be successfully treated with acupuncture. This is very exciting news as hormonal treatment for menopausal symptoms have fallen out of favor and other medical treatments are marginally effective.”

Using acupuncture needles at pressure points in the body can stimulate the central nervous system, causing it to release pain-relieving chemicals, called endorphins that can help alleviate complaints associated with menopause.

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) & Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments

Signs of OHSS

OHSS signs include:

weight gain
bloating
shortness of breath
dizziness
pelvic pain
nausea
vomiting
constipation or diarrhea

We recommend increasing your protein (double quantity), avoiding dairy, grains, and processed foods.

Treatment of OHSS with Acupuncture

If acupuncturists can identify the onset of OHSS at a very early stage, most cases of mild to moderate OHSS can be successfully treated with acupuncture to relieve significant discomfort, prevent the development of severe OHSS, and to allow an embryo transfer to take place.

In severe cases, acupuncture can help to alleviate many of the more serious symptoms. We recommend 3 treatments within in 5-6 days. Most of our clients feel better after their first treatment.

PMS- Treatment in Colorado Springs

Premenstrual Syndrome

Each women’s cycle is unique. Some women barely notice when their period is going to come. The range of unpleasant symptoms that correspond with monthly cycles is called premenstrual syndrome or PMS.

Symptoms:

Tension or anxiety
Depressed mood
Crying spells
Mood swings and irritability or anger
Appetite changes and food cravings
Cramping
Trouble falling asleep (insomnia)
Social withdrawal
Flu-like symptoms
Poor concentration
Irritability
Weight gain

In western medicine, these symptoms are often thought to be a normal part of the menstruation. In Chinese medicine, we believe if all organs are communicating and supporting each other, PMS is absent or minimal. PMS is the result of an underlying imbalance or deficiency.

A healthy period, according to Chinese medicine, is regular – every 28 to 31 days. Menstrual blood should be bright red, not pink, brown or like grape jelly. Flow should be adequate, not flooding clotty, scanty, and does not stop and start. Cramping typically has clots associated with it, which is a sign of non-free flow of blood (we call this blood stagnation). We see many polyps being diagnosed by Reproductive Endocrinologists these days. These are associated with blood stagnation, meaning the uterine wall lining is not adequately sloughed each month. This can greatly impede your chances of getting pregnant.

Acupuncture and herbal therapy give excellent results for PMS. Depending on how long and how severe symptoms are, we often see changes within the first month of treatment.

Research has shown that acupuncture is very effective in treating PMS. In one study, it was found that acupuncture could cure the symptoms of PMS in almost 78% of the women who had participated in that study. Acupuncture can alleviate cramps, nausea, headaches, anxiety, and insomnia.

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance that affects women and is one of the leading causes of infertility.

Not all women with PCOS are overweight, have unwanted hair, elevated male hormones, or multiple cysts in the ovaries. It is simply your body’s inability to utilize insulin. The reason it is called a syndrome is that it does not manifest the same way in all women. Dietary changes are key. At East Winds, we spend time teaching you how to regulate insulin and reduce the effects of insulin resistance, which can affect not only your overall health but also your fertility. Many of our patients with PCOS begin to have regular ovulation with treatment.

Some symptoms associated with PCOS:

IRREGULAR PERIODS
INFERTILITY
RECURRENT MISCARRIAGES
PELVIC PAIN
ACNE/OILY SKIN OR DANDRUFF
EXCESS FACIAL & BODY HAIR AROUND BREASTS, UPPER LIP, CHIN, BELLY AND LOW BACK
THINNING HAIR OR MALE-PATTERNED BALDNESS
CYSTIC OVARIES (SEEN ON ULTRASOUND, THAT RESEMBLE A STRING OF PEARLS)
WEIGHT GAIN AND DIFFICULTY LOSING WEIGHT
PATCHES OF THICK, DARK-COLORED SKIN ON THE NECK, ARMS, BREASTS AND THIGHS
ROUGH MEALY SKIN/SKIN TAGS
SLEEP APNEA
DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY

Treating PCOS with Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine

Many studies have proven that acupuncture can successfully treat PCOS. It is not a quick fix, but rather it requires a series of treatments, including herbal prescriptions taken daily, along with better lifestyle choices and dietary changes. This therapy works more quickly with some patients than others. Compliance plays a role in outcomes, and every patient responds differently, based on their constitution and compliance.
One Swedish study examined the difference between physical exercise, no intervention and electro acupuncture (EA). This study was based on a 16-week course of treatment. EA demonstrated improvement in fasting blood sugar, acne, menstrual patterns, hyperandrogenism (too many male hormones) as well as improvement in a full endocrine analysis. Results were significantly different between the no treatment group and the EA group. The EA group had greater improvement than the exercise group in acne, sex steroids, testosterone and menstrual regulation.

Proposed Treatment Plan:

COMPLETE EVALUATION BASED ON CHINESE MEDICINE.
- ONE-HOUR EVALUATION ONLY ON INITIAL INTAKE
WEEK 1-3: EA 2 TIMES PER WEEK
- HERBAL PRESCRIPTION PRESCRIBED FOR INDIVIDUAL PATIENT BASED ON THEIR CONSTITUTION AND PATTERN.
WEEK 3 -10: EA ONE TIME PER WEEK
WEEK 10-17: EA EVERY OTHER WEEK
HERBAL PRESCRIPTIONS TO BE CONTINUED AND MODIFIED ON AS NEEDED BASES.

Baseline labs before treatment, reevaluation at the 3-4-month time line. Patient either continues EA and herbal prescription based on evaluation of: androgen levels, sex steroids, as well as any other significant measures ordered by physician and staff.

We recommend a patient self-evaluation re: menstrual regulation, acne, moods and energy levels in conjunction with labs.

Goals for Patients Using TCM:

REGULATION OF MENSES
IMPROVED OVULATION
PREGNANCY IF DESIRED OF PATIENT
IMPROVEMENT OF SEX HORMONES
IMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE
IMPROVEMENT IN WELLNESS AND LONGEVITY
EDUCATION ON MAKING BETTER CHOICES IN TERMS OF FOODS, LIFESTYLE AND PERSONAL HABITS.

It is our goal to work with PCOS patients to help them with motivation, accountability, support as well as help them understand that this requires a lifelong change. Our desire is to not only see the positive effects of this therapy on our patients personally, but to put into place a healthy lifestyle for their entire family for longevity and overall wellness. PCOS is passed onto daughters of PCOS mothers and their grandchildren as well. We can help.