Lifestyle Tips for PCOS and the Chinese Medicine Perspective
PCOS in Chinese Medicine Terms
We talked about what polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is in the last post, but how does acupuncture help treat it in Chinese Medicine terms? PCOS is a condition which affects 6 to 12 percent of women in their reproductive years and which causes a variety of symptoms:
irregular periods
fluid filled ovarian cysts
an excess of male hormones which can lead to acne, hair loss, or unwanted body or facial hair
metabolic issues which can often lead to unwanted weight gain
PCOS can also lead to infertility. However, because is often overlooked, sometimes it is not diagnose until a women tries and is unable to get pregnant.
In Chinese Medicine, PCOS is seen as an excess of dampness and phlegm, or pathologic fluids, in the body. In PCOS women develop too many follicles, fluid filled sacs in the ovaries that contain a developing egg, which creates cysts. The cysts themselves lead to an imbalance of hormones and an increase in male hormones. Acupuncture treatments will often focus on clearing dampness (the fluids filled cysts) in the body as well as regulating blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, and is some cases clearing blood stasis. In addition, an acupuncturist will work with Kidney Yang energy to address metabolism.
Hormones and PCOS
Often women with PCOS will be estrogen dominant, a condition in which estrogen in relation to progesterone is too high. It is sometimes linked to excess body weight (adipose tissues produces estrogen). In addition, many women with PCOS are insulin resistant. According to the CDC, women with PCOS can produce insulin, but their bodies are unable to utilize it correctly leading to high blood sugar levels, which can lead to Type II diabetes or high blood pressure.
In addition, testosterone levels are also elevated in women with PCOS leading to symptoms such as acne, unwanted body/facial hair or hair loss. Testosterone has also been linked to sympathetic activation in the nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is activated during times of stress, and if stress is left unchecked can leading to hormone disturbances. One study in The American Journal of Physiology found “sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS… the novel finding is that women with PCOS have significantly higher sympathetic nerve activity than their matched controls.” Because of acupuncture’s effect on the nervous system, it can greatly reduce sympathetic activation in women with PCOS as part of its beneficial effects.
Acupuncture for PCOS, like many hormonal imbalances or treatments targeted to the menstrual cycle, takes time. Generally women can see measurable changes after three months of treatment.
Lifestyle Changes for PCOS
In addition to acupuncture, some lifestyle changes can have an impact on the effects of PCOS. Below are a few things you can do to help check estrogen dominance:
Decrease or cut out coffee and other caffeine
Decrease or cut out dairy
Decrease or cut out alcohol
Increase broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, turnips that all have DIM which helps metabolize estrogen (estrogen dominance can lead to PMS, cramps, irregular periods)
Increase essential fatty acids
Decrease sugars and simple carbs (white bread, pasta, pastries, etc) and instead have regular but small amounts of complex cards like brown rice—this will aid in balancing blood sugar levels