Women experience many common health conditions more than men, aside from symptoms directly related to reproductive issues. The good news is that these issues all respond well to acupuncture!
Wellness & Self Care. Self care is first on the list because women often take care of everybody else in our lives better than we take care of ourselves. You don’t have to be in pain to benefit from acupuncture! I offer Monthly Wellness Acupuncture Packages to support you in your self-care goals.
Anxiety & Depression. Acupuncture provides an alternative to medication for anxiety and depression, which affect women more than men. Women are diagnosed with anxiety disorders at twice the rate of men – partly because our brain chemistry makes our bodies more reactive to stress. If you are considering taking medication for anxiety or depression, I recommend trying acupuncture first if you can, or along with medication. Acupuncture can also help you decrease your medication.
Allergies and Asthma. Women account for two-thirds of asthma sufferers, and their symptoms tend to be more severe than men who have asthma. Acupuncture with cupping can dramatically reduce asthma symptoms, and many of my clients who come in for other issues also get relief for sinus headaches and congestion. For allergies, the best plan is to schedule weekly acupuncture before allergy season starts, and continue weekly treatments until your triggers are dormant.
Autoimmune Disorders. Regular acupuncture can significantly improve symptoms and quality of life for women affected by autoimmune disorders. Because our immune system is more complex and reactive than a man’s immune system, women are far more likely to have an autoimmune disorder than men. In fact, women make up 78% of people affected by autoimmune diseases. The most common autoimmune diseases that disproportionally affect women include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and Grave’s disease.
Chronic fatigue & fibromyalgia. It’s estimated that women account for 90% of people diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and women are 4 times more likely than men to be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Recent studies show that acupuncture can help women with fibromyalgia by reducing pain and fatigue, and improving activity levels and quality of life.
Digestive Disorders. Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with chronic constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), gallstones, Crohn’s disease, colitis, and colon cancer. Part of how acupuncture works its magic is by deeply relaxing the body, which allows the digestive system to work better. Acupuncture helps you “rest and digest.”
Insomnia. Insomnia is more common in women than men, and even more common for older women. People typically sleep really well in the days after an acupuncture treatment. In fact, a client who wears a Fit Bit recently told me that her REM sleep increases by 5 times more than normal for several days following her acupuncture treatments!
Migraines. Women are 3 times more likely than men to suffer from migraines. Migraine symptoms often change with hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. The good news is that acupuncture can greatly reduce and even eliminate migraines. I recommend starting with 12 weekly acupuncture treatments. After that, people usually decrease treatment frequency to once or twice a month, or come in when migraines flare up.