Stop the Bleeding, Clarify the Source, and Restore Qi and Blood
One day, a young lady came into our out-patient clinic. She was referred to me by another doctor. Her thin and pale face was full of sorrow and energyless. She told me in a weak voice that her menstruation had not stopped for six months in a row, sometimes the flow is heavy like a flood, other times just little spots. The ultrasound examination one week before did not reveal any...
Making a Smooth Transition: Menopause and TCM
The menopausal transition is a natural progression that takes reproductive-aged women from regular period cycles to a final menstrual period and the end of ovarian function. Menopause begins with an irregular menstrual cycle, and tends to last for 4-7 years. This aging with loss of follicular activity occurs within a wide age range of 42-58 years old, with the average age of its onset being at 47. During this period, more erratic...
Acupuncture and Women’s Health
What is acupuncture？ Acupuncture is inserting a very thin, single-use needle into certain points of the body for a healing purpose. The process is safe and hygienic. Acupuncture can be traced back approximately 2,500 years. This treatment method is said to have been discovered accidently by Chinese ancestors while healing with stones. After thousands of years of empirical experience, it developed in to a mature medical therapy, which is also an important...
Relieving the Symptoms of PMS and Painful Periods
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) PMS is a combination of physical and emotional symptoms that many women get before the start of their menstrual period. Researchers think that PMS happens in the days after ovulation because estrogen and progesterone levels begin falling dramatically. Over 90% of women get some PMS symptoms, but some experience more severe symptoms which affect their daily life. A small percentage (under 5%) experience PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). Typically, this...
Long-term Relief for Period Pain
Many women suffer from period pain (dysmenorrhea). This includes aching, cramping pain in the abdomen, a feeling of pressure, and sometimes pain in the lower back, hips and thighs. These pains range in severity level and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea. Menstrual cramps happen because of natural muscle contractions in the uterus. If it contracts too strongly during your menstrual cycle, it can press against nearby blood...
Hormotional Overload: Regaining Balance for Your Body and Mind
Too many women suffer like I did from symptoms I sometimes call “triple hormone hell”. It’s a downward spiral of sleep issues, fatigue and moodiness. I was trying to get through my day with 1-2 hours of sleep at a time and overwhelming fatigue and feelings of despair. I had gained a significant amount of weight and my limbs felt heavy and my breathing constricted. Many women also experience anxiety,...
How Functional Medicine Helped Me: A Patient’s Story
Dr. Andrea Brisson is a naturopathic physician and chiropractor who specializes in functional medicine. Here, one of her patients shares how functional medicine provided relief for her chronic health issues. And, Andrea explains functional medicine and who it can help.