Why are my periods painful?
Why are my periods painful?
If you have a painful period, have you ever wondered why?
Or perhaps more accurately thought, “WHY ME?!”
It can be so difficult to understand when your friends say things like, “Oh, I don’t really notice my period.” Or when friends say, “My doctor recommended I go on birth control to fix my periods, and now I don’t even notice them.”
Unfortunately, birth control simply masks the underlying cause of period pain and dysfunction. And, when people come off of birth control, their symptoms often return or worsen. More on that later!
Back to the subject at hand— you and your painful periods. So, why are your periods painful?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there can be a whole host of reasons. And, this is why we diagnose each person individually to get to the root cause of your unique period pain. Some of these factors include qi stagnation, and blood stagnation, and cold.
Qi is simply our energy. This energy moves, along with blood, throughout our bodies. When qi and blood move harmoniously, our bodies feel filled with ease. But when they stagnate, or stop moving, we experience pain. Cold also creates pain. If we think about this for a second, cold contracts.
When we step outside on a blustery Vermont winter day without a winter jacket, we hug ourselves instinctually to protect our bodies and keep our warmth in. The same thing happens in our bodies when we are exposed to too much cold. Our uterus contracts, blood congeals, and we experience pain.
How does acupuncture reduce period pain and PMS?
Acupuncture helps period pain because it harmonizes the movement of qi and blood, as well as helping to warm the body and expel cold.
For many patients suffering from period pain, acupuncture is truly life-changing.
In a 2018 randomized controlled trial called, “Efficacy of Acupuncture in Primary Dysmenorrhea,” (primary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain), authors write,
“This study showed a significant reduction in all the variables such… pain, menstrual cramps, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, fainting, mood changes, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting.”
Ultimately, they found that acupuncture is an effective treatment modality for the management of menstrual pain. Check out the study here! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29654840/
Do you struggle with any of these symptoms before or during your period? Do you know someone who does?
• Abdominal cramping
• Low back pain
• Headache or migraine
• Dizziness/brain fog
• Diarrhea, constipation, or other changes in digestion
• Abdominal bloating
• Sadness, irritability, or other mood changes
• Fatigue
• Nausea and/or vomiting
If you said yes to any of the above, acupuncture is a good fit for you!
How many treatments are recommended?
We typically recommend coming in once a week for three months to regulate menstrual cycles and reduce symptoms. It is common, however, to start experiencing relief even sooner than month three of a treatment plan.
Why three months?
Here’s some fun science! Ovarian follicles typically take three months to mature. Follicles produce hormones that govern the menstrual cycle and are responsible for releasing an egg during ovulation.
Acupuncture is targeting this process of follicle development and maturation, so it is best to receive consistent treatment from the start to end of this process.
What happens when my period is healthy?
Our patients who are coming in for period health often tell us,
“I didn’t even know that my period was coming this month!”
“No PMS symptoms or pain.”
“I just started bleeding and it felt like a non-event.”
Our goal with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine is to help create such harmonious movement of qi and blood that you are surprised when your period starts flowing, no longer burdened by a week or more of migraines, cramps, and weird digestion beforehand.
Yes, acupuncture really does this.
If you’re struggling with painful period symptoms, please come see us! We would love to help.
