Women's Health & Pregnancy
Supporting women through life's challenges
Many women find themselves with complicated, busy lives juggling family, work and other factors. This can take its toll on women's health, particularly given the complex nature of their bodies and hormones.
Women go through a number of hormonal stages in their lives whether or not they choose to have children. Acupuncture can safely help to balance hormones and manage stress throughout these stages including pregnancy. Jill Storstein is a working mother herself with several years of experience supporting pregnant women, those with gynaecological issues and menopausal symptoms.
Hormones are essential for regulating our body's processes. They are messengers instructing our glands and organs to regulate everything from sleep, to metabolism (how fast we burn our food for energy), to how much glucose we have in our blood and to our growth and reproductive cycles. They are regulated by a complex network of feed back loops which interrelate and respond to internal and external stimuli.
Women's hormones are more complex than men's because of the menstrual cycles needed for reproduction which also interact with the other non-sex specific hormones. When imbalances in the hormones happen they can have a domino effect throughout the body and mind's systems. Imbalances can be caused by a variety of factors such as constitutional tendencies, illness, poor work/life balance, stress, dietary and environmental factors, lack of sleep, childbirth and hormonal contraception. Moreover, these imbalances are particularly susceptible at particular stages in a woman's life e.g. menarche (first period); pregnancy; child birth and breastfeeding; menopause and throughout the natural fluctuation of a monthly menstrual cycle.
Acupuncture & Women's Health
Acupuncture can help regulate hormones, reduce stress, reduce inflammation and improve blood flow which can make it very effective for treating a variety of women's health conditions. See below for links to further information about acupuncture for some specific common conditions or get in touch to find out more.
Dysmenorrhoea (Painful periods)
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
Acupuncture in Pregnancy
Acupuncture is a very safe mode of treatment and during pregnancy it has the benefit of being drug-free. Jill Storstein has undertaken additional CPD training in Acupuncture in Pregnancy and has a special interest in this field.
Acupuncture can be used to assist with a range of pregnancy related conditions, offering women an alternative to taking medication.
Acupuncture can also be used for the discomfort that people think of as unavoidable
symptoms of ‘normal’ pregnancy to be endured. While acupuncture is viewed by many as an ‘alternative’ medicine, it’s use in pregnancy is widespread in certain countries such as Denmark, France, Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand.
The following list details the conditions that acupuncture has been used for in a clinical setting;
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Miscarriage
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Threatened miscarriage
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Early pregnancy supportive care
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Nausea and vomiting (read more about nausea in pregnancy and acupuncture here)
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Constipation and hemorrhoids
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Varicose veins and vulval varicosities
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Headaches and migraines
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Musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain, pelvic and hip pain
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Fatigue and exhaustion
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Anxiety and depression
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Itching in pregnancy
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Hypertension disorders including Pregnancy-induced hypertension
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Breech and posterior positioned babies
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Preparation for a medical Induction
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Prebirth acupuncture to prepare the body for an efficient labour
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Postpartum recovery
PreBirth treatment: This involves a series of four treatments weekly from 36 or 37 weeks to prepare for labour. Points are used according a woman’s constition and pregnancy history. This may include points used to assit in ripening the cervix, positioning the baby in the best presintation for labour and to promote optimal energy and stamina for women. For further infomation on research involving prebirth acupuncture click here
Breech babies are ideally treated between 34 – 36 weeks gestation. This is often a one off treatment with women being shown how to contiune treatment at home with a moxa stick (a herb that has been shaped into a cigar like stick). The moxa stick is lit and held over specific places in the body to stimulate the acupuncture points. For further information on research into using moxa therapy to treat breech presentations click here