ACUPUNCTURE FOR MENSTRUAL HEALTH (aka PERIODS)

We Use Acupuncture And Chinese Medicine To Harmonise Your Menstrual Cycle. 

We Help You Say Goodbye To Period Pain, Cramps, PMS, Irregular Cycles, Bloating, Ovulation Pain, And Everything Else You Were Told Is “Normal”

Because Common Is Not Normal.

At Vessel Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine, we are dedicated to supporting Brisbane’s women and non-binary folk who menstruate to find more comfort, freedom and ease within their hormonal cycles. 

Period pain acupuncture treatment

We use Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine to optimise menstrual health. Optimal menstrual health involves regular cycles, no PMS, pain-free bleeds, fresh red blood without clots, consistent mood and energy throughout the cycle, smooth (pain-free) ovulation, and a robust luteal phase.

Understanding Your Cycle with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine has a long and rich history of insight and clinical wisdom in Gynaecology. 

At Vessel, we believe that better menstrual health begins with better education. Our support begins here, empowering you to expand your knowledge of your cycle, including important events like ovulation. By becoming aware of your body’s natural rhythms, you become familiar with how best to support yourself through each phase of your cycle.

A Chinese Medicine Approach to the Menstrual Cycle

In Chinese Medicine, the menstrual cycle has four distinct phases. Each phase is governed by the natural forces of Yin, Yang, Qi, and Blood. This view is not counter to the biomedical model of the menstrual, follicular, and luteal phases—rather, it provides expanded depth.

A healthy menstrual cycle is one in which you are aware of the natural rhythms and fluctuations, but they easily transition each into the next. No single phase causes particular discomfort or distress. How you experience each phase of your cycle helps us direct our treatment to be most effective. The period itself provides diagnostic information. It reflects your underlying health state, we think of it like a monthly report card that gives insight into hormonal health. 

An Integrative Approach: Blending Chinese Medicine and Biomedicine

From a biomedical perspective, Acupuncture influences the menstrual cycle in various ways.

Regulating Hormones

Acupuncture engages with our endocrine system (hormones) by regulating the function of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis and Hypothalamic Pituitary Ovarian (HPO) axis to support efficient Ovulation, improving cycle regularity and associated cycle symptoms.

Acupuncture Relieves Pain and is Anti-inflammatory

Acupuncture activates several of the body’s own opioids (pain-relieving chemicals). It has also been found that acupuncture stimulation releases or regulates several other biochemicals involved in pain reduction, including ATP, adenosine, GABA, and substance P.

Acupuncture Strengthens The Digestive System
Digestion plays a crucial role in hormone clearance by facilitating the elimination of surplus hormones through the stool, primarily through the gut microbiome, which breaks down and metabolizes hormones, particularly estrogen, preventing their reabsorption back into the bloodstream; a healthy digestive system with regular bowel movements is essential for proper hormone balance.

Menstrual Conditions We Commonly Support

  • Hormonal support as you transition off hormonal contraception like the pill (this looks like preparation before ceasing the pill, and working together to re-establish regular periods, and address the underlying causes that led you to choose the pill in the first place)

  • Light periods or heavy periods, short periods or long periods

  • Dysmenorrhea (painful periods, including endometriosis)

  • Amenorrhea (absent periods)

  • Irregular periods (including PCOS)

  • Mood fluctuations, including PMS and PMDD

We use a combination of modalities, including Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Chinese Dietary Therapy for optimum results. We also collaborate with other members of your care team, such as pelvic physios.

What to Expect at Vessel Acupuncture

At Vessel, we take an integrative, patient-centred approach to care. Your first visit includes a thorough consultation to discuss your symptoms, lifestyle, and health history. Based on this, we create a tailored treatment plan designed specifically for you.

Your Treatment Plan

Acupuncture for menstrual health is most effective with regular sessions. Depending on your symptoms and health goals, we may recommend starting weekly or bi-weekly treatments. As your body adjusts, we will reassess and adjust the frequency of treatments. Most people experience gradual improvements in symptoms after a few sessions, but lasting change often comes with sustained treatment.

We also incorporate lifestyle recommendations, Chinese herbal medicine, and nutritional guidance to support your menstrual health.

You can read more about our approach to treatment plans here, and you can read more about the way acupuncture works and the scientific evidence here and here.