Menstrual Health + Period Regulation

The quality of your monthly period is an immensely important indicator of your health. Luckily, you have an amazing built-in system that tells you when something is wrong. For example, if the color of your blood is too dark or light it might indicate inconsistencies in blood quality or womb health. Very heavy periods with debilitating pain might be an indication of endometriosis (click here to read more about this). Very light or inconsistent periods are potentially an indication of poor gut absorption or adrenal fatigue. How many days your body takes between periods can also be an indication of the health of your fertility, and thus your entire body.

Acupuncture gently opens up the pelvic region, allowing for circulation of blood and lymph. Assisted by herbal medicine, supplements and nutritional counseling to rebuild and move blood, regular acupuncture visits regulate periods, improve blood quality, and decrease PMS symptoms. Every woman’s body will require a different approach and focus depending on her history and presentation, as every woman has an individual blueprint for her body.

Embodied pelvic work is a beautiful experience for any woman attempting to reconnect to her body. Many women have seen their bodies sync up to the cycles of the moon after experiencing deep embodiment of the pelvic region. No matter where you are in your cyclical journey, learning to become present with your body in this way allows for the reestablishment of emotional and physical health by regulating the nervous system and allowing the body an innate sense of safety. To learn more about embodied pelvic bodywork, click here.

birth control assistance

Coming off birth control is a choice many women choose to make to take back control and awareness of their own bodies. Women walk into my practice ready to ditch the pill for a variety of reasons. Hormonal birth control might cause moodiness, weight gain, migraines, low libido, or bleeding disorders (these are among the list of more benign symptoms). Generally, the pill tends to disconnect us from our bodies. As cyclical beings we are meant to be reliant on this monthly process to rid ourselves of physical and emotional toxicity.

For any woman whose desire it is to transition away from hormonal birth control of any kind, I offer a full roster of modalities to help make that transition as smooth as possible. Acupuncture, herbal therapy, visceral massage and somatic bodywork all function in conjunction with each other to bring the body’s awareness back to itself, regulate the nervous system, improve blood and tissue quality, and assist in emotional regulation.

I respect every woman’s choice to be or not to be on hormonal birth control. However, many of the aforementioned symptoms may not easily be helped while on the pill. As I believe it is every woman’s responsibility to be informed about what she puts in her body, I recommend the following short list of books, podcasts and people to assist you in understanding your body and birth control:

books

Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten

Sweetening The Pill: or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control by Holly Grigg-Spall

The Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack

podcasts

Fertility Friday Podcast

Heavy Flow Podcast