Menstrual Pain and Acupuncture

Medical researchers in Australia and New Zealand have found that acupuncture treatment significantly reduces period pain intensity, duration and symptoms over time, with improvements being sustained up to a year after treatment.
 
The researchers from Western Sydney University and the University of Auckland also found that manual acupuncture, where thin needles are inserted at certain points on the body, provided more relief than electro-acupuncture, which involves a small electrical current passing through the needles.

Research paper: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0180177 

What is period pain (dysmenorrhea)?
Menstrual or period pain is most common in women aged under 25. It is also the most common gynaecological problem among women generally, with four out of five encountering it during their reproductive years.

Cramping and period pain is caused by an overproduction of prostoglandins in the muscle wall of the uterus. Prostaglandins increase when hormones are out of balance, in particular when estrogen levels are too high and progesterone levels are too low. In Chinese medicine diagnosis, PMS falls primarily into the category of liver stagnation (ie, where the liver qi, "energy," is blocked).  Symptoms associated with the liver include nausea, headaches, muscle stiffness, bloating, moody behaviour, irritability, and depression.

TREATMENT
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the traditional Chinese method of using extra thin needles placed at strategic energy points around the body to improve functioning and promote natural healing. Acupuncture is frequently used to help regulate menstrual cycles, reduce stress and improve blood flow to the pelvic area and uterine lining.
After a thorough evaluation of your condition, your practitioner will create an individualized treatment program based on your pattern diagnosis. As well as acupuncture your treatment program will usually include a combination of herbal medicine, dietary, and lifestyle modifications designed to rebalance your body and regulate your cycle. Typically, treatment for PMS and painful periods requires at least three menstrual cycles.

Herbal Therapy
Herbal therapy is an essential treatment modality in Chinese medicine and provides an important compliment to acupuncture. While acupuncture stimulates the flow of energy and blood, herbal formulas are designed to nourish and replenish deficiencies in the metabolic, endocrine and immune systems. 
Chinese herbal formulas are individually compounded for your particular pattern or deficiency. The formulas, which may contain a number of different herbs, generally include herbs to increase general health as well as deal with your specific ailment. Studies have shown that herbal formulas may:
·     Regulate menstrual cycles
·     Alleviate endometriosis
·     Thicken an unresponsive endometrium
·     Restore normal menstruation in patients with amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea

Diet
Maintaining your optimum weight by eating a plant-based diet, watching portion size, and exercising daily is crucial for hormonal balance.
Estrogen is stored in fat tissues. If you are overweight, just losing 10 or 15 lbs can have a big effect on your hormones.
 
Both current research and ancient Chinese practice show that healthy eating for hormonal balance is based on a natural, whole foods, plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet that keeps insulin at a steady level.
 
Chinese dietary therapy recommends adding these foods to alleviate menstrual symptoms: bitter salad greens, globe artichoke, asparagus, buckwheat, cabbage, carrots, celery, dandelion, fennel, garlic, onion, leek, lemon, millet, oily fish, olives, parsley, parsnips, rice, sesame and sunflower seeds, walnuts and watercress.

Lifestyle
Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to balance your hormones and alleviate premenstrual symptoms.
Exercise burns calories and helps regulate your insulin levels, reversing some of the metabolic imbalances that contribute to weight gain and menstrual problems. During the second half of your menstrual cycle (luteal phase), your endorphin levels drop. Regular exercise boosts your body’s production of endorphins and dopamine and inhibits the release of GABA. You can get the positive effects of exercise by just walking for 30 minutes every day. You can amplify the effect of your work-out by incorporating more activity into your daily routine: try parking your car a few blocks from work or your destination, take stairs whenever possible instead of an elevator, hike, bike, swim or join a dance class. There are so many ways to get moving!

Stress reduction—Deep relaxation
Chronic stress can have a powerful effect on your body and on your hormones in particular.
Stress shuts down all non-essential systems and directly affects the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovary Axis (HPO) that regulates hormones. As well, stress diverts blood supply away from the ovaries and interferes with your body’s ability to respond to hormones. To make matters worse, high levels of estrogen amplify the effects of stress hormones like cortisol creating a negative feedback loop that ramps up your stress level.
 Meditating, mind-body programs, and general self-care can help reduce stress and promote deep relaxation. Take time each day to nurture yourself: read an inspiring book, have a massage, go to the spa, keep a journal, garden, enjoy a bubble bath with candles and music, or take a walk in nature.


Acupuncture is safe and has few common side effects, which is why so many prefer it to painkillers and medication. Some patients might see slight bruising or light bleeding at the insertion site, but it’s otherwise totally painless. So, If you’ve been struggling with heavy, painful, and seemingly never-ending periods, you might want to give acupuncture a try.