The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they hear ‘hormone balance’ is reproductive health. While it is true that acupuncture and East Asian medicine is very helpful in a wide range of gynecological complaints or infertility as well as sexual dysfunction or impotence, there are a variety of other hormone balancing treatments to address common symptoms including:
-Fatigue and/or difficulty sleeping
-Low libido
-Headaches; Muscle aches
-Mood changes
-Weight changes
-Sugar cravings
-Indigestion
As you can imagine, many people who come to me report at least a few of these symptoms even when they are athletic and otherwise in excellent health. Due to the feedback loops of the endocrine system, an imbalance is often not isolated within one gland or organ. It is for this reason that individuals may have a wide variety of symptoms even when blood tests show that hormone levels are within the normal range.
This is where acupuncture frequently comes in handy. Through acupuncture we can treat the root cause of these symptoms, stimulating the endocrine system to auto-regulate, and prevent the progression of an imbalance [1]. Historically, there have been acupuncture treatments for the adrenals, the thyroid, the pancreas and the pituitary gland.
Environmental and personal stress are major contributors to hormone imbalances and that is a plausible explanation for why hormone imbalances are somewhat common in this day and age. Nutrition and fitness are two areas that I often discuss with my patients to minimize any adverse effects these types of stressors may be having on their health.
For a general sense of the state of your endocrine system, online self-assessment tools are available. If you are already utilizing medication or other treatments and have discussed a step-down program with your physician, acupuncture can be used in the process of reducing the dosage needed as well as moderate side effects.
Works Cited
[1] E. Stener-Victorin, X. Wu. Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture in the reproductive system. Auton Neurosci, 157 (2010), pp. 46-51.
