Women, today, face any number of challenging healthcare issues. Included in this list are:
- Menopause
- Infertility
- PMS and other Gynecological issues
- Depression and Anxiety
- Heart Issues
- Autoimmune Disease
An acupuncturist treats each patient as an individual and the body as a whole. With every condition there is a unique diagnosis. We will take time to review your health history with you and evaluate what is going on and why. You will receive the proper care and treatment that is just right for you. Together we will get you on the path to wellness.
Menopause
A number of randomized controlled trials have shown that acupuncture can be effective at reducing the frequency and severity of VMS.30–35 A recent meta-analysis of 12 RCTs concluded that acupuncture improves VMS frequency and severity and menopause-related symptoms in women experiencing natural menopause, with clinical effects lasting up to 3 months.36 However, there is a paucity of evidence about longer term effects of acupuncture, the effects of acupuncture on health-related quality of life, and optimal dosing strategies for acupuncture among women with VMS.
Although the mechanisms of hot flashes are not well understood, one possible cause is the reduction in β-endorphins in the hypothalamus resulting from low concentrations of estrogen. Theories of neurophysiological and neurohumoral mechanisms, as well as concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, suggest that acupuncture may be an effective method to control hot flashes through its effect on endorphins. Changes in level of β-endorphins and other neurotransmitters affect the thermoregulatory center in the hypothalamus and acupuncture may alter these central neuromodulators.37–41
References: PubMed
30-35 – Acupuncture for hot flashes: a randomized, sham-controlled clinical study.
Vincent A, Barton DL, Mandrekar JN, Cha SS, Zais T, Wahner-Roedler DL, Keppler MA, Kreitzer MJ, Loprinzi C., Menopause. 2007 Jan-Feb; 14(1):45-52.
36 – Review Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and quality of life in women in natural menopause: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Chiu HY, Pan CH, Shyu YK, Han BC, Tsai PS, Menopause. 2015 Feb; 22(2):234-44.
37 – 41
- Neuroendocrinology of menopausal flushes: an hypothesis of flush mechanism.
Casper RF, Yen SS, Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1985 Mar; 22(3):293-312.
- Alterations in the function of cerebral dopaminergic and serotonergic systems following electroacupuncture and moxibustion applications: possible correlates with their antistress and psychosomatic actions.
Yano T, Kato B, Fukuda F, Shinbara H, Yoshimoto K, Ozaki A, Kuriyama K
Neurochem Res. 2004 Jan; 29(1):283-93.
INFERTILITY
One treatment option for couples with infertility that enables the highest success rate is in vitro fertilization (IVF). With this technique, various causes of infertility can be overcome, whether they are caused by anatomical abnormalities in women or abnormalities of sexual dysfunction in men. Acupuncture, a nonpharmacologic therapy with minimal side-effects, according to various studies is be beneficial for increasing the success of IVF. There are several mechanisms of acupuncture related to this, such as: (1) modulating neuroendocrine factors; (2) increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries; (3) modulating immune factors; and (4) reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Because acupuncture does not have bad side-effects, it is an adjuvant therapy that can be performed at each stage of the IVF procedure to increase the chances of successful IVF.
References –
Management of Acupuncture as Adjuvant Therapy for In VitroFertilization, MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE, Volume 31, Number 6, 2019 # Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/acu.2019.1394 / AMA: Djaali W, Abdurrohim K, Helianthi DR. Management of Acupuncture as Adjuvant Therapy for In Vitro Fertilization. Med Acupunct. 2019;31(6):361-365. doi:10.1089/acu.2019.1394 / MLA: Djaali, Wahyuningsih et al. “Management of Acupuncture as Adjuvant Therapy for In Vitro Fertilization.” Medical acupuncturevol. 31,6 (2019): 361-365. doi:10.1089/acu.2019.1394 / APA: Djaali, W., Abdurrohim, K., & Helianthi, D. R. (2019). Management of Acupuncture as Adjuvant Therapy for In VitroFertilization. Medical acupuncture, 31(6), 361–365. https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2019.1394 / NLM: Djaali W, Abdurrohim K, Helianthi DR. Management of Acupuncture as Adjuvant Therapy for In Vitro Fertilization. Med Acupunct. 2019 Dec 1;31(6):361-365. doi: 10.1089/acu.2019.1394. Epub 2019 Dec 13. PMID: 31871523; PMCID: PMC6918528.
