What is a natural women’s health treatment option? What does women’s health even mean?
Often falling under the category of gynecology, anything to do with the menstrual cycle, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, chronic urinary tract infections, the cervix, and / or vaginal health all fit the bill when it comes to women’s health. The modern biological approach to most of these concerns is usually drugs or surgery. But there is a natural health option for women’s health which has thousands of years of history – Traditional Chinese Medicine. The holistic philosophies of the ancient form of medicine seek to balance each woman’s health and wellness as a whole.
Women’s Health – A Celebration of the Feminine
Wouldn’t it be great if you celebrated your menstrual cycle each month, instead of dreading its arrival? Wouldn’t it be nice to wear whatever pants you want everyday of the month, because your menstrual flooding and bloating have stopped? Can you imagine not having to spend a day or two curled up on the couch each month with a hot water bottle and a new bottle of painkillers?
Do you rage pre-menstrually? Do your breasts still hurt all the time? Are you suffering from migraines, or other headaches, whether menstrual or not? Are you getting your regular PAPs (get your PAPs regularly!)? These are all important indicators of women’s health.
Women’s Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the regularity and qualities of the menstrual cycle are powerful tools to assess a woman’s state of balance and, by extension, her potential for fertility and longevity. A regular, pain free period with a healthy red flow containing a minimal amount of clots indicates an important foundational root of health. Chinese Medicine places a lot of emphasis on menstrual health as an indicator of overall vitality. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (together with wise lifestyle choices) can help regulate any imbalances and alleviate any pain. In fact, any deviation from the norm is considered to be a state of imbalance – even if your mom had very bad menstrual cramps, it is not a “normal” thing for you to have them, too.
Traditional Chinese Medicine identifies the following disease categories when it comes to menstruation. Each of these has several possible etiologies (or cause) behind them, and a specific treatment protocol for each different cause.
* irregular periods
* painful periods
* early periods
* late periods
* heavy periods
* scanty periods
* flooding and tricking (spotting between periods)
* problems at period time (PMS, headaches, bloating, etc….)
Women’s Health is More Than Just a Happy Period
There are other situations which may indicate that there is something out of balance in your body. How is your sleep? How is your energy? What is happening with your appetite and digestion – any nausea, stomach-aches, heartburn, gas or bloating? How well are your bowels functioning? Do you tend to feel hot or are you always cold? What is going on with your thirst – do you have a dry mouth, crave water, or can you not even handle the thought of drinking anything?
The answers to these questions, and more, are important to assess a woman’s health and wellness. Even if you are not trying to get pregnant (but especially if you are!), balance now in your health and vitality will help you transition through life as smoothly as possible. We should all be able to enjoy a relatively comfortable monthly menses. Breast health, bladder and urinary comfort, digestion, energy, and sleep balance should be a part of every woman’s health, and should also be something we are all able to enjoy.
