Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help with pain management, sleep support, low energy, post-viral symptoms, stress and anxiety, digestive symptoms and more; see this section for more details

Long or short cycles, irregular cycles, long or short periods, period pain, premenstrual symptoms, heavy/clotty periods, long periods

Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help with cyclic or non-cyclic pelvic pain (as well as other areas of pain such as leg & back pain) that occurs either during or between periods. See this section for more information about pelvic pain

Acupuncture can help women with PCOS in a number of ways, including by promoting ovulation, regulating reproductive hormones, and addressing insulin resistance.

A recent study concluded that while acupuncture is not as effective as metformin at improving insulin sensitivity (and I would not expect acupuncture to be stronger than Metformin), it is actually “better than metformin in improving glucose metabolism (which might reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes) and has less side effects.” It also doesn't have the digestive side effects that Metformin does, and because of this "acupuncture might be a non-pharmacological treatment with low risk for women with PCOS.”

Acupuncture can help with various aspects of the experience of living with PCOS, such as the stress, anxiety, mood and sleep issues; heavy periods; irregular cycles; acne; fertility issues, and can in general improve quality of life

Acupuncture (and herbal medicine) is great at calming stress & anxiety, promoting a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. It can also reduce the effects of stress on sleep, as reducing the flow-on effects stress can have on everything from fertility to pain management.

Acupuncture can help with managing endometriosis & adenomyosis symptoms by modulating immune function, reducing the production of inflammatory substances and regulating reproductive hormones. It can help with pelvic pain between & during periods, physical & emotional pre-menstrual symptoms, painful sex, bloating ('endo belly'), heavy and/or clotty periods, long periods, as well as fertility & pregnancy support

Acupuncture can help with managing menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, back pain, low libido, heavy and/or clotty periods, low energy, low mood, stress and promote wellbeing before, during and after menopause, and can be used alone or alongside medical management options

Acupuncture can help relieve symptoms such as tightness, painful sex, burning, pain and discomfit, and improve quality of life.

Your privacy is maintained during treatments, as acupuncture points for these conditions are typically located on the arms, legs, hands, feet, face, and sometimes lower back and buttocks.

Acupuncture points in these areas treat the affected area by influencing blood flow and innervation to the area, improving the function of your endocrine system and regulating reproductive hormones, reducing inflammation, relieving stress, and promoting the release of naturally occurring, pain-relieving biochemicals such an 'endogenous opioids'.

Acupuncture can be used alone or in combination with other therapies such as herbal medicine, pelvic physiotherapy, and psychology/counselling.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help your immune system to function better and promote a healthy microbiome, to both clear a lingering infection, and make you less susceptible to recurring infections

Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help in a number of ways, by promoting preconception health, regulating reproductive hormones, promoting ovulation, reducing stress and anxiety, and promoting a healthy libido. Read more about fertility here

Acupuncture can help with most types of pain including headaches and migraines, genital pain, bladder pain, pelvic pain, musculoskeletal pain (eg back/neck/shoulder pain), pregnancy-related aches and pains, nerve pain, fibromyalgia, joint pain and more

Acupuncture can modulate the immune system and help it function better, and can be used for the management of autoimmune conditions (eg fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis), also hayfever and sinusitis, post-viral symptoms, frequent coughs and colds

Healthy sleep is vital for healthy hormone production & regulation. Acupuncture (and herbal medicine) can improve sleep quality, reduce the number of times you wake, reduce stress and anxiety, and manage any pain that may be impacting sleep. You can read this article by the sleep foundation for more information

Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help optimise thyroid function, and help with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s & Graves) through its effects on the the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: This 2024 research review found that "acupuncture can improve the clinical symptoms of Hashimoto thyroiditis patients, regulate thyroid function, and enhance the quality of life of patients." It can also lower TSH.

This research review found that thyroxine plus acupuncture had a stronger therapeutic effect than thyroxine used alone.

Chinese herbal medicine has also been shown to reduce inflammation and modulate the immune system to reduce antibody levels. Some herbal medicines are thought to act by improving the gut microbiome (feeding beneficial gut bacteria & suppressing other bacteria) and strengthening the gut barrier to reduce inflammation. (1) See this study for more information.

Graves disease: this study found that patients taking methimazole who also did a 12 week course of Chinese herbal medicine had less symptoms and more improved biomarkers (FT3, FT4, TGAb and TRAb) than those taking medication alone.

According to the above study, Chinese herbal medicine + methimazole can improve “thyroid gland function, decrease the level of thyroid gland autoantibodies and improve the symptoms and signs of [Graves Disease]” better than medication alone.

You can read more about Chinese medicine for Graves here