Acupuncture as a treatment for irregular periods

Condition analysis:
I encounter patients with this situation very frequently in our clinic.  The oral contraceptive pill prevents your body from making the female hormones involved in ovulation and menstruation as the pill artificially mimics the woman’s natural monthly fluctuation of hormones. When you stop taking the pill, it can take some time for your body to return to a normal production of these hormones and generate a natural ovulation and menstruation monthly cycle. Most women experience a return of regular ovulatory cycles soon after stopping the pill. However, if your period does not return for several months, you may have what is known as post-pill amenorrhea.  Acupuncture assists the woman’s natural hormone cycle by influencing the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis (HPG axis – ovarian hormone feedback loops).  Studies have also demonstrated the positive effects of acupuncture on ovulation inductions.

Instructions:
Acupuncture, as one of the potential remedies for irregular menstrual periods, was first prescribed in China more than 4,000 years ago. Since its inception, the use of acupuncture has expanded outside of China to nearly every country around the globe. Acupuncture is generally free from side effects and has been shown to relieve pain and symptoms of many types of maladies or diseases.

According to Chinese medicine, the body’s life energy, also known as "Qi" (pronounced chi), travels along meridians or rivers throughout the body. The flow of this natural energy can be blocked at certain points. When this is determined, the acupuncturist uses ultra-thin needles and inserts them in specific points throughout the body. The needles gently relieve the blockage and restore the normal flow of Qi.

Chinese medicine also describes certain weaknesses in the flow of Qi. These weaknesses cause people to become more susceptible to disease. The same weaknesses can also affect the body’s normal rhythm, which can manifest as irregular menstrual periods.

Acupuncture as a treatment for irregular periods is thought to balance the menstrual cycle, regulate the flow of menstrual fluids and relieve pain. Irregularity of the cycle is considered in Chinese medicine to originate in two of the body’s major energetic systems: the liver and the kidneys. Together, these two systems are responsible for regulating the biological clock which determines the menstrual cycle.