Women’s Health

The female reproductive system is extremely complex, involving not only multiple organs, but vascular, lymphatic, and hormonal aspects as well. With this many components constantly interacting with each other, the system is much more vulnerable to problems, as a small glitch in a single area can cascade into a larger problem. As a result, when problems do occur, the exact cause can be difficult to ascertain. Often all the doctor’s diagnostic tests are negative, and yet the problem persists. What to do? Keep in mind that all the scientific tests look for is the measurable level of substance that is present, be it hormonal levels, organ tissue, or amount of blood flow. What about the non-measurable? Emotions, energy flow, and subtle nutritional balances all play a role in these matters.

The term “female reproductive problems” covers many diagnoses, including dysmenorrhea (painful or erratic menstrual cycles), PMS, fibroid tumors, polycystic ovarian syndrome, infertility, menopause, and yeast infections, as well as many more. It is impractical to attempt to address each of these disorders in detail in one website page. However, in general, from an oriental medical perspective, they all boil down to one or more underlying imbalances. This imbalance may consist of an excess, a deficiency, or a lack of movement of qi, yin, yang, or blood, or any combination of any of these. Determining which type of imbalance is present is the first step towards resolving it. An extensive medical history followed by a thorough oriental medical examination of pulses, tongue, and hara (abdominal reflexes) is used to form the diagnosis. No pelvic examination is performed. Once the imbalance is determined, the situation is explained to the patient and a plan of care is agreed upon. This care will include whatever combination of acupuncture, herbs, nutritional adjustments, and lifestyle changes is indicated for the individual case. What is most important to understand is that most of these problems are very treatable and can be resolved quickly and safely, without the use of strong medications and their potentially toxic side effects.

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