Acupuncture for PMS

While many women pop a pill and wait impatiently for the symptoms to subside, a drug-free alternative is making its presence known: acupuncture.

Acupuncture for PMS

Try as they might, men will never fully understand what a woman goes through just prior to menstruation. Mild fatigue, tender breasts, abdominal distention, major mood swings, break-outs, and stabbing cramps—the symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)—can make getting through the day seem like a loathsome impossibility. PMS usually occurs six or more days prior to the menstrual flow, but it can feel like a never-ending nightmare. While many women pop a pill and wait impatiently for the symptoms to subside, a drug-free alternative is making its presence known. Acupuncture, along with adjunct therapeutics like moxibustion and cupping, can help relieve the symptoms of PMS.

	I offer a package called the PMS Mood Lifter

In my private practice, I offer a package called the PMS Mood Lifter to alleviate symptomatic discomfort. It targets both the emotional and the physical symptoms that upset your system. Treatment consists of two sessions, the first administered one week before and the second, three days prior to menstruation. By prescribing this treatment before your period, I aim to catch the symptoms just before they surface with session No. 1, and then make sure they’re fully diminished with session No. 2.

How Acupuncture Helps PMS

First, acupuncture points commonly found along the spleen, stomach, pericardium (heart membrane), liver, and ren (the ventral center line) channels are needled when the client’s symptoms persist at the front of the body. Symptoms may include anxiety, irritability, abdominal fullness, cramping, headache, breast tenderness, and fatigue. If lower back pain outweighs other symptoms, needling points located on the urinary bladder, du (the dorsal center line running along the spine), and kidney channels may work. When specific acupuncture points along these channels are combined and stimulated via rhythmic twisting and turning of the needle heads, they become active in alleviating pain, regulating the menses, calming the spirit, and clearing excess heat and dampness (sensations of heaviness, lethargy, and water retention) from the body.

Moxibustion for PMS

If the client is comfortable with moxibustion , I will apply indirect moxa to choice acupuncture points. Indirect moxibustion involves lighting an herbal stick composed of mugwort, an herb highly regarded in Chinese medicine for its healing properties, and circling it around specific points to invigorate Qi and blood, dispel stasis, and, most importantly, resolve pain. Indirect moxa never touches the skin. Moxibustion is particularly known for its effectiveness in treating abdominal bloating, tension, and cramping. It feels like soft, warm waves undulating over your tender stomach.

Cupping for PMS

Should the client feel a dull aching sensation spreading across the lower back, I may follow a prone acupuncture treatment with a round of stationary cupping. Cupping works by creating a vacuum-sealed barrier between the cup and your skin via a suction pump or an ignited alcohol swab. The suction creates a negative pressure under the cup, causing the blood vessels to dilate. Qi and blood begin to circulate around the affected region, diminishing swelling and pain through gentle movement of energy. Depending on how much blocked energy you may have, the skin under the cup will turn varying shades of pink, red, or purple. Don’t worry, the colors fade within a few hours to a few days and you are left feeling a lot better.

Acupuncture, combined with moxibustion and cupping, can work wonders for alleviating the symptoms of PMS. The PMS Mood Lifter is the natural, healthy alternative to getting rid of your monthly symptoms.