One Woman Shares What Happened When She Tried Acupuncture for PMS

When you’re suffering from a bad bout of PMS, you’re bound to try just about anything to find relief.

But instead of turning towards anti-inflammatories and painkillers, and curling up on the couch with a heating pad, why not try acupuncture? The noninvasive therapy can help to combat the unpleasant exhaustion, headaches, mood swings, cramps and just about every other side effect of your monthly “gift.”

In a recent Bustle Article, writer Emma McGowan shared her experience when she turned to acupuncture for some holistic relief.

Struggling with suffering from nearly two weeks of both the physical and emotional ramifications of PMS (due to irregular periods) she opted not to go on hormonal birth control, and instead followed her aunts suggestion that she try acupuncture. (Her aunt is an acupuncturist, after all.)

With confliction options around the efficacy of acupuncture for PMS (though we’re firm believers in it’s power!) she decided to go for it, and her experience was met with big results.

After six months of treatments she shared, “First of all, I can tell you that my physical symptoms pretty much disappeared within the first couple months of doing weekly treatments. No or minimal boob swelling and nipple soreness and I only feel like I want to crawl out of my skin for a day or two, as opposed to two solid weeks.”

As far as her emotional issues, she said they did seem to amplify as her physical ones passed, though she acknowledges, “But there was also a lot going on in my life during that time, so it can be a little hard to gauge.”

Overall, would she recommend acupuncture to anyone considering it? She says, “Sure! If it’s affordable for you, give it a shot. The risks are low. And it might just make you feel 10 times better.”

Breech Baby? Try Acupuncture!

Saying that giving birth can be stressful is a major understatement. An expectant mother will try just about anything do to make the process physically or emotionally easier.

One thing moms-to-be have to worry about is whether their baby is in the breech position when they go into labor.

Breech position describes when the baby is bottom down. This can be problematic during the delivery, causing a number of potential difficulties. Ideally, the baby will be head down, otherwise known as the anterior position. Many babies will naturally move to the anterior position in the 7th or 8th month of pregnancy, but some finicky holdouts stay breech. Thankfully for mothers of these stubborn babies, there is a natural practice that has been turning breech babies into the preferred position successfully for centuries.

Katie, 34, found out at 34 weeks pregnant that her baby was in the breech position. Luckily, that falls right in the window of time that acupuncture and moxibustion become a viable way to safely turn the baby into the correct position. Katie had undergone acupuncture when trying to conceive, with positive results. So she decided to try again to see if it would help her baby move from the breech position.

Katie saw her acupuncturist who performed both moxibustion and acupuncture.  “The increased placental oestrogen caused by the heat from the moxa stick increases the baby’s heart rate and, in turn, encourages the baby to move around,” said Fiona Wolfendon, the acupuncturist.

As acupuncture helped Katie get pregnant, it also helped her delivery become much less stressful than it could have been.

“The baby stayed the right way round and there were no problems with the birth,” Katie said. “There were no complications and I only had a 12 hour labour.”

Sometimes babies just need a little help to make things a lot easier on mommy. Acupuncture has been providing the gentle but effective nudge successfully for a very long time, and will continue to do so in the future for moms everywhere.

Can Acupuncture Help Your Menstrual Cramps?

Any woman has been there before - the aching, throbbing, crampy pains that come along with the territory of being a woman and having a monthly cycle. No matter which way you choose to think about it, they are never fun to experience. 

Whether your remedy of choice includes heating pads, Tylenol, exercise, sleep, or curling up in the fetal position until it's all over, acupuncture is something you should definitely consider adding into your bag of tricks to help combat painful periods, also known as dysmenorrhea. 

A HelloGiggles writer who had struggled with cramps and pain for quite some time recently documented her own experience in seeking relief through the alternative treatment. And while she loved relaxing and listening to music throughout her session, what was most notable was that her two subsequent periods following regular treatments were much improved. She explained, "But the two periods I have had since starting with regular treatments have been so much better. Suddenly, I’m not relying on painkillers as often to ease menstrual cramps and headaches, but honestly, the benefits are evident all month long. Acupuncture helps my anxiety and moods, while also helping with my insomnia. I’ve slept better than I have in years."

Her results are not surprising, as many of our clients have found relief from their monthly symptoms via acupuncture.  Yet she set out for more information by speaking with some experts in the field. 

Three experts she spoke to all agreed that acupuncture can demonstrate long-term improvement, with one Dr. Alban explaining, " 'Some people improve and do not need further treatment. Others need ongoing or occasional maintenance,' by way of monthly tune-ups around the start of their cycle."

Her conclusion? "If you’ve been struggling with heavy, painful, and seemingly never-ending periods, you might want to give acupuncture a try. It certainly can’t hurt and just might be the self-care technique you’ve been missing to finally feel better each month."

We couldn't agree more.