Women’s health is a big part of the healthcare industry, and Acupuncture can be very beneficial in caring for the overall health of women and gynecological issues.
Acupuncture has been especially effective in helping with things like infertility, turning breech babies, inducing labor and clearing up infections such as HPV. The cervix is just one small part of the uterus. Specifically it is the lower part of the uterus that opens to allow passage between the uterus and the vagina. The cervix widens during childbirth to allow the baby to pass, it also allows the passage of menstrual fluids from the uterus out of the body and it is vital for sperm to pass through the cervix to reach the uterus when trying to procreate.
The cervix is very vulnerable to several health conditions, such as chronic inflammation, polyps, dysplasia and even cancer. Cervical conditions rarely present symptoms in the early stages, which makes it extremely important for women to get regular pap smears. If an abnormality is detected, there are several ways to address it, depending on the severity. In the early stages of any of the aforementioned conditions, acupuncture can be a positive addition to Western medical treatments. Acupuncture is very good at decreasing inflammation and helping to dissolve polyps and tumors. Acupuncture can also balance hormones, which allows the body to correct any imbalances.
One of the most studied areas of acupuncture is the treatment of fertility issues, in fact there are many Chinese Herbal Formulas for infertility that have been used for 2,500 years! Acupuncture does much more than just balance the hormones. When a woman is struggling with infertility, stress levels can be extremely high which can disrupt the body’s ability to conceive. Acupuncture has been proven to decreasing stress levels and increase blood flow to areas of the body, including the uterus and can be used with existing treatments for infertility such as IUI’s and IVF
Another area where acupuncture can help is at the time of birth. About four percent of babies are presented in the breech position prior to birth. An accessory modality known as moxibustion, has proven time and time again, that it can actually turn the baby to the proper birthing position. Moxibustion involves the burning of an herb, dried mugwort, very near the skin on a specific acupressure point that is located on the outer edge of the pinky toe. By performing moxibustion several times a day, the baby and the body somehow know that there needs to be a repositioning and the baby tends to turn during the night.
When it comes to women’s health, acupuncture is an amazing resource. Contact Sandra McKay L. Ac. 619-232-8391 to schedule your appointment today.
