Acupuncture and Herbs for PCOS
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Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one the most common hormonal disorder affecting women of reproductive age, one report indicates 4-12% of women of reproductive age in US suffer from PCOS. PCOS can lead to other serious disorders such as obesity, infertility, diabetes and excessive hair growth (Hirsutism)
Clinically PCOS has a complex manifestation which include irregular bleeding (oligomenorrhea), cessation of menstruation (amenorrhea), infertility, weight gain, acne and excessive body hair (hirsutism) and hair loss from head. Blood tests often reveal a distorted LH/FSH ratio and elevated male hormone (testosterone) which in turn can cause irregular ovulation and infertility. Some patients with POCS present with elevated anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH)
The Rotterdam Criteria state that PCOS can be diagnosed when at least two of the following three features are present:
- Oligomenorrhea and/or anovulation
- Clinical and/or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism such as acne, hirsutism, male pattern baldness and high testosterone level
- Polycystic ovaries on ultrasound
Chinese Medicine physicians have long treated what is now known as PCOS under traditional disease categories such as amenorrhea, irregular cycles, delayed period and abnormal uterine bleeding (beng lou). According to Chinese medicine PCOS is damp/phlegm stagnation with underlying deficiencies, acupuncture and herbal medicine is used to regulate the cycle by normalized the FSH/LH ratio which in turn can lead to normal ovulation.
Multiple studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can be effective in treating PCOS patients by:
- an improvement in fasting insulin level of women getting true acupuncture
- There was evidence of improvement in ovulation rates, monthly menstruation rates, and testosterone levels in the acupuncture group compared to no treatment.
- Acupuncture versus medication: There was evidence of an improvement in monthly menstruation rates in women who received acupuncture compared to those who received metformin.
- Acupuncture with medication vs medication alone: studies have shown in the group receiving acupuncture and medication there was an improvement in LH/FSH ratio, testosterone level and fasting insulin level and an increased level of pregnancy rate.
Chinese Herbal Medicine can be an effective treatment modality in treating PCOS and improve fertility rate. Multiple studies have found a statically significant improvement in pregnancy rate in patient who received Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) plus clomiphene compare to clomiphene alone. Other studies demonstrated that traditional Chinese medicine could regulate the gonadotropin-releasing hormone to induce ovulation and improve the uterus blood flow and menstrual changes of endometrium. In addition, it also has impacts on patients with infertility resulting from polycystic ovarian syndrome, anxiety, stress and immunological disorders.
Another Study demonstrated a statistical and clinically significant improvement for a lifestyle intervention following the addition of a novel herbal combination compared with lifestyle intervention alone with reducing PCOS symptomology including a reduction in the number of days of the menstrual cycle (a large treatment effect on oligomenorrhoea/amenorrhoea), improved anthropometry, oestradiol and LH, fasting insulin, blood pressure, conception rates and quality of life. The study also showed important statistically significant reductions to women’s depression, anxiety and stress scores.
At Acuwellness Center, we offer Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and nutritional consultation to treat PCOS, improve ovulation rate, and improve pregnancy rate for our patients.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5599989/?fbclid=IwAR03dZVgI2n2iNFyNczkXsWKbsEEEWvLaz9vC7PS5Lugr55BXIuEAvOfy24
