PCOS Alternative treatment-TCM

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance and metabolism problem that may affect overall health and appearance. PCOS is also a common and treatable cause of infertility. 

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

PCOS has many signs and symptoms, some of which may not seem to be related:

•  Irregular menstrual cycle. Women with PCOS may miss or have fewer periods (fewer than eight in a year). Or, their periods may come every 21 days or more often. Some women with PCOS stop having menstrual periods. 
• Too much hair on the face, chin, or body parts where men usually have hair. This is called “hirsutism.” Hirsutism affects up to 70 percent of women with PCOS.
• Acne on the face, chest, and upper back
• Thinning hair or hair loss on the scalp; malepattern baldness.
•  Weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
• Darkening of skin, particularly along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath breasts.
• Skin tags, which are small flaps of excess skin in the armpits or neck area.

What can TCM Help?

In treating this disease, the practitioner will determine the treatment method according to the age of onset, which is mainly divided into adolescence and reproductive age. In youth, regulating menstruation is the main focus, and menstrual cycle recovery is the foundation. Menstrual period, quantity, color, and symptoms of the whole body are used as syndrome differentiation, and deficiency and excess are distinguished. Pregnancy is essential for patients of reproductive age, so pregnancy assistance should be added based on regulating menstruation. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the kidney is a pair of organs in the lumbar region that store vital essence and promote growth, development, and reproduction. Therefore, the kidney is more responsible for infertility, so the treatment principle is around the kidney.

How long does TCM Treatment?

There are often multiple concurrent syndromes; the condition is complicated and easy to repeat. Chinese herbal medicine treatment generally takes 3 to 6 months.

lifestyle

Weight loss. Losing weight may lower your blood glucose levels, improve how your body uses insulin, and help your hormones reach normal levels. Even a 10 percent loss in body weight (for example, a 150-pound woman losing 15 pounds) can help make your menstrual cycle more regular and improve your chances of getting pregnant. 

On the one hand, you must eat a bland diet. On the other hand, you can choose foods with multiple vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, quit smoking and alcohol, and avoid spicy and stimulating foods. Finally, you must maintain a cheerful, optimistic, and happy mood to face it.

Reference

Wu J, Chen X. Acupuncture therapy protects PCOS patients with diabetes by regulating miR-32-3p/PLA2G4A pathway. Am J Transl Res. 2021 Aug 15;13(8):8819-8832. PMID: 34539997; PMCID: PMC8430091.

Yin Y, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Jiang D, Guo G. [Clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine on infertility of polycystic ovary syndrome in the patients with ovulation induction with letrozole]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2018 Jan 12;38(1):27-32. Chinese. doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.2018.01.006. PMID: 29354933.

Ding N, Yue R, Wang L, Yang H. Chinese herbal medicine on treating obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Dec 4;99(49):e22982. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000022982. PMID: 33285679; PMCID: PMC7717816.

Moini Jazani A, Nasimi Doost Azgomi H, Nasimi Doost Azgomi A, Nasimi Doost Azgomi R. A comprehensive review of clinical studies with herbal medicine on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Daru. 2019 Dec;27(2):863-877. doi: 10.1007/s40199-019-00312-0. Epub 2019 Nov 18. PMID: 31741280; PMCID: PMC6895349.

Ried K. Chinese herbal medicine for female infertility: an updated meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2015 Feb;23(1):116-28. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.12.004. Epub 2015 Jan 3. PMID: 25637159.

Zhu Y, Li Y, Liu M, Hu X, Zhu H. Guizhi Fuling Wan, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ameliorates Insulin Sensitivity in PCOS Model Rats With Insulin Resistance via Remodeling Intestinal Homeostasis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Aug 27;11:575. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00575. PMID: 32973686; PMCID: PMC7482315.

Citations

NIH from:Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development – NICHD (nih.gov)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health.

Goodarzi, M. O., Dumesic, D. A., Chazenbalk, G., & Azziz, R. (2011). Polycystic ovary syndrome: Etiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 7(4), 219–231.