Deakin Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Centre Bringing over 20 years of  Experience  in Acupuncture and Chinese medicine to Canberra Inner South Deakin  ACT

A woman’s journey through the menstrual cycle should  be pain free and have no emotional or physical discomfort.

Symptoms  can affect up to 80% of females, some are fortunate to have very minimal or no PMS and others can have the most severe form known as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). The array of physical and emotional symptoms occur cyclically from one to fourteen days before menstruation, for some women this  accounts for up to   50%  of their reproductive life.

Symptoms vary but can include:

• EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES
  Tension or anxiety
  Depressed mood 
  Crying spells    
  Mood swings and irritability or anger    
  Appetite changes and food cravings   
  Poor sleep   
  Social withdrawal  
  Poor concentration
• PHYSICAL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
  Joint or muscle pain 
  Headache   Abdominal bloating
  migraines 
  Fatigue    
  Weight gain related to fluid retention   
  Breast swelling and tenderness 
  Skin breakouts    
  Constipation or diarrhea 
  Overheating 
  Lower back pain   
  Period pain

Why do I have PMS?

There are four phases of a menstrual cycle, menstruation, follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase. The menstrual cycle is a hormonal, biofeedback system, this means the function of your reproductive organs and endocrine glands are delicately interconnected. Many lifestyle factors may affect this biofeedback system and contribute to the cause of PMS. 

A Chinese medicine practitioner will help you identify and address factors that may be causing hormonal imbalance. Stress, emotional upsets, poor diet, lack of exercise, toxins, digestive disturbances can contribute to PMS.

Chinese Medicine treatment for PMS has existed over thousands of years. According to Chinese medicine theory Qi (energy) and Blood should flow freely throughout the body. If Qi and Blood are not free flowing then pelvic stagnation begins. When this occurs during the days leading up to menstruation the symptoms of PMS start, emotional changes, digestive disturbances, skin breakout and physical pain and discomfort are the result of the Qi getting stuck and failing to maintain  smooth systemic circulation.

Many women who come for help to address PMS are actually relieved to discover that their “random” PMS symptoms are coherently grouped together and made “sense of”  in a Chinese medicine diagnosis. My experience in reproductive health means I can quickly grasp your diagnostic pattern and identify contributing factors and lifestyle habits so as to help you understand and manage your symptoms. Diagnosis is made by your medical history and a careful examination of your pulse, looking at your tongue and physical palpation for any diagnostic reflexes. Commonly imbalances in  Liver, Spleen and Kidneys contribute to a Chinese medicine diagnosis of PMS.

How does Chinese medicine   treat PMS?

Chinese medicine treats the cause of the problem by reaching into the core of the disharmony,  not only will you find your symptoms have reduced but you will find yourself with more energy and a greater sense of well being as your  health begins to improve.

Treatment typically combines these modalities
Acupuncture
Lifestyle modifications
Exercise
Herbs
Nutritional supplements

“A skilled Chinese medicine practitioner treats the person not the disease”

Numerous PMS studies have researched the efficacy  of Chinese Herbal medicine and acupuncture with positive [1] but  somewhat mixed findings [2] [3]. This reflects more upon the complexity of Chinese Medicine and how one treatment doesn’t work for everyone. One of the main challenges in Chinese medicine research, is that for research purposes treatment is standardised so that everyone receives identical treatment. This will often lead to mixed results as one of the fundamental ideas behind Chinese medicine treatment is that each person is unique and two patients presenting with the “same” condition will usually not receive the same treatment.

Your treatment will be targeted to your unique diagnostic pattern of imbalance, I  have found that most women with PMS will respond quickly to treatment and are relieved  that they begin to see  changes in a short period of time. Many women also come away  feeling empowered as my goal is to help with you with self education so that in the long term you can better manage your PMS.

References

1.“Acupuncture for the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea”. Helms, J. M. MD.Obstetrics & Gynecology: January 1987

2.“Effects and treatment methods of acupuncture and herbal medicine for premenstrual syndrome/premenstrual dysphoric disorder: systematic review” Su Hee Jang, Dong Il Kim, Min-Sun Choi BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine:The official journal of the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR) 2014 14:11

3.“Acupuncture Treatment for Premenstrual Syndrome” Zheng-Rong Guo and Liang-Xiao Ma. Medical Acupuncture. June 2013, 25(3): pp200-204.