Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Women's Health
Although it may seem a recent development in natural women’s health for us in the west, the use of acupuncture and herbal medicine in China extends back over 700 years to the establishment of obstetrics and gynaecology specialties by the Imperial court of the Song Dynasty.
Thanks to this wealth of history, and the thousands of books and research papers published in that time, Chinese medicine is used to treat all manner of problems related to women’s health, fertility and pregnancy – from painful and irregular periods to menopausal syndrome to problems with conception.
Acupuncture has long been known to have a balancing effect on both the nervous and hormonal systems. As such it is able to regulate imbalances rather than override them. It is particularly useful in reducing stress, anxiety and mood swings at any time throughout the menstrual cycle, during and after pregnancy, and around the menopause. These psycho-emotional disorders are often at the root of problems with conception and sexual dysfunction.
Recent research in Europe as well as China has shown acupuncture to significantly increase the success rate of IVF, which is timely considering that the number of infertile couples seeking treatment for conception problems is ever increasing.
Despite the ill-advised caution offered by many doctors, acupuncture may also be safely used throughout pregnancy for such problems as morning sickness, fatigue, back pain and sciatica and even turning breach babies. Treatment in the weeks leading up to birth can also assist in making labour and the post-natal period less traumatic and draining. An excellent resource for pregnant women seeking info about acupuncture in pregnancy is Debra Betts' website, which includes the downloadable booklet for acupressure in labour.
Chinese herbal medicine is commonly used as an adjunct to acupuncture to enhance the effectiveness of treatment. Individually tailored prescriptions are traditionally boiled into a strong tea, but there are also dozens of standardized formulae available in pill form. Herbs are particularly useful in treating more chronic conditions such as period pain, menopausal symptoms, low libido and recovery after chemotherapy.
This clinic has treated thousands of women (and men!) over the past two decades for a wide range of medical and psycho-emotional problems, and a significant proportion have involved problems related to menstrual, reproductive and menopausal problems. Because Chinese medicine uses a whole-body approach to diagnosis and treatment, results are more likely to be permanent and have positive effects on your general health as well as emotional wellbeing.
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Thanks to this wealth of history, and the thousands of books and research papers published in that time, Chinese medicine is used to treat all manner of problems related to women’s health, fertility and pregnancy – from painful and irregular periods to menopausal syndrome to problems with conception.
Acupuncture has long been known to have a balancing effect on both the nervous and hormonal systems. As such it is able to regulate imbalances rather than override them. It is particularly useful in reducing stress, anxiety and mood swings at any time throughout the menstrual cycle, during and after pregnancy, and around the menopause. These psycho-emotional disorders are often at the root of problems with conception and sexual dysfunction.
Recent research in Europe as well as China has shown acupuncture to significantly increase the success rate of IVF, which is timely considering that the number of infertile couples seeking treatment for conception problems is ever increasing.
Despite the ill-advised caution offered by many doctors, acupuncture may also be safely used throughout pregnancy for such problems as morning sickness, fatigue, back pain and sciatica and even turning breach babies. Treatment in the weeks leading up to birth can also assist in making labour and the post-natal period less traumatic and draining. An excellent resource for pregnant women seeking info about acupuncture in pregnancy is Debra Betts' website, which includes the downloadable booklet for acupressure in labour.
Chinese herbal medicine is commonly used as an adjunct to acupuncture to enhance the effectiveness of treatment. Individually tailored prescriptions are traditionally boiled into a strong tea, but there are also dozens of standardized formulae available in pill form. Herbs are particularly useful in treating more chronic conditions such as period pain, menopausal symptoms, low libido and recovery after chemotherapy.
This clinic has treated thousands of women (and men!) over the past two decades for a wide range of medical and psycho-emotional problems, and a significant proportion have involved problems related to menstrual, reproductive and menopausal problems. Because Chinese medicine uses a whole-body approach to diagnosis and treatment, results are more likely to be permanent and have positive effects on your general health as well as emotional wellbeing.
Return to Patient Info