I’ve never tried acupuncture therapy for anything. Not that I don’t want to, I just have never had the opportunity to try this type of alternative therapy for anything. I have known a few people who swear by it, but I guess there is still just something about sticking needles in different areas of my body that just doesn’t sit too well with me. I know that they are barely even inserted into the skin, and that they are just hitting different pressure points, but I guess it’s my weird fear of all needles that makes me wary.
Since menstrual cramping is a big problem, with over half the menstruating women in the world claiming to get these annoying side effects of their period, it’s a relief for many women who have insufferable cramps to get effective therapy. Apparently acupuncture has been found to have a very relieving effect on women going through these types of cramping.
The reason cited for acupuncture being so effective for some people when it comes to pain relief is that it stimulates the central nervous system and it creates an environment for more seratonin – the “feel good” hormone – to secrete out into the blood stream. Seratonin is kind of like an antidote to pain because it intervenes with it’s pleasure causing effects on the body.
Most women who have menstrual cramping and bloatedness, and lower back pain which is commonly associated with menstruation, often turn to popping over the counter pain medications like Aleve or Advil, when in fact they may be over doing it. Many OTC pain relievers are ok for short term use, but over use can lead to liver damage and also can throw hormone balance off, so it’s awesome that such an effective non-drug alternative has been found for those that have unmanageable cramping.
