As a woman, we know that the state of our sexual health and changes in our periods can be a great indicator of overall health and health issues.
A co-worker had recently seen her doctor and told her that she had gained weight, had irregular periods, and felt generally tired and listless.
Turns out she had an undiagnosed case of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that was wreaking havoc on his hormones, massively increasing the amount of testosterone in his body.
As anyone who has heard of this condition knows, it can have huge implications for the way you live your life, including for fertility and reproductive health.
As well as upsetting the body in general by destroying the delicate balance of hormones it needs to stay stable and healthy.
My friend said that the doctor prescribed metformin and hormone-stabilizing tablets. Apparently, they were working, but she wasn’t particularly happy about the idea of taking pills for the rest of her life, so she was looking for other options.
How does hormonal imbalance affect me?
A woman’s body requires two main hormones to function. Estrogen and progesterone. It is these hormones that control the reproductive cycle, the menstrual cycle, and fertility in women, as well as having important effects on mood and general health.
So it stands to reason that a hormonal imbalance would cause major problems in a woman’s reproductive cycle, including irregular periods, menstrual problems, mood swings, weight gain, an increased chance of osteoporosis, heart disease, and even breast cancer.
While there are multiple reasons why a woman might develop a hormonal imbalance, such as stress, diet, or weight gain, the two biggest factors are usually birth control pills and the perimenopausal stage of life.
Hormone-based birth control pills rely on high doses of estrogen to prevent ovulation, as well as progestin, synthetic progesterone, to thin the lining of the uterus. Because of the way they work, hormonal birth control pills contain up to four times higher doses of estrogen than are found naturally in a woman’s body during her menstrual cycle.
Then, menopause also causes important changes in a woman’s hormonal cycle. As your ovaries age, they naturally release lower levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which cause major changes in your body and can have huge negative effects on your health and quality of life for years to come.
While there are many ways to treat this, including hormone replacement therapy and other hormone-balancing medications, there are a host of other options, including one that many people might overlook.
Acupuncture!
What is acupuncture?
Used in the Orient as a traditional treatment for centuries, acupuncture is an alternative therapy that is becoming widely accepted, to the point that many reputable, high-profile medical sources have begun offering acupuncture treatments alongside more conventional medical treatments. .
The therapy itself involves inserting thin needles into key points in the body, usually along nerve lines or around specific organs.
According to traditional understanding, the body is full of energy, usually called Chi or Ki.
It is this energy that keeps us alive, and it is believed that inhibiting its flow around the body, especially through key points, is what leads to illness and disease.
Under Eastern philosophy, the needles used in acupuncture unblock the flow of energy at these points when they are blocked, balancing your vital energy so that the body can heal itself naturally.
In the West, where research on acupuncture is ongoing, the way it works is thought to be neurophysiological in nature, but is not yet fully understood.
The insertion of acupuncture needles is known to have definite effects on the body, causing nerve stimulation that releases muscles and even overrides brain signals.
There are also measurable changes in body chemicals in patients undergoing treatment.
While it may not be fully understood, the benefits of acupuncture treatment are widely accepted…
To the point that it is regularly available as an alternative treatment from most doctors, and more research studies are being completed every year in an effort to understand how acupuncture offers all of its healing properties.
Can acupuncture balance our hormones?
When it comes to hormonal imbalance, the studies are clear.
Women receiving daily acupuncture sessions showed massive improvements in multiple areas, comparable to results shown by women tested at the same time on prescription metformin pills.
Both groups showed a significant improvement in male hormone levels in the blood, as well as massive changes in cholesterol levels, insulin markers, and blood glucose.
Incredibly, the women prescribed acupuncture actually lost more weight and saw a much quicker response when it came to balancing their menstrual cycles.
In addition to this, many other studies have shown that regular acupuncture treatments can have healthy effects throughout the body, including stabilizing the production of fat-burning hormones in the kidneys and liver, as well as the production of the happy hormones. dopamine and serotonin in the brain.
As for my friend, she started an acupuncture course at the local health center. Within two weeks, she was back to her old self and had only good things to say about the staff and treatment. According to her, she was not the only woman being treated there for her condition, and the number of people and illnesses they saw was apparently staggering.
So if you have a hormonal problem and your doctor prescribes a series of pills, always remember that, as always, you have other options. Acupuncture is available throughout the country, so find your nearest doctor and book a short course.
The results might surprise you!