Acupuncture for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition where the function of your ovaries is impacted， sometimes by the formation of cysts. Sufferers also tend to have high levels of male hormones (testosterone), difficulty ovulating, and other problems with metabolism. Many patients will suffer infertility, which drugs like clomiphene will fail to stimulate. This means they cannot fall pregnant naturally, and IVF will not work.

PCOS has become very common, affecting 5–10% of women in Australia of reproductive age (12–45). Polycystic ovaries were found in 20–25% of women in surveys in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

If PCOS is left untreated it can cause additional health issues such as diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol. In addition, the absence of regular menstruation induced by progesterone withdrawal may lead to endometrial hyperplasia and uncontrolled bleeding as well as the risk of endometrial cancer. Sufferers are also 8 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, are 3-5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and have double the chance of contracting cervical and breast cancer.

Early diagnosis and treatment may reduce the risk of developing some of these ailments. Contact our Brisbane Acupuncturist Jane Ma for further information

Below we discuss acupuncture for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and how treatment can change your life.

If you have PCOS, it means that your ovaries don’t make all of the hormones needed for an egg to fully mature. The follicles may start to grow and build up fluid, but ovulation doesn’t happen. Instead, some follicles may remain as cysts. For these reasons, the hormone progesterone is not made. Without progesterone, a woman’s menstrual cycle is irregular or absent. Additionally, the ovaries make male hormones, which also prevent ovulation.

PCOS effectively results in no ovulation (amenorrhea) or irregular ovulation (oligomenorrhea), which in turn results in no or few menstrual periods. This can significantly decrease your chances of falling pregnant, and may inhibit your lifestyle on a daily basis.

Common symptoms of PCOS include:

The expert teacher we follow, YU-Jin, combines Western laboratory tests with Eastern medical doctrines to develop a treatment protocol especially for PCOS sufferers.

There are two major patterns: the first says PCOS is as a result of high testosterone levels, which in Chinese medicine correlates with Yang deficiency and excess phlegm; the other involves high testosterone with insulin resistance—a pattern traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) connects with Yin deficiency—causing internal heat and accumulation of phlegm.

Doctors will give pills to regulate your period or prescribe progesterone to increase the levels of it in your body. Stopping the intake of synthetic progesterone will trigger the shedding of the uterus lining. Often this shedding results in very heavy bleeding, which can be a physically draining experience for women. It’s important to clarify that this period does not cure the PCOS problem. By ingesting progesterone, it does not mean that you will begin to experience regular periods or that the uterus lining will no longer build up in future cycles.

Synthetic progesterone isn’t a cure—it’s a treatment to manage PCOS signs and symptoms. This means that the root of the problem remains, and only the outer manifestations of the condition are masked. As soon as you stop taking the medication the symptoms all come back. The hormone treatments not only slow down the body’s natural hormones, but also suppress the ovary function.

A combination of Western and TCM treatments is the best way to regulate menstruation and increase the chances of falling pregnant.

The best treatment for PCOS is to regulate the whole system to achieve results. The aim should not be to seek hormone treatments—which have promising short-term results, but may cause you to sacrifice your ovary function or damage your body—as this will inhibit your sex life and lead to infertility.

At AcuNatural Health, we have developed a unique treatment protocol in the clinic, which is:

This will allow the body’s metabolism to regain balance.

Here at AcuNatural Health clinic Brisbane, we believe that with a balanced diet, and a series of treatments that use traditional medicine techniques, herbal teas and acupuncture, PCOS and its relating issues can be cured.

Results for PCOS can be achieved if you take Chinese herbs for 3 menstruation cycles accompanied by acupuncture to promote ovulation.

I expect:

My treatments should lower the ratio of T/E, E1/E2.

For patients who are trying to conceive—on top of treatment protocols, acupuncture will be emphasised.

Acupuncture will further promote ovulation and support IVF or ART patients to reduce the side effect of drugs necessary for IVF. Also, acupuncture and TCM is used to protect the ovaries in a bid to support and sustain the pregnancy.

For young patients or patients whose fertility is not their main concern, Chinese herbs and acupuncture can regulate the nervous system. This helps reduce your stress and regulate your endocrine hormones to promote ovulation. This will result in a normal menstruation cycle and a holistically adjusted metabolic profile.

For patients who have children or are pre-menopausal, the treatment will focus on regulating ovarian function and improving the metabolism of the neuroendocrine system.

Here is a PCOS and infertility case study of a patient of ours at AcuNatural Health Acupuncture Brisbane, and how acupuncture helped them. click here.