A lot of women struggle with their weight and it seems that no matter how hard they try their weight just won’t come down. All the endless hours in the gym and dieting leave them hungry, fatigued and extremely frustrated with no evidence of progress. The thing is that it may not be your fault at all. You may be suffering from a hormonal dysfunction known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS, for short. This condition really makes it impossible for you to lose weight. PCOS can cause a lot of possible symptoms. But there are Western ad Eastern types of treatment for it. Eastern treatments include herbal therapy and acupuncture among others while Western treatments may include various kinds of hormone therapy.
The ovaries of women with PCOS usually are plagued with cysts which, is the reason for this disease’s name. Other symptoms and signs include irregular periods, acne, thinning hair (on the scalp), excessive facial hair, obesity, and weight gain (usually in the stomach). Women with PCOS who rigorously exercise may notice that the weight in their belly doesn’t seem to go away which can be a nagging source of frustration for them. Sufferers of this condition may completely skip a period when their period arrives, may experience delayed periods or when their period does come, it is often painful. These irregular cycles make it very hard for these women to get pregnant. PCOS is actually one of the leading reasons of female infertility and the sad fact is that very few of its sufferers know they have it. A lot of the symptoms that arise from PCOS can be connected to an elevated level of testosterone, which all PCOS sufferers have. To restore ovulation, normalize the menstrual cycle and balance the body, traditional Chinese medicine is needed.
As opposed to the linear way Western medicine views an illness, Eastern Medicine utilizes a holistic approach to a person’s health. This means that a certain illness may not always mean that each patient needs to get the same treatment. For acupuncturists and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners the underlying root problem and not just the symptoms should be treated as well. According TCM theory, PCOS can be attributed to three different diagnoses. These three diagnoses are Blood and/or Qi stagnation; deficient Kidney Yang and DAMP and/or Phlegm Accumulation. Some patients can have all three syndromes (this is the most common case), some two and some just one. A patient manifesting all three syndromes may have one predominating syndrome. Acupuncture treatment combined with Chinese herbal therapy will help tonify Kidney Yang, move Blood and Qi and clear damp and phlegm. Studies regarding the use of electro-acupuncture have shown that these treatments are the most effective for fighting PCOS. The mild electrical impulses are helpful in lowering the patient’s level of testosterone.
Sufferers of PCOS need to seriously consider their condition since besides the overt physical signs, PCOS can result to even worse and even deadly conditions like cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes. A treatment plan that includes Chinese herbal remedies, acupuncture and regular exercise can normalize your hormone levels that can help you avoid hormone therapy.
Health Source Acupuncture
401 New Rd #211
Linwood, NJ 08221
(609) 248-6922
www.healthsourceacupuncture.com