Acupuncture for Women’s Health
Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years to treat myriad conditions. Western science and medicine has only recently begun to investigate why and how acupuncture can be such an effective treatment for these conditions; however, data increasingly supports practitioners’ claims that acupuncture can help address symptoms of medical conditions and ease pain.
Women’s health is no different. Evidence suggests that acupuncture can be a helpful tool in women’s health, helping to address everything from irregular menstruation and cramps, to aiding in fertility, to helping women through various issues or obstacles in pregnancy, to easing the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.
We’ve collected some literature and research to help you find out exactly why so many women turn to acupuncture to help with their health conditions, and exactly how acupuncture helps.
Menstruation & Menstrual Cramps
Recent research suggests that acupuncture can help with myriad menstruation concerns. Because many women are concerned with irregular periods and menstrual cramps, we’ve confined our information on acupuncture for menstruation to these two concerns, though acupuncture, other East Asian modalities, and herbal medicine may be able to provide symptom relief for many more.
One article on acupuncture for menstrual frequency posits, “Recently, it has been reported that acupuncture may be useful for improving ovulation rate and treating oligo/amenorrhea. A systematic review revealed that there was an improvement in the menstrual frequency of PCOS patients after acupuncture treatment.”
Another article found that there were, indeed, measurable changes in menstruation frequency in women treated with acupuncture. Though the authors note that more research is required in this field, their data suggests acupuncture may be as useful a tool as other medical interventions regarding addressing irregular menstruation.
Aside from irregular periods, acupuncture can also help with one of the more commonplace symptoms of menstruation: cramps. A systematic review found that, “…acupuncture might reduce menstrual pain and associated symptoms more effectively compared to no treatment or NSAIDs, and the efficacy could be maintained during a short-term follow-up period.”
Fertility
Acupuncture could also help women struggling with infertility. According to the American Pregnancy Association, one of the main ways in which acupuncture can help is by treating underlying conditions that impact the proper functioning of the reproductive system and immune system. In particular, they point out recent research suggesting acupuncture can lead to “improved ovarian and follicular function,” as well as “increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.”
Another study found that, “Acupuncture as a treatment for infertility shows great results both in man and women. Acupuncture can be considered as successful treatment in restoring fertility in the patients, by improving the sperm quality and ovaries function and balancing the endocrine system and hormones.”
Pregnancy
Acupuncture may be able to help with conditions and issues both during pregnancy, during labor, and postpartum.
Breech Presentation
A study conducted in 1998 found that acupuncture and moxibustion together produced significant fetal movement in the position of babies with breech presentation in the 33rd-35th weeks of pregnancy.
Another, more recent study found that, “Acupuncture plus moxibustion is more effective than observation in revolving fetuses in breech presentation. Such a method appears to be a valid option for women willing to experience a natural birth.
Lactation
An article from 2021 cites literature in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) supporting acupuncture’s ability to treat milk supply, stating, “Acupuncture has been well described in TCM for treating insufficient milk supply, and is also recommended in some Western countries.” It also describes its use to treat milk stasis or engorgement, pointing to a study in Sweden that compared routine care to routine care plus acupuncture. Those who received acupuncture were, “less likely to develop an abscess, had less severe symptoms on day five, and had a lower rate of fever than women in the usual care group.”
Another article points to several recent studies that following a full course of acupuncture treatment, patents found a significant increase in milk production—sometimes double the amount they had been able to produce originally—and that such results were maintained during follow-ups.
Preeclampsia
An article from Cochrane suggests, “Chinese herbal medicines might help to protect vulnerable organs like the liver and kidneys, and so these remedies may help with pre-eclampsia.”
A case report from 2019 looked at including acupuncture in a conventional course of treatment for a patient with preeclampsia and other high-risk conditions related to their pregnancy. They found, “By reducing the patient's BP, increasing her uterine blood flow, and providing renal protection and hepatoprotection, acupuncture was effective for increasing the length of gestation in a high-risk pregnancy to improve the viability of the baby.”
Postpartum Concerns
Postpartum concerns can go beyond lactation issues and other such concerns. Sometimes pain and emotional problems can interfere with the joy a new baby can bring. We recommend taking a look at some of our other pages, which detail:
Perimenopause & Menopause
Evidence increasingly supports acupuncture’s ability to treat myriad symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. BBC Health News reports that while hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can ease symptoms and is a regularly prescribed treatment for menopausal symptoms, it may not be the best answer for women going through this phase of life. They describe a Danish study that found after a full course of acupuncture treatment, a reduction was found in, “hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances and emotional problems.”
Another article from He et al. found in their literature review that, “These studies demonstrate that acupuncture has a certain effect on one or more of the outcome indicators of perimenopause symptoms compared with the waiting group or the routine care group.”
In Summary
All in all, research increasingly suggests that acupuncture can be a safe, natural, and effective tool in treating many different kinds of symptoms related to women’s health. Whether you’re struggling with menses, hoping for help with fertility, would like assistance treating pregnancy-related concerns, or want to relieve symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, data supports the idea of including acupuncture as a treatment and tool on your path to wellness.
Our practitioners are here to help you! Most experienced and interested in treating women’s health issues at Love Acupuncture & Wellness Group is Dr. Tanya Love, our business owner, Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and Licensed Acupuncturist.
If you’re interested in learning more about how acupuncture may be able to help you address your health concerns or if you’d like assistance in setting up an appointment, please reach out via email to info@loveacu.net or call our offices at (503) 343 9851. We would be delighted to help get you on the path to wellness.
Providers at Love Acupuncture & Wellness Group can help with mild to moderate conditions. If you are experiencing a medical and/or mental health emergency, we want you to get the specialized care you need right away. Do not wait for an appointment with us. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, call 911. If you are not in an emergency, but need help right away and don’t know where to start, we recommend calling:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357
Trevor Project (for LGBTQ+ individuals): 1-866-488-7386
For Further Reading:
“Acupuncture,” Drugs and Lactation Database, 2021.
“Acupuncture Boosts Breast Milk Production,” Healthcare Medicine Institute, 2017.
“Acupuncture for Fertility,” American Pregnancy Association.
“Moxibustion for correction of breech presentation,” JAMA, Vol. 208 No. 18; Cardini & Weixin, 1998.