Healthy Menstrual Cycle Tip #3: Treating PMS

Many women experience some form of pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS) before their period. Symptoms can include breast tenderness, bloating, mild cramping, headaches/migraines, fatigue, food cravings, low libido, insomnia, emotional fluctuations including anger, anxiety, irritability, depression, sadness, and weepiness.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, the “symptoms” of PMS are seen as patterns that involve the internal organs and/or energy pathways of the body. The Liver, Heart and Spleen are the three major organ systems that are primarily involved with PMS. With acupuncture, herbs, diet, and lifestyle changes, we focus on “smoothing” the liver to have a smoother menstrual cycle.

TCM has been widely and successfully used to treat PMS. Most women respond very well to acupuncture and herbs in combination with dietary changes, exercise, and focusing on your emotional well being. I can support you in discovering what will work best for you to prepare your body for your period. Make an appointment today!

Another great tip is to schedule a massage the week before your period. This is especially helpful for those who get menstrual headaches and muscle tightness before menses.

Healthy Menstrual Cycle Tip #2: Your Basal Body Temperature

Another step towards Menstrual Health, is tracking your Basal Body Temperature (BBT). This entails taking your temperature first thing each morning (as soon as you wake up) and keeping track of your temperature on a chart.

Charting your BBT can provide useful information as to when you are most fertile, which is especially important if you are trying to conceive or trying not to conceive. You will also be more in tune with when your menstrual period should begin, whether you are ovulating, if you have successfully conceived or if there is a possibility of a hormonal imbalance. Taking your waking body temperature is the first step to charting. Read more about it here.

As a practitioner, I find it very helpful to see my patients’ BBT charts. Your temperature can indicate potential imbalances in your cycle, which Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may be able to treat very effectively. For example, temperatures that are too high in the pre-ovulatory (follicular) phase, indicate excess heat, just as temperatures that are too low during the post-ovulatory (luteal) phase indicate deficiency.

A great resource for further reading is Toni Weschler’s book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which goes in depth into charting for natural pregnancy achievement or pregnancy avoidance as well as basic gynecological health.

A Healthy Menstrual Cycle

Many of my female patients have menstrual imbalances and report painful periods, pre-menstrual syndrome, lack of periods, irregular cycles, uterine cysts and fibroids. With most menstrual issues, there are preventative measures that can help you have a smoother period. This will be the first of a series of blog posts with recommendations for a healthy cycle.

In my experience, regular acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas help my clients get amazing results - transforming their period from something to complain about to pain-free periods with minimal pre-menstrual symptoms. With support, women no longer dread their cycles and can experience them with ease. Call today for an acupuncture treatment!

Prevention and Healthy Habit #1: Keep track of your cycle (when your period starts and ends) on your calendar. Day One of your menses is considered the first day that bleeding begins. This helps you know what to expect, helps me treat you more specifically during an acupuncture treatment, can help you feel more connected to your body and to your natural hormonal shifts. You can find out how many days between cycles, when ovulation is expected, and when to prepare for the coming cycle.