Acupuncture For Hormonal Imbalance

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Photo credit: KVc Photography

Hormone imbalance is one of the most common health issues I see in my patients. A lot of women struggle with hormonal changes, as well as symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, heavy or irregular periods, decreased libido, and mood swings. Often, hormone imbalance is the culprit. 

Hormones play such a big role in how you feel day-to-day. As women, our hormones are constantly fluctuating throughout the month, and when they get out of balance, the ups and downs become more pronounced, which can be overwhelming. 

That’s where acupuncture comes in. Acupuncture is one of the best ways to support your hormones naturally and help your body bring things back into balance. Here’s a look at the symptoms of hormonal imbalance, and why acupuncture is one of my go-to methods for restoring healthy hormone levels. 

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance

If your body is an orchestra, hormones are the conductors: they tell cells in different parts of your body what to do and when to do it. You make about 50 different hormones, and they all work together to regulate your mood, metabolism, sex drive, energy levels, and more. 

Because your hormones work together, it’s important that you have the right amount of each one. If you produce too much of one hormone or too little of another, the whole system can fall out of balance. 

Symptoms of hormonal imbalance include:

• Fatigue
• Irregular, painful, or heavy periods
• Sudden weight gain
• Low sex drive
• Brain fog
• Fertility problems
• Indigestion
• Hot flashes 
• Night sweats
• Hair loss
• Sudden acne

If you have any of these symptoms, you may have a hormonal imbalance — especially if the symptoms come in waves or happen at a particular time during your cycle. 

Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to balance your hormones. One of my favorite tools is acupuncture. 

How acupuncture supports healthy hormone balance

Acupuncture has been a staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. Acupuncturists use long, thin needles to stimulate and balance different systems in your body, including your endocrine (hormone) system. Don’t worry — acupuncture isn’t painful. In fact, many people find it quite relaxing. 

Acupuncture is great for a number of health issues, including pain, stress, and headaches. It’s also great for balancing your hormones. 

• A 2011 study found that acupuncture worked as well as bioidentical hormone therapy for balancing follicle-stimulating hormone in menopausal women .
• Acupuncture can help with fertility issues caused by hormonal imbalance by supporting healthy sex hormone levels .
• Acupuncture can balance cortisol levels to relieve stress, regulate adrenal function, and normalize your stress response .
• In a case study, a woman with infertility caused by endometriosis saw a significant decrease in her endometrial cysts and became pregnant after starting acupuncture .
• A 2018 study of 30 women found that acupuncture relieved symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and decreased insulin resistance .

Acupuncture is a great option for several kinds of hormone imbalances, including:

• Menopause
• Perimenopause
• Estrogen dominance
• High cortisol
• Low cortisol 
• Adrenal fatigue
• PCOS
• Endometriosis

Balance your hormones naturally with acupuncture

Hormone therapy, surgery, and other Western practices work very well for many women with hormone imbalance or complications that stem from it. However, they don’t work for everyone and they can cause unwanted side effects. 

Acupuncture is a natural, drug-free, fairly noninvasive approach that can support healthy hormone production and get you feeling like your best self again. If you have a hormone imbalance, I suggest trying a few acupuncture sessions. 

And if you want a little extra support, why not try Hormone Helper? It’s a potent blend of natural, hormone-balancing herbs and other compounds that support your hormones and promote healthy stress levels. Thanks for reading!

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