Do you struggle with irregular periods, acne, difficulty losing weight, increased appetite, anxiety, low stress threshold, excess hair growth in unwanted areas?
You could have PCOS – Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Diet and Exercise are two very important parts of healing and managing PCOS naturally. Both will help to stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels (which are the underlying issues in PCOS). This will then lead to regulated hormone levels.
Acupuncture can play a big role in a PCOS protocol.
Here are 4 ways that Acupuncture can help you reduce PCOS symptoms:
1. Regulate blood sugar/insulin and hormone levels: Acupuncture has been shown to have a regulating effect – if something is too high it will lower it, if something is too low it will raise it. The aim is to reach balance in the body.
2. Improve sleep: Acupuncture can help to improve sleep quality and quantity. Of course if you’re staying up, pulling all nighters with friends or at work, acupuncture won’t be able to help you there. However, if you’re laying down to sleep at a reasonable hour and having trouble falling or staying asleep, acupuncture can help. Additionally, it has been shown to improve deep stage/restful and regenerative sleep. Sleep is very important in keeping hormones and blood sugar levels balanced. It also keeps the leptin and ghrelin, the hunger and satiety hormones regulated. Lack of good quality sleep makes us want to eat more.
3. Control Appetite: Many women with PCOS have difficulty losing weight or gain weight easily. They also find that because their blood sugar levels are not regulated properly, they are often hungry which makes it that much more difficult to eat healthy and a balanced diet necessary to keep PCOS symptoms in check. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce appetite when needed. One of the ways it does this is by calming down the nervous system, reducing stress eating. (as well as improving sleep and blood sugar).
4. Improve Mood: Acupuncture has been shown to improve mood and increase relaxation. Patients often report that they’re more able to tolerate stressors around them easier after they started regular acupuncture sessions. Preliminary research has shown that acupuncture can regulate certain neurotransmitters in the brain like serotonin or dopamine – “feel good hormones”. In addition, a less stressed out nervous system means that we are not releasing stress hormones like cortisol that can make it really difficult to lose weight.
Patients often notice a relaxation effect after just a few sessions.
Treatment length varies depending on the patient and their symptoms and how long they’ve had the condition. Typically, expect to go for regular acupuncture sessions, once a week for 3-6 months. Along with diet and exercise, you’ll see a dramatic reduction in symptoms as well as improved overall health and well-being.
Nicole Brown
Acupuncturist Brookline
Acupuncturist Needham
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