I am obsessed with the Blue Zones! If you aren't sure what I’m talking about, the short answer is it’s about a few areas in the world where the rates of people living to be 100 years old (young) or more are high. Too old for you, you say? Not if you can still dance while balancing a Sake bottle on your head as this centenarian is doing in Okinawa, Japan.
Painful menstruation is called dysmenorrhea, and refers the pain that occurs around the menstrual, or bleeding, phase of the cycle. There may be other associated symptoms like nausea, fatigue or diarrhea. While many people experience some cramping with their period, some have pain severe enough that it keeps them from doing their regular activities. They may rely on pain relievers and heating pads, but sometimes that is not enough. There are many possible causes for dysmenorrhea that can be explored with a gynecologist - endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, cysts, hormone imbalance, heavy periods, low back injury, past or present infection, pelvic nerve compression, pelvic inflammatory disease.
How does acupuncture enhance fertility? I am asked this question frequently. With declining fertility rates nationally, more and more people are seeking support on the path to conception, and infertility is one of the many things we treat regularly at Vitalize. Acupuncture can help in a variety of ways. While there are specific acupuncture points that “treat infertility,” like most conditions, each individual has their own set of health needs and we seek to provide treatment plans that are best suited to each specific case. In the most general terms, acupuncture has two primary functions for fertility:
Acupuncture increases blood flow to reproductive organs
Acupuncture calms the nervous system - decreasing stress hormones and promoting balanced reproductive hormones
Cupping therapy releases the muscles, moves lymph fluids, increases blood flow, and initiates a healing response. When there has been injury to the muscle or when a muscle becomes chronically tight from overuse, underuse, or incorrect posture, blood and lymphatic fluid does not move freely through the area. Over time this creates stagnation of these substances within the muscles and tissues. Simply put, stagnation leads to pain.
