Karen Reynolds Acupuncture

Menstrual Pain: Stop It With Acupuncture

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Each month many women dread menstrual pain.  Did you know acupuncture can get you out of monthly menstrual pain? The diagnosis which medical doctors give period pain is called Dysmenorrhea. This can be either Primary dysmenorrhea or Secondary dysmenorrhea.

Primary dysmenorrhea causing menstrual pain means:

there appears to be no physical cause for your pain during menstrual bleeding.

Secondary dysmenorrhea causing menstrual pain means:

there is a known source of your pain i.e.: endometriosis, fibroids or following a post-traumatic injury.

Irrespective of type of menstrual pain: Dysmenorrhea causes severe, cramping pain and is debilitating. It also can lead to extreme stress, loss of quality family time, missed social events, and absences from work.

Other Dymenorrhea Symptoms
Anxiety Nausea & Vomiting Leg pain
Dizziness Fatigue Back pain
Mood changes Headache Diarrhea

 

Usual treatments for Dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain)

Typical conventional medicine approaches to treating menstrual pain include:

Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and/or oral contraceptives (birth control pills).

While many people can take several days of NSAIDs without issue, there are risks such as the side effects noted below. Two times in this year alone, I have had patients develop stomach perforation (hole in the stomach) due to taking NSAIDs. Both required emergency surgery. In one a case, my patient had only been on NSAIDs for a day or so following a dental procedure and had taken the medication exactly as prescribed.

 

Mild or Not-So-Mild NSAID Side Effects
Stomach pain/burning Dizziness Wheezing
Stomach ulcers Ear ringing Liver problems
Stomach bleeding Skin rashes Kidney problems
Headache Throat tightness Leg swelling

 

menstrual pain-abdominal cramping-acupuncture

Common over-the-counter Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

Ibuprofen

Advil

Motrin

Naproxen

{There are additionally many prescription strength NSAIDs}

Birth control pills can be helpful for menstrual pain. The progesterone in oral contraceptives blocks some of the substances (called prostaglandins) which aggravate the uterus each month. Prostaglandins are released as the uterine lining breaks down each month. It is prostaglandins which reduce blood flow to the uterus and then cause the contracting pain during the period. 1 However, some women do not tolerate BC pills and younger women may be hesitant to start them in their teenage years.

 

Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture are immensely effective for painful periods

Clinical trials of women with dysmenorrhea who received acupuncture found:

  • menstrual pain-acupuncture
  • Decreased pain,
  • Improved blood flow to the uterus,
  • Reduction in prostaglandin levels,
  • On-going reduction in prostaglandin levels even 3 months after acupuncture treatments,
  • Reduced use of pain medications (in both frequencey and dosage),
  • Improved quality of social function, vitality, as well as physical, mental and emotional health. 2
1Smith, C. A., Armour, M., Zhu, X., Li, X., Lu, Z.Y., Song, J. (2016). Acupuncture for dysmenorrhoea (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 4, 1-129. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007854.pub3
2ibid.

Acupuncture is an option to reduce your monthly suffering. Contact me for a free 10-minute phone consultation. If you are not located in the Bay area, contact your local licensed acupuncturist to find out how acupuncture and electro-acupuncture can help you with menstrual cycle pain!

  • Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them.
  • If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate you liking my Facebook page at:

Karen Reynolds, LAc, RN Acupuncture for Optimal Health 

All content here is written personally by me in with the goal that it is be helpful to you. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share if you wish.

For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: KReynoldsAcupuncture.com.

Be well! Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc

Perimenopause symptoms: 7-Easy Actions You Can Take to Feel Better {Part II of II}

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Did you have any “yes” answers to yesterday’s quiz ?

(See Part I if you missed it.) Perimenopause symptoms can be associated with inflammation. Any yes answers indicate inflammation. Inflammation can be temporary or can be chronic and can often be improved with diet and lifestyle changes.
One way to look at this “silent” inflammation is that it is like oil build-up inside your car engine. Your engine needs oil to lubricate your gears. However, if the oil is dirty, build-up occurs, your gears are stressed, and things may grind to a halt. You might drive around for a long time before your car acts up; but ultimately there is an impact to your vehicle. Your body is like this with respect to inner inflammation. In the beginning you may not be aware it is mounting until joint or vascular changes occur. Atherosclerosis (fatty build up inside blood vessels) is one common example of a vascular issue connected to chronic inflammation.

7 Steps you can take right now to reduce inflammation and reduce perimenopause symptoms:

1.)Avoid environmental and nutritional things to which you are sensitive.

perimenopause symptoms

Photo courtesy of David Castilla Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It sounds simple, right? Most of us know we don’t tolerate specific foods or beverages. Yet we still “try them” now and again. It’s like poking a bear with a stick. It’s not worth it. If curry always does a number on your digestive tract: it’s not worth the stress to your system. If you have suddenly become reactive to a wine or a spice or a fruit, it’s really better to avoid it as opposed to mourning that it was once in your diet.

2.)Give up gluten in your diet… ALL gluten.

Even if you are not formally allergic to gluten, there are multiple reasons to avoid it.
Firstly, gluten is highly inflammatory. It is like tossing gasoline onto any inflammation fire inside your body. Professional athletes will avoid gluten after injuries in order to speed wound healing and not burden their systems while trying to heal. If this method works for people in the greatest shape of their lives, it will benefit you too.
Secondly, gluten found in the typical American diet is a hybridized and genetically modified (GMO). It is a foreign substance to our bodies kind of like margarine.
Lastly, gluten is consumed in too much and too often. Gluten will substantially ramp up any inflammatory process happening in your system. A wealth of availability currently exists on gluten-free foods; so do some research.

Specifically avoid:

Wheat, Spelt, Semolina, Barley, Bulgur, and Rye.
Some women can substitute these complex carbohydrates into their diet:
Rice, Potatoes, Quinoa, Wheat-free oats.

 Corn is a wild card. It is a possibility but keep in mind that most corn products in the U.S. are also GMO like wheat (so a foreign substance to our bodies). Corn is also highly inflammatory though, not to the degree of wheat.
The newest research is finding that ALL grains contain gluten-like substances, which can trigger reactions. Many women, myself included are finding that with hormone changes the ability to digest grains becomes problematic.

3.)Weigh yourself each day.

Perimenopause

This photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you notice an appreciable increase (for example 2 pounds overnight) after eating a certain food you are witnessing inflammation first hand. It is an indicator of intolerance which may be temporary or may not depending upon your unique system. Sometimes cutting an offending food or beverage out for 3-6 months will desensitize your system and you may be able to reintroduce it later.

4.)Increase in your muscle mass and decrease in your body fat.

This does not mean hours and hours in the gym. Even modest shifts in body fat and muscle greatly reduce your tendency to make inflammatory substances. Incorporating weight bearing exercise like free weights will build muscle mass, burn fat and will also strengthen your bones.

5.)Give your body antioxidant rich foods and supplements like:

Berries,
Broccoli,
Carrots,
Tomatoes, ID-100351263
Red grapes,
Garlic,
Spinach,
Green tea.
Vitamin C,
Vitamin E,
Selenium,
Beta Carotene.

6.)Increase your intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids like:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA). You can also supplement with Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) but this Omega-3 is sometimes harder to absorb if you have multiple inflammatory signs.
Dietary sources of Omega-3’s:
Salmon,
Mackerel,
Tuna,
Flaxseed oil,
Algal oil,
Krill oil.

7.)Get acupuncture!

Research consistently shows that acupuncture reduces inflammation, speeds healing, and reduces things like cortisol levels which ramp up with stress. For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: KReynoldsAcupuncture.com.
Thank you for reading!
  • Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them.
  • If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate your like for my Facebook page at: Karen Reynolds, LAc, RN Acupuncture for Optimal Health
  • All content here is written personally by me in with the goal that it is be helpful to you. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share if you wish. Be well! Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc

Perimenopause symptoms: 7-Easy Actions You Can Take to Feel Better {Part I of II}

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Real comments from clients with perimenopause symptoms:

Perimenopause symptoms

Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • “Gail”: Don’t mind me: I’m having my own private summer over here. Rapid disrobing in a seat near you soon.
  • “Ann”: Why is my waist size growing but my diet has not changed?
  • “Lynn”: My body has decided there is apparently no sleeping between the wee hours of 1:30AM and 4AM.
  • “Stephanie”: It’s safe to say I can never sneak up on anyone anymore, because my joints click so much it’s like I have a jingle bell around my neck.
  • “Julie”: I think I need to park a broom outside my front door because I am being such a witch to my poor family!

‘Sound familiar? In my acupuncture clinic, I address both perimenopause symptoms every day. Many problems occur due to hormone shifts, but the other key issue is inflammation. Inflammation is the silent menopausal change you want to consider. The good news is that there are many things you can do to address it.

 

What does inflammation have to do with perimenopause symptoms and feeling better?

Perimenopause symptoms

Photo courtesy of lekkyjustdoit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

During peri-menopause, hormone levels bump up and down. At menopause, estrogen remains reduced and other organs, such as the adrenals, kick in to make estrogen-like substances. This is a normal process.

While estrogen naturally drops, inflammation naturally increases during peri-menopause. Estrogen is protective for the female body. When it changes: inflammation can and does frequently occur. It might show up as joint pains like frozen shoulder or arthritis or circulation issues like plantar fasciitis or numbness and tingling of the feet. These too are common complaints that respond well to acupuncture.

Inflammation in one respect can be like a scraped knee. There is redness, swelling, pain and heat, right? There are obvious, visual changes. However inflammation in another respect can exist inside your body. Though it’s not visible, it still has an impact. It shows up with things like changes in metabolism, cardiovascular issues, and joint or skeletal problems.

All of this being said: don’t be alarmed. Just be informed. Inflammation serves a valuable purpose of fixing tissue damage; so it’s not all bad. In fact our bodies require it in manageable amounts. For example: exercise creates tiny muscle tears (small inflammations) which actually stimulate growth and health. Tissue repair is important and necessary. However ongoing or raging inflammation, which does not resolve, is problematic. Remember you always have options and action to guide your body from being more inflamed to less inflamed. That is what this blog post will help you to do.

Take this quick quiz below to see if you may have any internal inflammation.

Do you have any of the following?

  • Allergies which may be getting worse?

    Menopause symptoms helped by acupuncture

    Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Popping or clicking joints?
  • Redness or broken blood vessels in your face or neck?
  • Increasing sensitivities to foods or things in your environment?
  • High blood pressure?
  • Elevations in your cholesterol?
  • High blood sugar?
  • Cravings for sugar?
  • Drowsiness after meals?
  • Extra weight around your mid section?

Yes to any of the above, indicates inflammation.

Part II of this blog will post tomorrow. Stay tuned for steps you can take feel better!

Thank you for reading!

  • Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them.
  • If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate you liking my Facebook page at:Karen Reynolds, LAc, RN Acupuncture for Optimal Health

  All content here is written personally by me in with the goal that it is be helpful to you. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share if you wish.

For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: KReynoldsAcupuncture.com.

Be well!

Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc

Tactics to keep your pregnancy safe from Zika Virus

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Safety tactics with respect to Zika virus are of particular concern to pregnant women and women seeking to become pregnant.

Protect Your Pregnancy from Zika
On Sunday, April 17th the television show Face the Nation included an interview with director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, MD of the the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). As an expert in infectious disease, Dr. Fauci spoke about updated information about Zika virus.

I discussed Zika virus in my prior blog on March 8, 2016 entitled Zika Virus Pregnancy Risks {Please scroll down on my blog to view that article} As with any viral risk, acupuncture is a tool for boosting your natural immune status. This is a benefit that my pregnant or seeking to be pregnant clients find. Below are important recommendations from the experts about how to reduce your exposure risk. 

To review: this virus is spread by infected mosquitoes in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Please see the table below for specific countries cited by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as places known for active outbreaks and infection risk.

Symptoms of Zika Virus

Rashes,  Joint pains,

Fever,  Red eyes

Symptoms last for approximately a week. Rarely do these symptoms require hospitalization.

Pregnant women exposed to this virus are at high risk for having babies born with microcephaly. Children with microcephaly have heads and brains which are significantly smaller in size. They typically also will have problems with speech, vision, balance, swallowing, and learning abilities.

Dr. Fauci confirmed that at this time all 350 state-side cases of Zika were contracted from travel abroad.

Zika can be sexually transmitted. The virus is not completely understood at this time so there are many questions about how long it remains communicable once a person is infected. There is also not standard or easily accessible testing at this time for Zika. The NIAID is seeking funding for development of a vaccine as well as funding for public health measures.

 

How do you best protect yourself?

If you are attempting to get pregnant or actively trying to conceive it is wise to consider if your sexual partner has visited any of the involved transmission countries. If so: NIAID suggests at least 6 months of safe sex practices with a barrier method and recommends not attempting to become pregnant for a period of 6 months from the time of return to the US from a high risk area.Tactics 4 Safe Pregnancy & Zika Virus 2

 

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has also published a recent pdf entitled Guidance for Providers Caring for Women and Men of Reproductive Age with Possible Zika Virus Exposure.

ASRM recommends:

  • Women who have had Zika virus should wait 8 weeks after symptoms started to attempt reproduction.
  • Men having had Zika virus disease wait at least 6 months after symptoms started to attempt reproduction.

 

Here is the position of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding sperm donors, egg donors and donors of embryos. The following are the specifics which will make donors ineligible:

  • In the last 6 months: a medical diagnosis of Zika virus infection.
  • In the last 6 months: travel to any area with active Zika virus transmissions.
  • In the last 6 months: sex with a male partner having had Zika virus disease, any illness similar to Zika virus, or travel to an area of active Zika virus transmission in the 6 months prior to sexual contact.

 

Tactics 4 Safe Pregnancy & Zika Virus

Countries where Zika virus is currently being found:

Africa, Brazil, the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and Uganda.

 

US Territories where Zika Virus is currently being found:

American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

 

Are women in your community discussing Zika virus? If so please feel free comment leave comments, ask questions, or share this article.

If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate you liking my Facebook page at:

Karen Reynolds, LAc, RN Acupuncture for Optimal Health 

All content here is written personally by me in with the goal that it is be helpful to you. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share if you wish.

 For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: KReynoldsAcupuncture.com.

Zika Virus Pregnancy Risks

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Hello from Karen Reynolds, Acupuncturist and RN in Corte Madera, CA. In my acupuncture practice, I work with pregnant women and women trying to conceive. I’m noticing concern right now about Zika virus pregnancy risks. This article is about Zika virus pregnancy risks and how to protect yourself.

Mosquitoes spread the Zika virus; but keep in mind that does not mean all mosquitoes. It is specific mosquitoes in specific countries. If an infected mosquito bites a person, they typically will have a week of symptoms such as: rashes, joint pains, fever and red eyes. Many people do not even realize they have been infected, because the symptoms are mild and rarely cause trips to the hospital. If you are pregnant and worried, below are statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). I hope these put your mind at ease.

Countries where Zika virus is currently being found:

Africa, Brazil, the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and Uganda.

US Territories where Zika Virus is currently being found:

American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. 

 

As of March 2, 2016
Zika virus pregnancy risksThe number of Zika cases having occurred in the continental US is ZERO.
The number of Zika cases developing after travel abroad is 153.

What are the Zika virus pregnancy risks?
Babies with microcephaly have been born to women, bitten by infected mosquitoes. Microcephaly is when a baby’s head and brain are significantly smaller in size. These children can have problems with speech, vision, balance, swallowing, and have a decreased ability to learn.

What to keep in mind if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant?
During the first week a person has Zika virus, the virus is found in the person’s blood. That is how it is passed to the fetus of pregnant women. That also means it can be passed from an infected person to a sexual partner.
Men infected with Zika virus will have the virus in their semen (the fluid containing sperm). The virus also stays in the semen longer than in the bloodstream. If you are pregnant and your sexual partner has traveled to any areas noted above, use condoms during all sexual intercourse as well as all oral sex.Zika virus pregnancy risks

Please note that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website is wealth of knowledge. It has additional information about Zika virus pregnancy risks, traveling, and the best ways to protect against mosquito bites. Fortunately we are not seeing Zika virus outbreaks in the US and known cases in our country have occurred after travel abroad.

Safe sexual practices along with travel awareness will give you the best chance of avoiding exposure and having a healthy pregnancy and baby.

I hope this article is helpful and sets your mind at greater ease. All content is written personally by me. Please enjoy and feel free to share with me your thoughts or questions here. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share this article if you wish. For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: KReynoldsAcupuncture.com.

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