Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder found in women. PCOS produces symptoms in 5-10% of women of reproductive age and is one of the leading causes of female reproductive difficulty.
The most common manifestations are a lack of ovulation (anovulation), excess production of androgenic (more prevalent in males) hormones, and insulin resistance.
PCOS most commonly results in irregular menstruation or lack of the menstrual cycle. Excess androgenic hormones can block the release of the egg from the follicle, and can cause the ovaries to develop multiple cysts or immature follicles that do not generate eggs.
Signs of PCOS:
Irregular periods that come every few months, not at all, or too frequently.
Extra hair on your face or other parts of your body, called hirsutism.
Characteristic pigmentation changes to the skin.
Acne and oily skin.
Weight gain and/or trouble losing weight.
The Benefits of Acupuncture for PCOS:
Normalization of the reproductive hormones.
Support of ovulation.
Facilitation of weight loss.
Increase in insulin sensitivity.
Reduction of blood glucose and lipid levels.
Regulation of endocrine and metabolic functions.
Increase in the levels of endorphins, the bodies’ natural pain controllers.
Boosting of the immune function.
Improvement to the blood flow to the ovaries and uterus.
If you are interested in a newer approach that I sometimes take to treat my clients with PCOS, the protocol set forth in a 2015 NIH based study involves the use of electrical stimulation to certain acupuncture points. Although the study was focused on treating insulin resistance in PCOS patients, it also measured other areas of imbalance commonly of concern with PCOS infertility, such as normalization of hormone levels and normalization of the menstrual cycle.
Here is another example published in April of 2014 by The American College for Advancement in Medicine that states that low frequency painless electro-acupuncture is as effective as commonly used medications in inducing ovulation, and in diminishing the cycle of hormonal imbalance that leads to infertility in this group of women.
Another study published in September of 2014 in the World Journal of Acupuncture demonstrates the benefits of electroacupuncture on egg quality in a group of women suffering from PCOS.
For further detail into the treatment of infertility due to PCOS from the Los Angeles Acupuncture and Wellness clinic, click here.
If you would like to watch a video of a more conventional, non-electric acupuncture treatment for PCOS, view the following video which shows the combined acupuncture treatment of fibroids and PCOS, but all the points chosen are appropriate for the treatment of PCOS.