Acupuncture For Period Pain: Does It Really Work?

Some women can get their periods and go about their business without batting an eye. Others aren’t so lucky. Many women struggle with painful menstrual cycles that leave them bed-bound for days, clinging to a heating pad for dear life. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, you know just how debilitating period pain can be. And, sometimes, even pain medications aren’t enough to make the cramps go away. So, why not try something more holistic, instead? If you’ve heard of acupuncture for period pain, you’re probably wondering, does it really work?

Acupuncture relieves tense muscles and supports hormonal balance to alleviate period pain. Acupuncture can be used to provide you with immediate relief from period pain, but ongoing sessions can regulate your cycles and provide long-term relief. 

Which menstrual conditions can acupuncture help treat?

Acupuncture is incredibly useful when it comes to supporting fertility. Even if you aren’t currently trying to get pregnant, painful periods can point to infertility issues, and restoring your fertility can help you eliminate your monthly pain. 

At Integrative Healing Arts, we rely on acupuncture to treat a variety of menstrual conditions, including the following:

• Dysmenorrhea

• Anovulation

• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

• Endometriosis

• Adenomyosis

• Uterine fibroids

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

• Luteal phase defect

• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

• Thyroid disorders

• Pituitary disorders

• Adrenal disorders

As you can see, acupuncture has a proven track record of treating a number of menstrual disorders and other hormonal conditions. Correcting these issues with the help of acupuncture (and a few fertility superfoods) can make all the difference in your period pain. 

How does acupuncture stop period pain?

You’re doubled over in pain from your period and you’re desperate for relief. You’re ready to give acupuncture a shot, but how exactly does it work? In the short term, acupuncture works to alleviate period pain by 1) encouraging your muscles to relax, 2) reducing stress hormones that can contribute to muscle tension, and 3) enhancing your mood by upregulating neurotransmitter activity. 

During your acupuncture session, your acupuncturist will determine the best places to insert needles to relieve your pain. As the needles are inserted, they force muscles to twitch and then release tension. This increases circulation while also reducing inflammation. Your acupuncturist may manipulate the needles slightly during your session to enhance their effects. 

While the needles are helping your muscles relax, they’re also sending a message to your body telling it to chill out. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce stress levels. Many patients report a tremendous sense of relief after a single standalone session. Reducing stress hormones has a cascade of effects. You’ll feel calmer physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Finally, acupuncture modulates the way your body perceives pain. Acupuncture stimulates the release of feel-good neurotransmitters, including endorphins and serotonin. These chemical messengers improve your mood naturally, filling you with optimism. At the same time, they also raise your pain threshold, making it easier for you to deal with your period cramps without having to take more pain pills.

Can acupuncture help prevent period pain?

Now that you know how acupuncture can help you cope with period pain in the moment, let’s take a closer look at how it helps prevent and treat period pain over the long haul. 

Acupuncture reduces stress. The more sessions you get, the better your body becomes at handling stress. Because acupuncture brings stress hormones down, it helps restore the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which encourages your body to focus on producing sex hormones, instead. Normal estrogen and progesterone levels encourage a healthy menstrual cycle which, in turn, helps prevent period pain.

On top of promoting hormonal wellness, acupuncture enhances blood flow to the reproductive organs, which works to tone the uterus. During your period, your body releases prostaglandins, pro-inflammatory chemicals that encourage the uterus to contract and shed its lining. By strengthening the uterus, acupuncture makes each contraction more efficient, so you’re less likely to feel any pain.

If you struggle with uterine adhesions, endometriosis, PCOS, or fibroids, acupuncture can further reduce your pain by breaking up scar tissue. Acupuncture increases circulation to nearby tissues, which ushers in red blood cells and other materials the body needs to heal properly. It also stimulates collagen production, to help your body recover properly, replacing scar tissue with healthy new tissues, instead. 

What else can you do to alleviate period pain?

If all you do to manage your period pain is invest in acupuncture sessions, you’re doing yourself a massive favor. Acupuncture is an excellent 100% natural alternative to pain medications and, frankly, in many cases, it’s actually far more effective. 

However, there are other holistic treatment measures that can be used to help treat period pain as well, and they can be utilized right alongside regular acupuncture treatments. Chinese herbal medicine is perhaps the most effective at providing natural period pain relief. Certain herbs, like bai shao and dong quai, regulate the menstrual cycle and eliminate menstrual pain.

Massage therapy is another great choice. The same prostaglandins your body produces to get your uterus to contract can contribute to lower back pain, hip pain, and leg pain as well. A deep tissue massage encourages these tense areas to loosen up so you feel more comfortable. 

It’s tough to say exactly which therapies will help you the most off the cuff because every woman is different. But, rest assured, we have the knowledge and expertise to help you determine which therapies will serve you best so you can finally find out what it’s like to have a pain-free period!

Book your first appointment today

Period pain may be common, but that doesn’t mean that it’s normal. In most cases, significant period pain points to an underlying issue. Whatever may be causing your period pain, acupuncture can help you find relief. 

Acupuncture has helped countless women alleviate their monthly discomfort, restore normal hormone levels, and establish healthy cycles. At Integrative Healing Arts, we’ve helped many women regain control of their health. We’re ready to help you as you begin your journey to better health, too!

Contact our clinic today to book your first appointment, and to learn more about how acupuncture can help you overcome your period pain. We’ll work with you to get to the bottom of your menstrual irregularities so you can finally begin to address them.