polycystic ovarian syndrome

Acupuncture for PCOS

PCOS is a common cause of anovulation and infertility in women. Women with this syndrome do not ovulate regularly and have ovaries that contain many small cystic structures a few millimetres in diameter. The main problem is that although the polycystic ovaries contain many follicles with eggs, the follicles do not develop and mature properly. Women with PCOS often produce excess amounts of male hormones - this can lead to symptoms such as increased hair growth, weight gain and acne due to the hormone imbalance.

Chinese medicine often views this condition as the accumulation of damp (unresolved fluids in the body) which is caused because the kidney yang energy has become deficient. Kidney yang can be thought of as a warm, active, motivating energy in the body, and this is vital for good fertility. Excess dampness in the body can smother this energy and lead to the production of further damp in a vicious circle.

Acupuncture can treat the symptoms as well as the underlying cause (the deficiency in kidney yang). Treatment to dry dampness and stimulate the yang energy of the body is effective in clearing PCOS. It can take a few months of treatment however, because PCOS is by its nature a stubborn condition, but progress can be accelerated through dietary changes if appropriate.