We acupuncturists love it when our clients tell us their periods have improved after targeted acupuncture sessions. There is nothing more thrilling to hear you are pain free, with no headaches, no clots and a nice pinky blood flow.
This may seem like too much information but it’s vital information to an acupuncturist to hear about the colour, clots, the flow and length of your period. It helps us identify patterns of disharmony like stagnation, deficiency, heat and damp in the body. It’s a piece of the jigsaw that works alongside other information that we gather using the tongue and pulse diagnosis.
Did you know that in a recent survey carried out by Wellbeing of Women in 2025 that 51% of the 3,004 women surveyed said that having a period negatively impacts their life? In the same survey 55% said they would feel uncomfortable discussing their menstrual issues with their manager.
It's quite shocking to also read in a survey carried out by WaterAid on the menstrual cycle and workplace that 85% of 2,000 women surveyed experienced stress or anxiety managing their periods at work. They found that:
- 43% fear leakage
- 42% experience pain
- 40% experience a heavy flow.
@Forth_life (Aug 2022) survey found 55% of the women they surveyed said their menstrual symptoms affected their ability to work with 15% saying they had taken 2 days off and 20% had taken three days off with period related symptoms.
That same survey found that 60% had attended disciplinary hearings and 51% had lost their jobs due to their periods affecting their work.
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) women make up 51% of the population yet we are still having the same old conversation, hiding our periods, using other excuses for absence, inappropriate comments from other people around moods and hormones, and generally struggling in silence.
Too many of us are putting up with challenging menstrual cycles. We are accepting that pain, flooding, and erratic cycles are normal. They are not. We are also seeking quick solutions that mask the symptoms and don’t directly get to the root cause. Acupuncture is a non-invasive gentle therapy that retunes your body and regulates your cycle naturally, it doesn’t mask symptoms and the results in our clinic have been so rewarding to see.
Acupuncture can alleviate distressing symptoms many women experience during their periods, perimenopause and menopause. If you suffer with endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), painful periods, scanty periods, flooding, brain fog or hot flushes we can help you.
How does acupuncture help?:
We use carefully selected points according to where you are in the four stages of your cycle:
- Menstrual – we ensure a healthy discharge of menstrual blood to enable new endometrium to grow
- Follicular – we build Yin and Blood to promote endometrium growth which can influence pain and quality of the next period
- Ovulation – we promote ovulation by improving the circulation of Qi (energy) and Blood around the ovaries
- Luteal – we boost Kidney Yang to warm the uterus and create inviting conditions for potential embryo implantation or to repeat a healthy cycle.
Regulating the cycle and treating obstructions such as endometriosis and PCOS can lead to a natural pregnancy if so desired. Acupuncture can also:
- Re-establish hormonal balance and encourage the return of menstruation where it may have ceased
- Reduce pain
- Reduce clots
- Alleviate cramps
- Improve mood
- Alleviate symptoms of breast distension
- Balance your hormones and reduce hot flushes
- Improves the blood flow to the ovaries and uterus therefore improving symptoms of PCOS, endometriosis and fibroids
- Create a healthy endometrial lining and support reproductive health.
How does acupuncture work?
As acupuncturists we look at the bigger picture, asking questions that help us to understand how your symptoms manifest for you. The type of pain you experience, the colour and length of your period and how you feel all tell us what is going on in your body. We also look at your tongue and take your pulse which adds to the diagnosis.
We treat your main complaint, but we also treat underlying symptoms that contribute to your distress; such as your mental health. We look into your lifestyle habits and advise on where small changes can make a big difference to how you feel.
We recommend that you commit to six weeks of treatments in the first stage so we can reset your cycle and you can see the benefits of the treatments. After that we can space out treatments to suit your ultimate goal. This could just be monthly maintenance sessions, support to improve fertility naturally, or seasonal support as and when required.
So, are you ready to step into your period power? Let us help you.
It's important that you seek out a fully qualified and regulated practitioner.
We have two Acupuncturists at The Trinity Practice. They are both fully licensed, insured and degree trained members of the British Acupuncture Council.
Jo also has an additional diploma in Obstetrics, IVF and Gynaecology Acupuncture and a special interest in Women’s Health. Jo is with us on Thursday afternoons and all day Fridays.
BOOK ONLINE www.trinitypractice.co.uk Telephone 01747 851726
If you would like to see some evidence around acupuncture and menstrual health you can read more below:
Dysmenorrhoea (period pain)
Endometriosis
Infertility