Using acupuncture to treat premenstrual syndrome

Suffer from PMS? Let Natural Medicine and Acupuncture help!

If you experience PMS symptoms and want to know how we can help, give our office a call today at (425) 686-4498 to schedule your initial consultation.

Can acupuncture treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS)?

Yes! Acupuncture has been found to treat premenstrual syndrome aka PMS. But first…what is PMS?

PMS is the presence of physical and behavioral symptoms before start of menses. It is thought that most women of reproductive age experience some form of PMS, either mild to severe. Common symptoms experienced are breast tenderness, bloating, irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbance, headache, and back pain.

Read Dr. Heintze’s previous post on PMS and Acupuncture, here.

What does the research say?

Recent research has found acupuncture to be effective in treating the symptoms of menopause and PMS. It was initially published in the Journal of Menopause because the symptoms can be very similar to PMS and the study found that real acupuncture as opposed to “sham” acupuncture yielded tangible results in reducing hot flashes and other symptoms.

Jamie Starkey from the Cleveland Clinic who was interviewed for an article with CBS said “So, patients will typically come in to see an acupuncturist if they’ve been on medication that’s not working. They can use acupuncture to start tapering down off of their medication, or to eliminate the need to use medication altogether.”

The results of the study linked below also demonstrate how the researchers dealt with the alleged placebo effect often asserted about modern acupuncture research. In their clinical tests a group was given “sham” acupuncture to no effect whatsoever while another group was treated with real acupuncture which showed significant reduction in symptoms of test subjects.

With this and more research coming out regularly it’s no wonder western medicine is finally starting to come around to understanding the tangible benefits of a natural, side-effect free, alternative to treating pain and discomfort of all kinds. If you or anyone you know is experiencing any of issues listed above consult an acupuncturist about what they can do to help; their answer is likely to be “A lot.”

If you experience PMS symptoms and want to know how we can help, give our office a call today at (425) 686-4498 to schedule your initial consultation.