Let’s talk about treatment for PCOS. First we’ll examine Western Medical solutions and then we’ll look at it from a traditional Chinese Medicine point of view. The goals are the same for both:
- Balancing blood sugar levels
- Establishing and maintaining hormone balance
- Addressing liver health for estrogen metabolism
- Regulate ovulation and the menstrual cycles
Any expert would agree that regular exercise and a PCOS friendly diet are crucial in achieving these goals as long as the client has symptoms of weight gain or carrying weight in the abdomen. Beyond these measures, let’s have a look at what solutions can be found at your OB/GYN’s office…
Western Medicine
Birth control in the form of oral contraceptives is the most common form of medication to help treat the symptoms of PCOS. It is helpful in creating a regular menstrual cycle, however it also prevents pregnancy and is therefore not useful to women who are trying to get pregnant.
If you’re trying to get pregnant and have long irregular cycles or are not ovulating at all Clomid is the drug of choice to help force an ovulation. Clomid works well for some women, but, like most hormonal solutions, can cause extremely uncomfortable symptoms in other women.
Diabetes medications have also been found to help treat PCOS as many patients with this diagnosis also have insulin resistance, a precursor to Type II Diabetes. The medicine Metformin (Glucophage) is the drug of choice here and has also been found to help with PCOS symptoms.
While these methods can be helpful in treating various symptoms of PCOS, they do not treat the root of the problem. If you are considering these methods be aware that they will not resolve PCOS over the long term.
Acupuncture
While acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of conditions in both men and women, this natural method of Chinese medicine is particularly effective when it comes to fertility and ovulation issues, like PCOS. The entire menstrual cycle is divided into four phases with distinct hormonal shifts. These cycles include the menstruation days, follicular phase, ovulation (or fertile) days, and luteal phase. One of our skilled acupuncture practitioners at Mama Lounge will work with a woman for a period of 3-6 months to naturally guide the body into a healthy cycle that is as close to 28 days as possible, with ovulation occurring on or close to day 14. In addition to employing Chinese herb usage at home, we would recommend weekly or twice-weekly acupuncture visits. If you are looking for natural and effective ways to treat PCOS, research has shown several months of acupuncture treatment can effectively resolve the imbalance permanently.
Chinese Herbs for PCOS
Unique to Chinese Medicine is deciphering which type of PCOS a patient has. Some clients present with overweight PCOS and suffer digestive irregularities and high blood sugar. Other patients present with skinny PCOS and may only have a few symptoms such as acne or menstrual irregularities. Several herbs that we draw from when presented with a PCOS case are listed below. The beauty of utilizing these herbs is that we can custom blend a formula for a client’s specific symptoms.
- Zhi Gan Cao (Licorice root) – this herb is used to balance blood sugar, maintain healthy insulin levels and regulate proper hormone production and release
- Vitex – this herb is particularly beneficial to women who are not ovulating as a result of PCOS as it has the ability to balance hormones when experiencing long cycles
- Zao Jiao Ci (Honeylocust spine)- this herb reduces swellings and cysts particularly on the ovaries, allowing for a timely ovulation in cases where multiple cysts block ovulation
- Bai Shao (White peony) – this herb is helpful in muscle relaxation, easing painful menstruation, and lowering serum and free testosterone levels.
- Chi Shao (Red peony root)- this herb has strong blood moving properties useful in situations where there in no period or the period is arriving consistently late. It also calms inflammation and eases cramping.
These are just a few examples of the unique properties of Chinese Herbs and a skilled practitioner will blend the perfect formula for her patient after an in-depth examination and diagnosis. A regular regime of acupuncture and herbs coupled with a PCOS diet is the only way to combat this disorder permanently. To find out exactly what dietary changes we recommend stay tuned for our next piece on PCOS diet.
I first had symptoms when i was 17 and was told that i had PCOS (thin people type PCOS) and was officially diagnosed at 22 ans now i am 35. I have always had regular periods and unless on birth control pills were they irregular at times and I had a hard time getting pregnant because of the absent periods. I was always told by doctors that I would have a hard time conceiving so I would only go on the pill periodically which i did for more than 4 years, not for protection against getting pregnant, but just to get a period (since I was told it’s not healthy to have less than 4 or so periods a year). Last time I went on a 3 month birth control pill and then stopped again because the medicine was not curing my pcos nor making me get pregnant. I went in search for a cure and ended up with so many drugs, medicine and even soaps that didn’t work. I actually thought at a point that i was cursed that there is no cure for it, i was prepared to live like that till i read a testimony of a patient who suffered from pcos whose case was even worse than mine and how she was cured completely, I was amazed and at thesame time anxious and curious so i had to contact the doctor with the contact details that she left on the note. The doctor gave me so much hope and confidence with her kind words of encouragement to believe in myself and i was lifted because no one has ever given me hope like that before. I ordered the medicine, took it for 8 weeks and to my complete surprise, all the facial hairs, weight gain and all disappeared I ended up getting pregnant within a few weeks of completing the treatment! I was in shock. I think the main reasons it happened was that I never gave up and was ready to try alternative treatment so my body was back to normal. Before now i never enjoyed sex because it was very painful but now i do and my husband is the best thing that ever happened to me..
I hope this inspires some of you because I never in a million years would have thought that I would get pregnant and was getting frustrated and now our baby is due next month! You too can reach her on [aletedwin@gmail.com] for more information, advise and also how to place an order for yours.