Many women initially go on birth control in their teens because of painful periods (dysmenorrhea)  and/or heavy menstrual cycles.  This can lead to a cycle where they are dependent on medications for helping to control their cycle pain and bleeding.  Some women are fearful to try other options.  

Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine have a lot to offer as far as regulating hormones, managing period pain, cycle regularity and reducing excess bleeding, as well as treating PMS related symptoms such as back pain, emotional changes, bloating, headaches and other issues.

We recommend that you come for a consultation to address your specific needs, regular treatment shows the best effect, especially coming in at the beginning of your menstrual cycle to help control pain.

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Acupuncture Points for Period Pain

Often, there may be tenderness at specific acupuncture points related to dysmenorrhea.  

“Tenderness at acupuncture point SP6 (Sanyinjiao) is linked to incidences of menstrual cramping with pain.”  Some points that may often be used for acupuncture treatment:

Sanyinjiao (Spleen 6)

Zusanli (Stomach 36)

Guanyuan (Ren 4)

Qihai (Ren 6)

Taichong (Liver 3)

Diji (Spleen 8)

This list is not exhaustive and treatment will be personalized based on your symptoms and constitution.  

(Acupuncture Point Sensitivity Linked to Menstrual Pain, 28 DECEMBER 2014, Health CMI)

Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine also have a long established herbal medicine tradition for treatment of gynecological disorders, such as dysmenorrhea.  Herbs may also be part of your treatment plan.  

(Acupuncture Plus Herbs Beat Ibuprofen For Menstrual Pain, 08 FEBRUARY 2019, Health CMI)

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More Research Summaries:

“The results of this study suggest that acupuncture might reduce menstrual pain and associated symptoms more effectively compared to no treatment or NSAIDs. Acupuncture might be used as an effective and safe treatment for females with primary dysmenorrhea.”

(Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Jun;97(23):e11007. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000011007.

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Woo HL1, Ji HR2, Pak YK2, Lee H3, Heo SJ4, Lee JM5, Park KS5.)

“It was found that the women undergoing acupuncture more frequently experienced more significant improvements in period pain intensity and related symptoms, as well as in overall quality of life.  Receiving regular treatments and treatments at the start of the menstrual cycle,

the intensity and duration of period pain can be reduced by up to 50 percent by administering manual acupuncture.”

(Acupuncture is Effective for Relieving Period Pain, Maria Cohut, Ph.D. on July 21, 2017 Medical News Today)

Too many women believe mistakenly that pain and other uncomfortable symptoms are just part of having a menstrual cycle and suffer needlessly.   There is so much that Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine can offer to help you have periods that are easier.  Call us today at ilumina to schedule a consultation at 602.957.260.

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