At Byron Bay Acupuncture and Chinese medicine,
we love treating women...
MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS
Period problems are common but are considered unhealthy in Chinese Medicine.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, a normal period should
–– occur every 28 days
–– have red blood - not dark, pale or watery
–– have a flow that is neither too heavy nor too light
–– be pain free, without blood clots
–– should contain no discharge and no unusual odour
–– be approx. 4 days long without prolonged before or after spotting
–– not be accompanied by mood swings, enlarged or tender breasts, bloating (PMS), headaches or migraines
–– not have ovulation pain mid cycle
• A 2023 randomised controlled trial found that acupuncture is an effective and safe method for relieving period pain, shortening the pain duration, and improving wellbeing and quality of life in women with endometriosis-associated pain. No severe adverse events or differences in adverse events were recorded.
Li PS, Peng XM, Niu XX, Xu L, Hung Yu Ng E, Wang CC, Dai JF, Lu J, Liang RN. Efficacy of acupuncture for endometriosis-associated pain: a multicenter randomized single-blind placebo-controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2023 May;119(5):815-823. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.01.034. Epub 2023 Jan 27. PMID: 36716811.
• A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis found that acupuncture might reduce menstrual pain and associated symptoms more effectively compared to no treatment or NSAIDs, and the efficacy could be maintained during a short-term follow-up period. Limitations include low quality methodological restrictions.
Woo HL, Ji HR, Pak YK, Lee H, Heo SJ, Lee JM, Park KS. The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Jun;97(23):e11007. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000011007. PMID: 29879061; PMCID: PMC5999465.
• A 2017 systematic review of Chinese medicine for Ovarian endometriosis concluded that Chinese medicine has two advantages over Western medicine in treating ovarian endometriosis, ...the low recurrence rate and high pregnancy rate. Larger scales of randomized controlled trials and more scientific evidence are needed to prove the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicines for ovarian endometriosis.
Lee E, Xie Y, Chen H. Systematic Review of Chinese Medicine for Ovarian Endometriosis International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Chinese Medicine ISSN: 2576-4772 Volume 1 Issue 3 Received Date: September 01, 2017 Published Date: October 09, 2017
• A 2017 systematic review of 10 studies involving 589 patients that tested the efficacy of acupuncture in treating endometriosis-related pain, concluded that acupuncture reduces pain and serum CA-125 levels in endometriosis sufferers. CA-125 levels are relevant as they are elevated in endometriosis patients, with more advanced degrees of endometriosis showing higher CA-125 levels in both serum and peritoneal fluid. Acupuncture can reduce the level of serum CA-125, and consequently relieve the pelvic cavity pain associated with endometriosis. To confirm these findings, additional, blinded studies with proper controls and adequate sample sizes are needed.
Xu Y, Zhao W, Li T, Zhao Y, Bu H, Song S. Effects of acupuncture for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 27;12(10):e0186616. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186616. PMID: 29077705; PMCID: PMC5659600.
• Chinese Medicine has also been found to reduce the incidence rate of surgery in endometriosis patients. A 2014 study used the national health insurance database in Taiwan to evaluate the relationship between Chinese medicine use and subsequent surgery among 8,283 patients with endometriosis who used Chinese medicine and 8,283 non-users of Chinese medicine with endometriosis. The study found that compared to nonusers, Chinese medicine users were significantly less likely to undergo surgery, and among patients who had undergone surgery, the follow-up time was longer for Chinese medicine users than for non-users.
Su SY, Muo CH, Sung FC, Morisky DE. Reduction of surgery rate in endometriosis patients who take Chinese medicine: a population-based retrospective cohort study. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Aug;22(4):632-9. Doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.06.010. Epub 2014 Jul 7. PMID: 25146066.
• Furthermore, another study that included 320 patients with endometriosis found both Western medicine and Chinese medicine to be effective at improving the quality of life of patients with endometriosis after conservative surgery. In this study, the Chinese medicine group’s scores post-treatment were significantly higher than those at pre-treatment for all 12 items tested; including pain and discomfort, energy and fatigue, sleep and rest, mobility, activities of daily living, work capacity, negative feelings, health and social care: accessibility and quality, participation in and opportunities for recreation/leisure activities, appetite, quality of life score, overall health status and quality of life. Furthermore, the scores for physical health in the Chinese medicine group were significantly higher than pre-treatment, especially 4 items (mobility, activities of daily living, sexual activity and quality of life score).
Zhao RH, Liu Y, Tan Y, Hao ZP, Meng QW, Wang R, Long D, Ding YF, Song DR, Xu C, Ren ZZ, Yang YH,Wang AM. Chinese medicine improves postoperative quality of life in endometriosis patients: a randomized controlled trial. Chin J Integr Med. 2013 Jan;19(1):15-21. doi: 10.1007/s11655-012-1196-6. Epub 2012 Dec 29. PMID: 23275012.
• A 2012 systematic review suggested that post‐surgical administration of Chinese herbal medicine may have comparable benefits to Gestrinone. Oral Chinese herbal medicine may have a better overall treatment effect than Danazol and it may be more effective in relieving dysmenorrhoea when used in conjunction with a Chinese herbal medicine enema. Chinese herbal medicine appears to have fewer side effects than either Gestrinone or Danazol. However, more rigorous research is required to accurately assess the potential role of Chinese herbal medicine in treating endometriosis. More rigorous research is required to accurately assess the potential role of CHM in treating endometriosis.
Flower A, Liu JP, Lewith G, Little P, Li Q. Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 May 16;(5):CD006568. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006568.pub3. PMID: 22592712.
• A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that treatment using traditional Chinese medicine is a preferred alternative therapy for irregular menstruation. A total of 2,389 patients were included in the analysis that concluded that acupuncture had the effect of increasing menstrual blood volumes when combined with bio-medicine . They found that TCM combined with Bio Medicine yielded a significant prolongation in menstrual periods and had potential improvements on enhancing effectiveness rates, increasing endometrial thickness, and raising the levels of estradiol and progesterone. Concerning adverse events, no significant difference was found in either group..However, the relatively low quality of prior studies calls for future randomised control trials to further assess the efficacy of TCM on treating oligomenorrhea using rigorous designs.
Li Y, Guozhen Z, Wei S, Yin Z, Hanlin D, Nan D, Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine on treating oligomenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2021, Dec, 10 (12) https://apm.amegroups.org/article/view/65573/html
• A 2016 systematic review revealed that there was an improvement in the menstrual frequency of PCOS patients after acupuncture treatment.
Wu Y, Robinson N, Hardiman PJ, Taw MB, Zhou J, Wang FF, Qu F. Acupuncture for treating polycystic ovary syndrome: guidance for future randomized controlled trials. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2016 Mar;17(3):169-80. doi: 10.1631/jzus.B1500301. PMID: 26984837; PMCID: PMC4794508.
• A 2018 systematic review and a meta-analysis suggested that Chinese herbal medicine may be an effective, acceptable and safe treatment for non-structural abnormal uterine bleeding during peri-menopause when compared with Western medicine. The study included 1344 participants and showed that compared with Western therapies, Chinese herbal medicine showed advantages in normalization rate of menstruation, improving menopausal symptoms and the hemoglobin count, with lower incidence of adverse reactions and lower recurrence rate. However, normalizing the methodological and reporting format remains an issue.
Yujie Shang, Su Lu, Yun Chen, Xiumei Sun,Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of non-structural abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopause: A systematic review and a meta-analysis,Complementary Therapies in Medicine,Volume 41, 2018, Pages 252-260
• A 2019 Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis that included 15 studies, comprising of 1103 cases, concluded that overall, acupuncture significantly increased the effective rate of premenstrual syndrome compared with medicine and sham acupuncture.
Modern neurophysiological studies have shown that acupuncture may promote the release of specific neuropeptides by stimulating the central nervous system, causing important physiological effects, even activating self-repair mechanisms. Acupuncture manipulation or electrical stimulation of fine needles pierced into the skin and muscle activates cholinergic fibers, thereby regulating autonomic nervous system activity. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that “the balance of Yin and Yang” is the key to being healthy. Acupuncture regulates blood circulation and balances the yin and yang through local stimulation of acupoints. However, large-scale, case-control studies with rigorous designs are required to provide more accurate evidence.
Zhang J, Cao L, Wang Y, Jin Y, Xiao X, Zhang Q. Acupuncture for Premenstrual Syndrome at Different Intervention Time: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Jun 25;2019:6246285. doi: 10.1155/2019/6246285. PMID: 31341497; PMCID: PMC6614973.
• A 2014 systematic review concluded that evidence supports the efficacy of alternative medicinal interventions such as acupuncture and herbal medicine in controlling premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder showed a 50% or better reduction of symptoms compared to the initial state. In both acupuncture and herbal medical interventions, there have been no serious adverse events reported, proving the safety of the interventions while most of the interventions provided over 50% relief of symptoms associated with PMS/PMDD. Stricter diagnostic criteria may have excluded many participants from some studies. Also, depending on the severity of symptoms, the rate of improvement in the outcomes of the studies may have greatly differed.
Jang, S.H., Kim, D.I. & Choi, MS. Effects and treatment methods of acupuncture and herbal medicine for premenstrual syndrome/premenstrual dysphoric disorder: systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med 14, 11 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-11
• A 2022 randomised control trial concluded that the analgesic effect of acupuncture is superior to oral administration of ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, and could effectively prevent the recurrence of menstrual headache, and improve irregular menstruation-related symptoms.
Li JN, Li J, Liu J, Chen J, Tian HC, Ding S. [Acupuncture with Tiaochong Shugan method by stages for menstrual headache based on syndrome differentiation: a randomized controlled trial]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2022 Oct 12;42(10):1108-12. Chinese. doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20211203-k0005. PMID: 37199200.
1. A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2012 investigated the efficacy of a Chinese herbal formula called "TianHe Pearl Powder" in treating acne. The study found that the herbal formula showed significant improvements in reducing acne lesions and improving overall skin condition compared to the control group.
2. Another study published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment in 2014 examined the effects of a Chinese herbal formula called "Tangming Yanggan Gao" in treating acne. The results indicated that the herbal formula was effective in reducing acne lesions and improving inflammatory markers associated with acne.
3. A systematic review published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2018 evaluated the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine in treating acne vulgaris. The review analyzed 24 studies and concluded that Chinese herbal medicine showed potential benefits in reducing acne lesions and improving overall skin condition. However, the authors noted that the quality of the included studies was generally low, and more rigorous research is needed.
Optimal results are achieved with
–– weekly acupuncture treatments which are directed at correcting any underlying energetic imbalances in the body
–– the administration of Chinese herbal medicine to enhance the specific
–– physiological changes of each phase of the menstrual cycle.
Irregular / Absent Periods
• A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that treatment using traditional Chinese medicine is a preferred alternative therapy for irregular menstruation. A total of 2,389 patients were included in the analysis that concluded that acupuncture had the effect of increasing menstrual blood volumes when combined with bio-medicine . They found that TCM combined with Bio Medicine yielded a significant prolongation in menstrual periods and had potential improvements on enhancing effectiveness rates, increasing endometrial thickness, and raising the levels of estradiol and progesterone. Concerning adverse events, no significant difference was found in either group..However, the relatively low quality of prior studies calls for future randomised control trials to further assess the efficacy of TCM on treating oligomenorrhea using rigorous designs.
Li Y, Guozhen Z, Wei S, Yin Z, Hanlin D, Nan D, Efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine on treating oligomenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2021, Dec, 10 (12) https://apm.amegroups.org/article/view/65573/html
• A 2016 systematic review revealed that there was an improvement in the menstrual
frequency of PCOS patients after acupuncture treatment.
Wu Y, Robinson N, Hardiman PJ, Taw MB, Zhou J, Wang FF, Qu F. Acupuncture for treating polycystic ovary syndrome: guidance for future randomized controlled trials. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2016 Mar;17(3):169-80. doi: 10.1631/jzus.B1500301. PMID: 26984837; PMCID: PMC4794508.
Heavy Periods
• A 2018 systematic review and a meta-analysis suggested that Chinese herbal medicine may be an effective, acceptable and safe treatment for non-structural abnormal uterine bleeding during peri-menopause when compared with Western medicine. The study included 1344 participants and showed that compared with Western therapies, Chinese herbal medicine showed advantages in normalization rate of menstruation, improving menopausal symptoms and the hemoglobin count, with lower incidence of adverse reactions and lower recurrence rate. However, normalizing the methodological and reporting format remains an issue.
Yujie Shang, Su Lu, Yun Chen, Xiumei Sun,Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of non-structural abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopause: A systematic review and a meta-analysis,Complementary Therapies in Medicine,Volume 41, 2018, Pages 252-260
PMS
• A 2019 Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis that included 15 studies, comprising of 1103 cases, concluded that overall, acupuncture significantly increased the effective rate of premenstrual syndrome compared with medicine and sham acupuncture.
Modern neurophysiological studies have shown that acupuncture may promote the release of specific neuropeptides by stimulating the central nervous system, causing important physiological effects, even activating self-repair mechanisms. Acupuncture manipulation or electrical stimulation of fine needles pierced into the skin and muscle activates cholinergic fibers, thereby regulating autonomic nervous system activity. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that “the balance of Yin and Yang” is the key to being healthy. Acupuncture regulates blood circulation and balances the yin and yang through local stimulation of acupoints. However, large-scale, case-control studies with rigorous designs are required to provide more accurate evidence.
Zhang J, Cao L, Wang Y, Jin Y, Xiao X, Zhang Q. Acupuncture for Premenstrual Syndrome at Different Intervention Time: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019 Jun 25;2019:6246285. doi: 10.1155/2019/6246285. PMID: 31341497; PMCID: PMC6614973.
• A 2014 systematic review concluded that evidence supports the efficacy of alternative medicinal interventions such as acupuncture and herbal medicine in controlling premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder showed a 50% or better reduction of symptoms compared to the initial state. In both acupuncture and herbal medical interventions, there have been no serious adverse events reported, proving the safety of the interventions while most of the interventions provided over 50% relief of symptoms associated with PMS/PMDD. Stricter diagnostic criteria may have excluded many participants from some studies. Also, depending on the severity of symptoms, the rate of improvement in the outcomes of the studies may have greatly differed.
Jang, S.H., Kim, D.I. & Choi, MS. Effects and treatment methods of acupuncture and herbal medicine for premenstrual syndrome/premenstrual dysphoric disorder: systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med 14, 11 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-11
Menstrual Headache
• A 2022 randomised control trial concluded that the analgesic effect of acupuncture is superior to oral administration of ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, and could effectively prevent the recurrence of menstrual headache, and improve irregular menstruation-related symptoms.
Li JN, Li J, Liu J, Chen J, Tian HC, Ding S. [Acupuncture with Tiaochong Shugan method by stages for menstrual headache based on syndrome differentiation: a randomized controlled trial]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2022 Oct
12;42(10):1108-12. Chinese. doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20211203-k0005. PMID: 37199200.
ENDOMETRIOSIS
How Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can help...
Chinese medicine has been studying and treating gynaecological issues from more than 2000 years. There are many acupuncture and herbal medicine strategies documented for what western medicine calls endometriosis.
Byron Bay Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine are an integrative health care centre and are happy to support you in whatever way we can, in harmony with your western medical practitioners.
Olivia is a highly qualified acupuncturist and Doctor of Chinese Herbal Medicine who offers skill, presence and compassion. She understands how debilitating endometriosis can be for sufferers and is committed to helping you achieve a life with less pain and optimal fertility.
A 2023 randomised controlled trial found that acupuncture is an effective and safe method for relieving period pain, shortening the pain duration, and improving wellbeing and quality of life in women with endometriosis-associated pain. No severe adverse events or differences in adverse events were recorded.
Li PS, Peng XM, Niu XX, Xu L, Hung Yu Ng E, Wang CC, Dai JF, Lu J, Liang RN. Efficacy of acupuncture for endometriosis-associated pain: a multicenter randomized single-blind placebo-controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2023 May;119(5):815-823. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.01.034. Epub 2023 Jan 27. PMID: 36716811.
• A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis found that acupuncture might reduce menstrual pain and associated symptoms more effectively compared to no treatment or NSAIDs, and the efficacy could be maintained during a short-term follow-up period. Limitations include low quality methodological restrictions.
Woo HL, Ji HR, Pak YK, Lee H, Heo SJ, Lee JM, Park KS. The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Jun;97(23):e11007. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000011007. PMID: 29879061; PMCID: PMC5999465.
• A 2017 systematic review of Chinese medicine for Ovarian endometriosis concluded that Chinese medicine has two advantages over Western medicine in treating ovarian endometriosis, ...the low recurrence rate and high pregnancy rate. Larger scales of randomized controlled trials and more scientific evidence are needed to prove the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicines for ovarian endometriosis.
Lee E, Xie Y, Chen H. Systematic Review of Chinese Medicine for Ovarian Endometriosis International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Chinese Medicine ISSN: 2576-4772 Volume 1 Issue 3 Received Date: September 01, 2017 Published Date: October 09, 2017
• A 2017 systematic review of 10 studies involving 589 patients that tested the efficacy of acupuncture in treating endometriosis-related pain, concluded that acupuncture reduces pain and serum CA-125 levels in endometriosis sufferers. CA-125 levels are relevant as they are elevated in endometriosis patients, with more advanced degrees of endometriosis showing higher CA-125 levels in both serum and peritoneal fluid. Acupuncture can reduce the level of serum CA-125, and consequently relieve the pelvic cavity pain associated with endometriosis. To confirm these findings, additional, blinded studies with proper controls and adequate sample sizes are needed.
Xu Y, Zhao W, Li T, Zhao Y, Bu H, Song S. Effects of acupuncture for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 27;12(10):e0186616. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186616. PMID: 29077705; PMCID: PMC5659600.
• Chinese Medicine has also been found to reduce the incidence rate of surgery in endometriosis patients. A 2014 study used the national health insurance database in Taiwan to evaluate the relationship between Chinese medicine use and subsequent surgery among 8,283 patients with endometriosis who used Chinese medicine and 8,283 non-users of Chinese medicine with endometriosis. The study found that compared to nonusers, Chinese medicine users were significantly less likely to undergo surgery, and among patients who had undergone surgery, the follow-up time was longer for Chinese medicine users than for non-users.
Su SY, Muo CH, Sung FC, Morisky DE. Reduction of surgery rate in endometriosis patients who take Chinese medicine: a population-based retrospective cohort study. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Aug;22(4):632-9. Doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.06.010. Epub 2014 Jul 7. PMID: 25146066.
• Furthermore, another study that included 320 patients with endometriosis found both Western medicine and Chinese medicine to be effective at improving the quality of life of patients with endometriosis after conservative surgery. In this study, the Chinese medicine group’s scores post-treatment were significantly higher than those at pre-treatment for all 12 items tested; including pain and discomfort, energy and fatigue, sleep and rest, mobility, activities of daily living, work capacity, negative feelings, health and social care: accessibility and quality, participation in and opportunities for recreation/leisure activities, appetite, quality of life score, overall health status and quality of life. Furthermore, the scores for physical health in the Chinese medicine group were significantly higher than pre-treatment, especially 4 items (mobility, activities of daily living, sexual activity and quality of life score).
Zhao RH, Liu Y, Tan Y, Hao ZP, Meng QW, Wang R, Long D, Ding YF, Song DR, Xu C, Ren ZZ, Yang YH, Wang AM. Chinese medicine improves postoperative quality of life in endometriosis patients: a randomized controlled trial. Chin J Integr Med. 2013 Jan;19(1):15-21. doi: 10.1007/s11655-012-1196-6. Epub 2012 Dec 29. PMID: 23275012.
• A 2012 systematic review suggested that post‐surgical administration of Chinese herbal medicine may have comparable benefits to Gestrinone. Oral Chinese herbal medicine may have a better overall treatment effect than Danazol and it may be more effective in relieving dysmenorrhoea when used in conjunction with a Chinese herbal medicine enema. Chinese herbal medicine appears to have fewer side effects than either Gestrinone or Danazol. However, more rigorous research is required to accurately assess the potential role of Chinese herbal medicine in treating endometriosis. More rigorous research is required to accurately assess the potential role of CHM in treating endometriosis.
Flower A, Liu JP, Lewith G, Little P, Li Q. Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 May 16;(5):CD006568. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006568.pub3. PMID: 22592712.
A 2023 randomised controlled trial found that acupuncture is an effective and safe method for relieving period pain, shortening the pain duration, and improving wellbeing and quality of life in women with endometriosis-associated pain. No severe adverse events or differences in adverse events were recorded.
Woo HL, Ji HR, Pak YK, Lee H, Heo SJ, Lee JM, Park KS. The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in women with primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Jun;97(23):e11007. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000011007. PMID: 29879061; PMCID: PMC5999465.
• A 2017 systematic review of Chinese medicine for Ovarian endometriosis concluded that Chinese medicine has two advantages over Western medicine in treating ovarian endometriosis, ...the low recurrence rate and high pregnancy rate. Larger scales of randomized controlled trials and more scientific evidence are needed to prove the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicines for ovarian endometriosis.
Lee E, Xie Y, Chen H. Systematic Review of Chinese Medicine for Ovarian Endometriosis International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Chinese Medicine ISSN: 2576-4772 Volume 1 Issue 3 Received Date: September 01, 2017 Published Date: October 09, 2017
POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common disorders of reproductive endocrinology affecting women of reproductive age.
Olivia offers comprehensive care for women medically diagnosed with PCOS.
Chinese medicine encourages the body to regain and maintain its natural state of health by stimulating and optimizing the natural cycles in your body.
• A 2023 overview of systematic reviews suggested that combining acupuncture with other medicines can effectively improve the clinical pregnancy rate and ovulation rate, and reduce luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and body mass index (BMI). When compared with medicine alone, acupuncture alone also can improve clinical pregnancy rate. Further, when compared with no intervention, acupuncture had a better effect in promoting the recovery of menstrual cycle and reducing BMI. Acupuncture was reported to cause no adverse events or some adverse events without serious harm. More high-quality studies are needed to support the use of acupuncture in PCOS.
Yang H, Xiao ZY, Yin ZH, Yu Z, Liu JJ, Xiao YQ, Zhou Y, Li J, Yang J, Liang FR. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome: An overview of systematic reviews. J Integr Med. 2023 Mar;21(2):136-148. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2022.12.002. Epub
2022 Dec 28. PMID: 36635165.
• A 2022 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis concluded that among patients with
PCOS, using acupuncture combined with moxibustion as a complementary therapy to
basic treatments can improve pregnancy, ovulation, and miscarriage rates, the levels
some sex hormones, and metabolic indicators, with good safety. Additionally, this combination therapy may have no effect on the FSH, oestradiol, or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels.
Li P, Peng J, Ding Z, Zhou X, Liang R. Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Moxibustion on Reproductive and Metabolic Outcomes in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Mar 31;2022:3616036. doi: 10.1155/2022/3616036. PMID: 35399633; PMCID: PMC8991411.
• A 2015 Systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that acupuncture may increase the clinical pregnancy rate and ongoing pregnancy rate and decrease the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women with PCOS undergoing IVF or ICSI. In the review, four randomised control trials including 430 participants compared acupuncture against no treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of acupuncture as an adjunct to assisted reproductive technology in this particular population.
Jo J, Lee YJ. Effectiveness of acupuncture in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupunct Med. 2017 Jun;35(3):162-170. doi:
10.1136/acupmed-2016-011163. Epub 2017 Jan 11. PMID: 28077366.
• A 2023 overview of systematic reviews suggested that combining acupuncture with other medicines can effectively improve the clinical pregnancy rate and ovulation rate, and reduce luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and body mass index (BMI). When compared with medicine alone, acupuncture alone also can improve clinical pregnancy rate. Further, when compared with no intervention, acupuncture had a better effect in promoting the recovery of menstrual cycle and reducing BMI. Acupuncture was reported to cause no adverse events or some adverse events without serious harm. More high-quality studies are needed to support the use of acupuncture in PCOS.
Yang H, Xiao ZY, Yin ZH, Yu Z, Liu JJ, Xiao YQ, Zhou Y, Li J, Yang J, Liang FR. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome: An overview of systematic reviews. J Integr Med. 2023 Mar;21(2):136-148. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2022.12.002. Epub 2022 Dec 28. PMID: 36635165.
• A 2022 Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis concluded that among patients with PCOS, using acupuncture combined with moxibustion as a complementary therapy to basic treatments can improve pregnancy, ovulation, and miscarriage rates, the levels some sex hormones, and metabolic indicators, with good safety. Additionally, this combination therapy may have no effect on the FSH, oestradiol, or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels.
Li P, Peng J, Ding Z, Zhou X, Liang R. Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Moxibustion on Reproductive and Metabolic Outcomes in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Mar 31;2022:3616036. doi: 10.1155/2022/3616036. PMID: 35399633; PMCID: PMC8991411.
• A 2015 Systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that acupuncture may increase the clinical pregnancy rate and ongoing pregnancy rate and decrease the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women with PCOS undergoing IVF or ICSI. In the review, four randomised control trials including 430 participants compared acupuncture against no treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of acupuncture as an adjunct to assisted reproductive technology in this particular population.
Jo J, Lee YJ. Effectiveness of acupuncture in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing in vitro fertilisation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupunct Med. 2017 Jun;35(3):162-170. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2016-011163. Epub 2017 Jan 11. PMID: 28077366.
PERI-MENOPAUSE / MENOPAUSE
Peri-menopause and menopause can be an intense experience for some women.
Each woman is unique and so are their symptoms, which have been influenced by many factors throughout a woman's life.
80% of women experience peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms including
–– cessation of the menstrual cycle
–– changes in the menstrual cycle (longer, shorter, irregular, lighter, heavy periods)
–– low libido
–– fatigue
–– palpitations
–– depression / anxiety
–– hot flushes and night sweats
–– sleep disturbances
–– migraines
–– mood changes
–– brain fog (problems with memory or concentration)
–– metabolic changes and weight gain
–– loss of bone mineral density
–– joint pain
–– skin and hair changes
After menopause, genitourinary symptoms predominate, including
–– vulvovaginal atrophy and dryness and
–– urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia.
Hormonal treatment is effective for vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms, but the understanding of its impact on cardiovascular disease, cognitive dysfunction, and depression continues to evolve.
Chinese medicine excels at mitigating symptoms and restoring balance to the body as it treats each woman as an individual, tailoring acupuncture prescriptions and bespoke herbal medicine for each woman's particular cluster of symptoms.
Modern medical research supports the use of Chinese medicine for the treatment of perimenopause and menopausal symptoms with clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness and safety of this treatment that has been used in China for 1000's of years.
Modern Research - Peri-Menopause and Menopause
• A 2015 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials confirmed that acupuncture improves hot flash frequency and severity, menopause-related symptoms, and quality of life (in the vasomotor domain) in women experiencing natural menopause. 869 participants were included in this study. The study found that acupuncture ignificantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Acupuncture significantly decreased the psychological, somatic, and urogenital subscale scores and acupuncture improved the vasomotor subscale score on the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. Long-term effects (up to 3 months) on hot flash frequency and severity were found.
Chiu HY, Pan CH, Shyu YK, Han BC, Tsai PS. Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and quality of life in women in natural menopause: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2015 Feb;22(2):234-44. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000260. PMID: 25003620.
• A 2015 Study found that the Chinese medicine therapeutics of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and moxibustion showed promising results for the treatment of mood and pain symptoms co-occurring with hot flushes. Eleven trials examined the TCM therapeutics of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine or moxibustion. Acupuncture trials (8) yielded mixed results; five trials significantly reduced hot flushes. Of those five trials, one also showed benefit for sleep and pain and two trials found benefit for mood symptoms. Of 3 herbal medicine trials, 3 trials had significant findings: 1 for hot flushes and mood, 1 for hot flushes and pain, and 1 for hot flushes, sleep, mood symptoms and pain. Moxibustion and counselling (1 trial) significantly reduced hot flushes, mood symptoms and pain. None of the trials reported any serious adverse events. Controlled clinical trials with larger numbers of participants are essential to allow evaluation of these therapies on hot flushes and multiple co-occurring symptoms.
Taylor-Swanson L, Thomas A, Ismail R, Schnall JG, Cray L, Mitchell ES, Woods NF. Effects of traditional Chinese medicine on symptom clusters during the menopausal transition. Climacteric. 2015 Apr;18(2):142-56. doi:10.3109/13697137.2014.937687. Epub 2014 Oct 18. PMID: 25017715.
• A 2018 systematic review and a meta-analysis suggested that Chinese herbal medicine may be an effective, acceptable and safe treatment for non-structural abnormal uterine bleeding during peri-menopause when compared with Western medicine. The study included 1344 participants and showed that compared with Western therapies, Chinese herbal medicine showed advantages in normalization rate of menstruation, improving menopausal symptoms and the hemoglobin count, with lower incidence of adverse reactions and lower recurrence rate. However, normalizing the methodological and reporting format remains an issue.
Yujie Shang, Su Lu, Yun Chen, Xiumei Sun, Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of non-structural abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopause: A systematic review and a meta-analysis,Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Volume 41, 2018, Pages 252-260
• A 2018 population based study including 32,441 menopausal women found that combined use of hormone therapy and Chinese herbal medicine was associated with a lower risk of Ischemic Stroke. Further study is needed to examine possible mechanism underlying this association.
Wen SH, Chang WC, Hong MK, Wu HC. Concurrent use of Chinese herbal medicine among hormone users and its association with ischemic stroke risk: A population-based study. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Apr 24;216:274-282. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.01.020. Epub 2018 Jan 31. PMID: 29366767.
• A 2023 randomised control trial suggested that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine or a combination of the two offers safe improvement of mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. Combination therapy was associated with more stable effects in the follow-up period and a superior effect on improving depression symptoms.
Wang J, Liao Y, You Y, Liang W, Wan L, Yang H, Liu J, Li Y, Wang X, Nie G. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for menopausal mood disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Climacteric. 2023 Aug;26(4):392-400. doi: 10.1080/13697137.2023.2187284. Epub 2023 Mar 15. PMID: 36921619.
• A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis including1410 women concluded that in comparison to hypnotics, acupuncture was associated with significant improvements in peri-menopausal insomnia and reduction of other menopausal symptoms. Too few random control trials were available to investigate the clinical efficacy differences between acupuncture and HRT/psychotropic drugs other than hypnotics.
Zhao FY, Fu QQ, Kennedy GA, Conduit R, Wu WZ, Zhang WJ, Zheng Z. Comparative Utility of Acupuncture and Western Medication in the Management of Perimenopausal Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Apr 26;2021:5566742. doi: 10.1155/2021/5566742. PMID: 33986818; PMCID: PMC8093060.
Hot flush Frequency & Severity
• A 2015 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials confirmed that acupuncture improves hot flash frequency and
severity, menopause-related symptoms, and quality of life (in the vasomotor domain) in women experiencing natural
menopause. 869 participants were included in this study. The study found that acupuncture significantly reduced the frequency and
severity of hot flashes. Acupuncture significantly decreased the psychological, somatic, and urogenital subscale scores
and acupuncture improved the vasomotor subscale score on the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire.
Long-term effects (up to 3 months) on hot flash frequency and severity were found.
Chiu HY, Pan CH, Shyu YK, Han BC, Tsai PS. Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and
quality of life in women in natural menopause: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2015
Feb;22(2):234-44. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000260. PMID: 25003620.
• A 2015 Study found that the Chinese medicine therapeutics of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and moxibustion
showed promising results for the treatment of mood and pain symptoms co-occurring with hot flushes. Eleven trials
examined the TCM therapeutics of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine or moxibustion. Acupuncture trials (8)
yielded mixed results; five trials significantly reduced hot flushes. Of those five trials, one also showed benefit for sleep
and pain and two trials found benefit for mood symptoms. Of 3 herbal medicine trials, 3 trials had significant findings: 1
for hot flushes and mood, 1 for hot flushes and pain, and 1 for hot flushes, sleep, mood symptoms and pain.
Moxibustion and counselling (1 trial) significantly reduced hot flushes, mood symptoms and pain. None of the trials
reported any serious adverse events. Controlled clinical trials with larger numbers of participants are essential to allow
evaluation of these therapies on hot flushes and multiple co-occurring symptoms.
Taylor-Swanson L, Thomas A, Ismail R, Schnall JG, Cray L, Mitchell ES, Woods NF. Effects of traditional Chinese
medicine on symptom clusters during the menopausal transition. Climacteric. 2015 Apr;18(2):142-56. doi:10.3109/13697137.2014.937687. Epub 2014 Oct 18. PMID: 25017715.
Heavy Bleeding
• A 2018 systematic review and a meta-analysis suggested that Chinese herbal medicine
may be an effective, acceptable and safe treatment for non-structural abnormal uterine
bleeding during peri-menopause when compared with Western medicine. The study
included 1344 participants and showed that compared with Western therapies, Chinese
herbal medicine showed advantages in normalization rate of menstruation, improving
menopausal symptoms and the hemoglobin count, with lower incidence of adverse
reactions and lower recurrence rate. However, normalizing the methodological and reporting format
remains an issue.
Yujie Shang, Su Lu, Yun Chen, Xiumei Sun,Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of
non-structural abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopause: A systematic review and a
meta-analysis,Complementary Therapies in Medicine,Volume 41, 2018, Pages 252-260
Lower Risk of Ischemic Stroke
• A 2018 population based study including 32,441 menopausal women found that combined use of hormone therapy and
Chinese herbal medicine was associated with a lower risk of Ischemic Stroke. Further study is needed to examine
possible mechanism underlying this association.
Wen SH, Chang WC, Hong MK, Wu HC. Concurrent use of Chinese herbal medicine among hormone users and its association with ischemic stroke risk: A population-based study. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Apr 24;216:274-282. doi:
10.1016/j.jep.2018.01.020. Epub 2018 Jan 31. PMID: 29366767.
Mood
• A 2023 randomised control trial suggested that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine or a combination of the two
offers safe improvement of mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. Combination therapy was associated
with more stable effects in the follow-up period and a superior effect on improving depression symptoms.
Wang J, Liao Y, You Y, Liang W, Wan L, Yang H, Liu J, Li Y, Wang X, Nie G. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine
for menopausal mood disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Climacteric. 2023 Aug;26(4):392-400. doi:
10.1080/13697137.2023.2187284. Epub 2023 Mar 15. PMID: 36921619.
Insomnia
• A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis including1410 women concluded that in comparison to hypnotics,
acupuncture was associated with significant improvements in peri-menopausal insomnia and reduction of other
menopausal symptoms. Too few random control trials were available to investigate the clinical efficacy differences
between acupuncture and HRT/psychotropic drugs other than hypnotics.
Zhao FY, Fu QQ, Kennedy GA, Conduit R, Wu WZ, Zhang WJ, Zheng Z. Comparative Utility of Acupuncture
and Western Medication in the Management of Perimenopausal Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Apr 26;2021:5566742. doi: 10.1155/2021/5566742. PMID: 33986818;
PMCID: PMC8093060.
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)
The importance of gastrointestinal health has a long established tradition in Chinese medicine. As far back as 1850 it was recognized as being the basis from which maintenance of the body, mind and spirit occurs.
Olivia offers comprehensive care for irritable bowel syndrome – both constipation and diarrhoea.
• A 2022 systematic review concluded that acupuncture was reported to improve IBS- diahorrea symptoms and quality of life, with positive effects in regulating brain-gut peptides, cerebral activities, neuroendocrine functions. Further studies of high quality are still necessary.
Zhang G, Zhang T, Cao Z, Tao Z, Wan T, Yao M, Su X, Wei W. Effects and Mechanisms of Acupuncture on Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Front Neurosci. 2022 Jul 15;16:918701. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.918701. PMID: 35911986; PMCID: PMC9334728.
• A 2022 treatment comparison meta-analysis concluded that cimetropium, drotaverine, and acupuncture were all better than placebo in improving abdominal pain. Acupuncture was preferred over pinaverium in relieving global IBS symptoms, and acupuncture had lower adverse events than most antispasmodics. The trial compared acupuncture with antispasmodics in the treatment of IBS by using an adjusted indirect treatment comparison meta-analysis. The primary outcome of interest was the improvement of abdominal pain. And the secondary outcomes of interest were the relief of global IBS symptoms and adverse events.
Shi YZ, Tao QF, Qin D, Chen M, Yu SG, Zheng H. Acupuncture vs. antispasmodics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: An adjusted indirect treatment comparison meta- analysis. Front Physiol. 2022 Oct 6;13:1001978. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1001978. PMID: 36277191; PMCID: PMC9583016.
• A 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the effectiveness of electroacupuncture relative to conventional medication in functional constipation found that electroacupuncture was more effective than medication at improving spontaneous bowel movements and total response rate, and reducing the symptoms of functional constipation.
Zhou SL, Zhang XL, Wang JH. Comparison of electroacupuncture and medical treatment for functional constipation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupunct Med. 2017 Oct;35(5):324-331. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2016-011127. Epub 2017 Jun 19. PMID: 28630049.