Using Acupuncture For Irregular Periods

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Acupuncture can be used to treat many conditions, from joint pain to digestive ailments to seasonal allergies. Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular for addressing hormonal issues. Many women experience irregular periods and find it difficult to get things back on track, no matter what they do. If you want to focus on your fertility and support hormonal health, using acupuncture for irregular periods can help you do just that. But what makes acupuncture so effective? Here’s how it works.

Acupuncture helps women with irregular cycles restore balance by regulating estrogen and progesterone levels. Keeping stress under control is also important; regular acupuncture sessions have a calming effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which further supports healthy cycles. 

How can you tell if you have irregular periods?

Many women believe that “irregular periods” are simply periods that are either too long or too short, and that it’s normal for periods to be painful, or even debilitating. Unfortunately, some medical professionals reinforce this incorrect notion and dismiss abnormal menstrual symptoms.

Healthy menstrual cycles 1.) are anywhere between 28 and 35 days in length, 2.) ovulatory, and 3.) do not cause significant pain or other menstrual-related symptoms at any point throughout the cycle, beyond those that could reasonably be expected based on normal hormonal fluctuations.

So, when we say “irregular periods”, we’re referring to any menstrual abnormality that is not observed in healthy menstrual cycles.

Irregular periods are periods that are less than 21 days or more than 35 days apart. Periods that are very light or very heavy are also considered irregular. If you miss a period for three months in a row, this is called amenorrhea and falls under the “irregular period” category. Periods that last for more than a week, or that cause severe and debilitating symptoms, like extreme pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or fainting, are also classified as irregular. 

How does acupuncture support hormonal balance?

When it comes to periods, estrogen and progesterone are the two key players. 

At the start of menstruation (the follicular phase), estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest, and they remain relatively low for about a week. During the second week of menstruation, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to rise, peaking just before ovulation halfway through the cycle, dipping briefly, only to begin rising once more. The second half of the menstrual cycle (the luteal phase), lasts, ideally, 14 days, after which point estrogen and progesterone fall again, and this triggers the lining of the uterus to shed.

For a woman to experience healthy menstrual cycles, her estrogen and progesterone levels must be kept in balance, and they must follow this pattern. Chronically low or elevated levels of estrogen and/or progesterone can result in irregular periods. Having too much or too little estrogen or progesterone at the wrong point in your cycle can also create problems.

Signs that you may be experiencing estrogen/progesterone imbalance include:

  • Periods that are less too long or too short

  • Periods that are too heavy or too light

  • Painful periods

  • Blood clots

  • Swollen breasts

  • Breast pain

  • Mood swings

  • Fatigue

  • Dizziness

  • Bloating

  • Cramping

  • Weight gain, especially during the last week of your cycle

  • Luteal phase defect

  • Anovulation

Whatever your hormonal imbalance issues, acupuncture can help you normalize your cycles. Studies show that acupuncture regulates estrogen and progesterone, encouraging higher levels of these hormones during the follicular phase, and lower levels in the luteal phase. This mimics the body’s natural hormone pattern, which means acupuncture can be used to help restore hormonal balance.

Research also shows that acupuncture is powerful enough to help women with chronic hormonal conditions, like PCOS, regulate their cycles. Acupuncture’s adaptogenic nature makes this centuries-old treatment suitable for women of all ages, regardless of the underlying cause of their irregular cycles.

Can acupuncture promote ovulation?

With your sex hormones optimized, the trickle-down issues of hormonal imbalance soon begin to resolve. By supporting healthy estrogen and progesterone levels, this naturally enhances ovarian function and, ultimately, induces ovulation.

Some women believe that ovulation is only important if you’re trying to get pregnant. But ovulation is a sign of good reproductive health. So if you have anovulatory cycles, it’s worth digging deeper to find out why and using holistic therapies, like acupuncture, to support your fertility.

Research shows acupuncture influences the HPA axis. This biofeedback loop is responsible for controlling the body’s response to stress. It also plays a role in determining how much follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) to make. These two hormones stimulate the ovaries, so they release follicles and those follicles mature properly.

Research shows acupuncture normalizes FSH and LH levels to help restore ovulation. Furthermore, acupuncture increases blood flow to the ovaries, nourishing them, and increasing your ovarian reserve — three welcome benefits for any woman undergoing IVF stimulation.

Acupuncture reduces stress and helps restore healthy menstrual cycles

How stress affects the menstrual cycle is different from one woman to the next. For some women, stress stops menstruation. For others, it leads to shorter cycles or heavy bleeding and cramping. Either way, chronic stress has a detrimental effect on the menstrual cycle.

Stress hormones and sex hormones are inextricably linked. Fortunately, acupuncture is highly effective at normalizing both. At the same time acupuncture is working to optimize your sex hormones, it’s bringing stress hormones back into balance, too.

Acupuncture gently stimulates the nervous system, soothing an overreactive HPA axis and promoting normal stress hormone levels. Once the body begins to realize that stress levels have gone down, it inevitably begins focusing on fertility.

We often recommend acupuncture to women undergoing IVF treatments, as this can be a stressful process. Using acupuncture in combination with your IVF can significantly improve your chances of a successful embryo transfer. 

Get in touch with us today

If you’re experiencing irregular periods, don’t ignore them. Restore hormonal balance and eliminate your menstrual-related symptoms with the healing powers of acupuncture. 

Contact our office today to book an appointment, and to learn more about the many holistic therapies and wellness programs we have to offer. 

From your very first visit with Integrative Healing Arts, we’ll help you pinpoint the underlying cause of your symptoms, and come up with a holistic treatment plan that restores regular menstrual cycles.