Has anyone used acupuncture for PMS relief?

I was wondering if anyone had tried acupuncture for relieving some of the symptoms of PMS? I get extremely emotional the day before my period.

Yap, i have seen cases of sucessful treatments. you can also buy dried rose buds from chinese herb shops (not those essential oils etc, where they have added chemicals), when you get emotional just crush 4 rose buds and put in a mug, adding hot water and just drink it like a normal tea. it's tasty and it helps.

Accupuncture has been used by many women to balance their hormonal system for partial or full relief of the symptoms of PMS. I have used accupuncture for a number of things and love it when it is done by a well trained accupuncturist. Many of my friends, colleagues and clients have used it for PMS or part of an overall health program and are very pleased with it.

With all health challenges, make sure that you have enlisted your personal doctor to monitor the various things that you try to compliment and support traditional medicine. PMS can range from mild to very unpleasant. Women do not have to suffer from it if they put some effort into lifestyle changes. The benefits of good lifestyle are cumulative. Important for PMS and overall good health and long term health are good diet, exercise and relaxation methods such as breathing, stretching, yoga and meditation.

You must be patient! It takes often two to three cycles for accupuncture, diet and exercise to take effect as they are working on the whole system. Examine your diet for junk food, sugar and sweets and try to eliminate them or keep your consumption of them to just a treat here or there during the week. Many women find that they have to also cut out coffee and/or switch to green tea - which has a side benefit of adding anti-oxidants to your diet that help to clean and balance the system. Make sure that you are getting 8 - 9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily - with more emphasis on the veggies as they carry less sugar for your system. Have at least one - two is better - small to medium fresh, dark green salads with your meals - with olive oil and lemon, apple cider or balsamic vinegar as dressing. (The olive oil is a good fat that will help your body to balance and it will help keep your skin soft from the inside!) Have at least two to three servings of fish weekly that contain Omega threes - Salmon and Tuna (Dolphin safe) are good. Try to eat as natural as possible - getting organic whenever you can.

Many women also find that if they add a teaspoon or two of Cod Liver Oil daily that they find that it helps both with PMS and daily emotional balance. It is less expensive to take it in liquid form - some brands are more to people's tastes than others - keep it refrigerated both for flavor and to keep it fresh.

Water cannot be emphasized enough!!!!!! Really - people are harping on it nowadays - but 8 glasses throughout the day of fresh water will help to balance your hormones.

And aerobic exercise is the number one for helping PMS in the long run as well as a good overall toner, every day mood enhancer and stress buster. If you are not exercising now - start gradually with something like walking. Start with fifteen minutes daily, five days a week and work up to forty five minutes to an hour, at least five days a week. Many women start to feel good within a few days but the cumulative effects for PMS take about six to eight weeks to start to manifest - so you have to stick to it. But walking and all aerobic exercise help the body and sense of well being in so many ways.

Many women find that yoga - even doing a few exercises along with a yoga tape - when done several times a week over a few months balance the cycles and feelings around PMS. Like accupuncture, yoga works on the energy system to help you balance the hormones.

There are many websites that give suggestions for help with PMS - you might want to use your favorite search engine to see if you find anything that helps you. A very good website for GYN questions that blends both traditional medicine and natural alternatives is run by a group of women in Maine - Women to Women - http://www.womentowomen.com/ - has a library of articles by women doctors. They have a free newsletter that they send out with their most recent articles - they cover PMS, stress and other health concerns and what you can do at home to help yourself.

Find some good de-stressing exercises - such as daily deep breathing and/or meditation - many women find that these help them. Even when we are not aware that we have stress in our lives - we usually do - and women find that anything that removes stress also helps for PMS.

I hope that you try accupuncture and find it a helpful experience. A good practitioner will emphasize the lifestyle changes - many outlined above - because natural methods such as accupuncture work on the mind/body connection and are supported by good lifestyle. Good fortune with this!
Thirty plus years in psychotherapy, health counseling and coaching - working with a number of doctors and healling arts practitioners