Women’s Health

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine continue to grow in popularity among women seeking help with fertility issues, hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities and menopause.

Treatment at Diwa

A comprehensive intake, health history, evaluation, and treatment plan will be discussed during your first visit.  Treatment modalities such as acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, herbal medicine, Chinese dietary therapy, and acupressure may be recommended based on your specific health concern and your current signs and symptoms.  Each treatment is tailored to your body’s current health needs.

According to research on acupuncture use in the U. S. (National Health Interview Survey in 2007), it is estimated that over half (65%) of users are women.  Throughout Chinese medicine history, addressing women’s health concerns is one of the primary modes of treatment.  Chinese medicine offers a vast array of powerful treatment tools to help regulate hormones, menstrual cycles and other conditions unique to women through all phases of life.

PMS & Menstrual Irregularities

Many women suffer from symptoms related to their monthly menstrual cycle – ranging from PMS to menstrual irregularities (i.e. irregular periods) to mild discomfort and severe pain that affect activities of daily living.  Incorporating a combination of acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes can positively alleviate and balance PMS and menstrual irregularities.

Menstrual irregularities are commonly treated with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.  Such conditions include:

• Early periods
• Late periods
• Irregular periods
• Heavy periods
• Scanty periods
• Long periods
• Painful periods
• Bleeding between periods
• No periods
• Headaches
• Diarrhea
• Body aches
• Fever
• Dizziness
• Mouth ulcers
• PMS
• Pre-menstrual breast distension

For more information on PMS and menstrual pain, please click here.

Endometriosis

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is one of the few natural treatment options that can be profoundly helpful for women suffering from endometriosis.  This condition, which occurs when the tissue that lines the endometrium is found to be growing outside the uterus, is a painful and sometimes debilitating condition that affects 10 to 20% of American women of childbearing age. The typical symptoms are severe menstrual cramping, irregular menstrual bleeding, low back pain, pain after intercourse, fatigue, and occasionally difficulty in conception.  Acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, and exercise can be effective in the treatment of endometriosis.

For more information, please click here.

Menopause

Menopause is another dimension of female health that can be extremely difficult for women, as hot flashes and night sweats can cause unbearable discomfort.  Fortunately, acupuncture and herbs are excellent options to treat menopausal symptoms, as they offer safe, non-invasive, and effective treatment for these debilitating symptoms.

For more information, please click here.

Fertility

Acupuncture can be used to treat any fertility issue.  Many fertility issues can be resolved through regulating the menstrual cycle.  It is often combined with herbs to treat elevated follicle stimulated hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained infertility, luteal phase defect, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles, and male factor, such as improve sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Acupuncture also enhances assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to help you increase your chances of pregnancy.  If you plan to use any ART procedure, it is typically advised to prepare your body beforehand (at least 3 months).  At Diwa, we typically recommend acupuncture treatment 1-2 times a week for at least 3 months before the procedure.  This process has proven to be very helpful.  Chinese herbs, diet, and lifestyle recommendations will also be incorporated to help you increase your fertility.

If you are undergoing in-vitro fertilization, a pre- and post-transfer acupuncture session is highly recommended.

Pregnancy

Acupuncture is commonly practiced for all stages of pregnancy and post-partum.  The following conditions or symptoms can be treated during pregnancy (not limited):

• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Morning sickness
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Back pain and sciatica
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Dizziness
• Low immunity
• Breach presentation
• Threatened miscarriage
• Inducing labor

Post-partum conditions are also commonly treated with acupuncture and Chinese medicine, which include (not limited):

• Fatigue
• Post-partum depression
• Abdominal pain after childbirth
• Post-partum vaginal discharge
• Mastitis
• Insufficient or Excessive Lactation
• Post Operative Healing
• Urinary difficulty
• Sweating
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Fever
• Joint Pain