A woman’s body goes through many different hormonal cycles in the course of a lifetime. Whether you still get monthly cycles, hope to start a family, or have passed through menopause, each phase of life involves different hormones that need to remain in perfect balance for your health.

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) & acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, it has accumulated a wealth of experience in the treatment of gynecological diseases through long-term clinical practice. One of acupuncture’s most notable benefits is for women’s health. From acupuncture for weight loss to rebalancing your monthly cycle, acupuncture can help you restore hormones and emotional balance and overall vitality at any stage of the journey. When you use acupuncture for hormone balance, it can ease the symptoms associated with many of these common women’s health concerns.

• Menstrual disorders

According to TCM, irregular menstruation is caused by seven emotional injuries, exogenous prostitution, poor innate constitution or excessive fatigue, resulting in visceral dysfunction and disorders of qi and blood.

By taking Renmai and Foot Taiyin Meridian as main acupoints, it usually select proper acupoints according to different syndromes. It can regulate qi and blood, smooth the liver and spleen, adjust the kidney qi.

Acupuncture can help regulate menstrual flow without using contraceptives, help achieve correct menstrual rhythm and flow, and at the same time work on the endocrine system to restore better hormonal functions.

• Menopausal syndrome

During the transition to menopause, it may accompany syndrome like hot sweat, palpitations, insomnia, tinnitus and joint discomfort.

In TCM, the diagnosis and treatment plan for menopausal syndrome is mainly to apply hair-thin needle to stimulate specific acupuncture points based on the patient’s symptoms and physique, including such acupoints as stabbing Guanyuan, Sanyinjiao, Ganshu, Shenshu, Taixi, Zhaohai and Taichong. It can adjust the menopausal women’s hormones to ease various symptoms of menopause.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

For the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, Chinese medicine usually apply acupuncture accompanied with Chinese herbs, the commonly used acupoints include Qihai, Guanyuan, Zhongji, Yinlingquan, and Sanyinjiao. Acupuncture treatment of syndrome differentiation(Bian Zheng) is used according to different constitutions. It can balance yin and yang, strengthen ovarian function and promote ovulation.

• Endometriosis

Endometriosis is associated with heavy bleeding, soreness, cramping, swelling, and stomach pain. For patients with endometriosis (also known as chocolate tumor) and uterine fibroids, TCM offer alternative treatment differed with western medicine that generally uses hormone therapy and surgery, it apply needle to stimulate specific acupoints around abdomen and waist, according to their menstrual cycle and constitution. It help relieve menstrual pain, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and make cysts dissipate.

• Breast hyperplasia/ Mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH)

In the theory of modern Chinese medicine, breast hyperplasia is related to hormonal imbalance. In terms of Chinese medicine prescriptions, it is treated by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, soothing the liver and dissipate stagnation. The acupuncture points include tanzhong, qimen, rugen, Ashi around chest area and Fenglong and Taichong acupoints on the thigh. By stimulating these acupoints, it can dredge the milk collaterals, reconcile the qi and blood, evacuate the stagnation, soften the blood stasis, and relieve the swelling eventually.

• Pregnancy disease

During pregnancy, pregnant women may experience such symptoms as nausea and vomiting, vaginal bleeding, placental insufficiency, and fetal malposition. In TCM, the treatment of pregnancy disorder is to protect the fetus and cure the disease. The main acupuncture point are Cuanzhu, Neiguan, Zusanli, and Gongsun, on which it select the corresponding matching points through syndrome differentiation and treatment. It can effectively improve the symptoms of discomfort, and strengthen the placental blood circulation, so that the fetus can develop healthily.

Successful Cases

Case 1:  Endometriosis

The patient is about 29 years old, with symptoms of low hemoglobin, cold hands and feet, afraid of freezing, accompanied by dark red menstrual color and excessive blood clots. She was sent to the hospital after fainting due to severe dysmenorrhea. After a gynecological examination, she was diagnosed to have endometriosis with a 3 cm x 3.5 cm cyst in her ovary. After further consultation, we found that she had been eating raw and cold food for a long time, and she did not have enough rest due to long working hours, which result in hormonal imbalance and poor blood flow. It further lead to endometriosis attaching to the ovaries, causing ovarian chocolate cysts.

Aiming at the patient’s chocolate tumor and dysmenorrhea, the treatment of “internal adjustment and external treatment” is recommended. Firstly, Chinese herbs is prescribed to invigorate qi, invigorate the spleen, and remove blood stasis and detoxify, accompanying with acupuncture and moxibustion which can harmonize her qi and blood, dredge meridians and dispel stagnation, it can help balance hormone secretion. After 2 months of treatment, her menstrual pain was significantly relieved, the amount of blood clots decreased, and cold hands and feet also improved. After 3 months, she surprisingly found that her chocolate tumor had shrunk to 1.3 cm x 1.5 cm in the ultrasound examination.

Case 2:  IVF failure

A 38-year-old female patient has a 4-year-old daughter (naturally conceived). She has tried to conceive again for nearly a year and a half, but failed. 5 snow tires were artificially extracted and kept. Before resort to Chinese medicine, IVF (artificial insemination) had been performed 3 times, and one capsule was placed each time. Among them, the HCG level increased twice, but it still did not exceed 5000 at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy, showing that the growth rate of progesterone is too slow, and finally all failed because of no heartbeat.

At her first visit, she said that whenever she entered an air-conditioned room in summer, her hands and feet was cold, his stool was loose, and his pulse was deep and thready, which belonged to the deficiency of kidney yang. Therefore, we suggested the treatment is combined Chinese herbs that can warm the kidneys, tonify yang and nourish blood, and accompanying with acupuncture treatment. It can increase pelvic blood flow, improve the endometrial environment, and help improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization. After three months of treatment, IVF was performed for the last time to implant the last two snow tires, both of which were successfully implanted and became pregnant, and a pair of dragon and phoenix twins have been born.

At Shanghai Medical Clinic, we specialize in women’s health through TCM, especially for women & men infertility. If you want to try a safe, non-invasive, drug-free approach for your concerns, try acupuncture in the Clinic. This treatment method works alongside the best chiropractic and massage therapy to provide full-body relief and wellness for women and men.

For more information about TCM treatments for women’s health, make an appointment or enquiries.  Shangha Medical Clinic is a Dubai Health Authority registered TCM with over 20 years of experience.  

#TCM #acupuncture #acupuncturedubai #herbalmedicine