Hormone Balancing
Dr. Tracy Cook, ND
You don’t have to suffer – the perfect period is attainable!
Women often suffer before or during their period – cramps, cravings, mood swings, heavy bleeding – and are not given good options to correct that. The perfect period should be 3-5 days in length, come about once a month, have no pain (yes that’s right – NO pain at all!) and have no warning signs that it is coming. When that is not your experience, painkillers and suppression of your period through hormonal birth control are usually the only solutions offered.
We are here to tell you there are other options.
Assessment is key – what is your diagnosis from a Traditional Asian medicine perspective? What are your actual hormone levels? What is the level of inflammation in your body? This can be determined during a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) who listens to you, gets your complete health history, and determines what type of testing may be necessary.
For your individualized treatment plan, your Naturopathic Doctors (ND) will start with diet and lifestyle.
It may not be enough to solve your period problems entirely, but lack of nutrition and exercise will prevent other solutions from working. A moderate, whole foods diet without excessive animal products or processed foods is a good base and your ND can help you with recipes and strategies to accomplish that. Moderate physical activity is very important.. This can be a brisk 30 minute walk per day, or some other type of movement that you enjoy. Running a marathon is not required!
Physical support in the form of chiropractic, massage therapy and/or osteopathy can increase circulation and tone in the hips and pelvic area and can also contribute to healthier periods. Regular monthly acupuncture from a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) or Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) is an extremely beneficial intervention, especially when it comes to eliminating cramps and irritability. Drinking 2 cups of raspberry leaf tea most days of the month helps to keep the uterus healthy and strong and reduces menstrual
cramps.
There are many different treatment options that your ND may employ. What strategy works best for
you? Chinese herbs, acupuncture, herbal teas or supplements, magnesium, fish oil and B vitamins, a
therapeutic diet – all can be used to accomplish your health goals. There are management strategies
such as herbal anti-inflammatories, magnesium, and herbs to reduce bleeding or manage mood that can be used until the underlying hormonal balance can be addressed. Changes do take time – your ND will often recommend sticking to the treatment plan for 3 cycles before you work together to evaluate how effective it was, and if other strategies should be considered.
Take your power back! The average individual menstruates for 40 years of their life!!! It is well worth a little time and effort to make that an uneventful four decades. Are you willing to step up and say enough is enough? Call our clinic at 807-683-7287 or visit us online at www.tbaynaturopathic.ca to book a complementary 10-minute “Meet the ND” appointment to see if any of these options sound good to you.