Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome: PCOS

What with is being PCOS awareness month thought I'd talk about my experience of it.

As an acupuncturist I regularly work with women with this condition, but hadn't realised it was a prevalent as 1 in 10 women world wide!! Its cause is unknown (hence syndrome haha)) and as yet there is no cure. 

 However in 2010 LIm and Wong conducted a review of the current research into acupuncture treatment of this condition and concluded that "Acupuncture therapy may have a role in PCOS by: increasing of blood flow to the ovaries, reducing of ovarian volume and the number of ovarian cysts, controlling hyperglycaemia through increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing blood glucose and insulin levels, reducing cortisol levels and assisting in weight loss and anorexia. However, well-designed, randomised controlled trials are needed to elucidate the true effect of acupuncture on PCOS." 

Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09513591003686304

I know personally that most of the women I have worked with have found their treatments to be of benefit; regulating their cycle, improving their skin as well as helping to manage appetite and as such weight.. and of course even resulting in pregnancy for many! (which is often the primary reason for seeking acupuncture for this condition!).  I am not suggesting I have the cure, but just that i know I have worked with many women with this condition and they have felt better for it... definately the main reason I do what I do.. helping people feel better!!!

Emotional Health Talk

On Thursday the 6th July 2013 at my clinic in Glasgow I gave a two hour talk and workshop on emotional health; focusing on stress.

I took the time to give people a bit of background on Acupuncture theory (Traditional Chinese Medicine); explaining more about Yin Yang, Qi  and how its made.  Also discussing the elements and how they all work together to make us the people we are.

My focus of the talk was to attempt to get us to accept emotions, that they are NOT negative, that they have a place in our lives to help us see where things are perhaps not as they should be.  Getting furious at some one who cuts you up on the motorway is typically NOT about said person, but usually unvented anger at someone else, e.g boss? partner?? and it is displaced because we don't know how to process the anger we feel at those who we should feel it towards.

I explained how anger is appropriate in that the element associated with Anger is Wood.. and its job, purpose in life is to help us grow in the direction in which we are destined, and its response to being blocked is to express anger, or at least irritability (at the beginning).  So its about our CHOICES: if I cant get from A to C by route B perhaps I have to go via Q, or accept that I cant get from A to B and therefore find another route for my creative expression; perhaps going from A to D, its about how we shift our expectations and plans etc to get what we want, and that can sometimes include accepting that at this moment there is NOTHING we can do, other than ACCEPT.

Fertility

As an acupuncturist in Glasgow I work with women and men almost daily to help improve their chances of creating or extending their family.  As such I need to know about menstrual cycles and when my ladies ovulate etc to optimise their treatments.

I often find women are almost obsessive over their cycles by the time I am working with them (usually after a year or so of 'trying') but on occasion my ladies don't.  As such I have compiled some information to help said ladies get to know their own bodies:

Ovulation: The KEY to getting pregnant.

Ideal world when your trying to get pregnant is to be having sex every 2 to 3 days
throughout your cycle.. but there is what is known as the 'fertility window' which lasts
approximately 5 days during which time one is said to be more fertile.. however this is very
difficult to predict, based only on cycle duration, so checking when you ovulate can help to
predict better when you are most fertile and therefore most likely to conceive.
Count your cycle from day 1 of your period. On a 28 day, regular cycle most women ovulate
10 to 16 days BEFORE their period starts (so days 12 to 18)
Ways to check you are ovulating:
The most reliable is changes to vaginal discharge. Normally is it non existent or
white/creamy.. but prior to ovulation it becomes clear and stretchy (should be able to stretch
it between your fingers up to about 2 cm). It changes to help the wee sperms work their way
up the fallopian tube to the just released/about to be released egg!! (but not as reliable if you
have PCOS)
other signs include:
breast tenderness; increased sexual appetite; increased body temperature; bloating; mild
abdominal pain.
Measuring your body temperature is time consuming, but effective and relatively cheap.
Please note the spike in temp shows you have already ovulated so is useful for checking you do
rather than finding your window for that month.. Charts are readily available online, sites
listed below; PDF of one on my site also:
http://www.acupunctureglasgow.co.uk/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/5046?opendocument&part=9
Useful sites?
Babycentre.co.uk
http://www.fertilityfriend.com/ : has FREE online and app based ways of charting your
temperature.
As always consult your doctor or other medical professional to discuss your signs, symptoms
and/or if you have any concerns.

hayfever

I have been lucky enough to work with another acupuncturist's recently, namely Eleanor Davies, who gave me a wee 'trick' she's just learnt about treating hayfever.  Takes all of 7 minutes I reckon, and 2 willing guinea pigs later I am working in a sneeze/itchy eye free zone!!

Am super excited about it all.. what a great way to show how wonderful acupuncture can be with a quick, simple, painless session in which one is immediately and so far, long term fixed of the affliction that is hayfever!  Simple wee things like this remind me why I love what I do and totally revigorate my passion for helping people.. chronic conditions often require long term treatment plans, so nice to see  the odd quick fix!!

Will keep you posted as to its longer term efficacy :)

All new Discount Club :)

Can't believe how long its been since I last wrote here... been a hectic old time.

Licensing proved to be a bigger issue than I thought and I am not yet up and running in South Lanarkshire, almost a full YEAR after applying.. gutted.

But on the plus side, Woodland Herbs is really taking off for me and especially the discounted times I offer on a MOnday Morning..

Due to their popularity and of course (as ever) increased costs.. I attempted something new this week.

Instead of treating just one person, I utilise two rooms within the clinic, and stagger appointments so that I can maximise my time!  Did the 1st one this week and it was an absolute dream come true, didn't over run, didnt have to rush through with clients... absolutely LOVED it.. had me buzzing and certainly keeps the old brain ticking over.. no down time for me :)

The plan is to trial it for the rest of the month and then make it permanent and take account of any wee tweeks I might need to do, if any problems come up and it means I can continue to offer dramatically discounted sessions without losing out myself!!

Feedback from the clients was very positive also, all enjoyed having a bit of time on their own, but knowing I wasnt too far away :)

Gratitude list.

This one is a bit more personal, but wanted to share it in the hope it might inspire others.  I have been thinking a lot recently about how I react to things, how my behaviours affect my day and my mood and therefore my ability to enjoy life!

I have also been doing a lot of reading on spirituality and gone back into Brandon Bays 'journey work' and even something my wee cousin said to me years ago keeps popping in my head "I'm good at seeing whats NOT , and ignore what IS (good in my life)".  So did a wee google search to see what came up on the old gratitude thing.. and this blog is lovely! http://www.thechangeblog.com/gratitude/

i did a sizable list that took me over 3 hours over 2 nights (and I'm a touch typist!). decided to not share it all, but just give some edited highlights in the hope that it inspires other to do their own.

WHY should you do it?

I can only speak for me, but in the 4 days since I started this process I have been generally much more contented, more able to step out of whats going on at the minute and be able to distance myself from it long enough to be able to deal more rationally and less emotionally, and that's only 4 days..

my plan.

is to every morning, soon as I wake, thank the 'universe' for 3 things that I am grateful for, and that way it'll help me stay in a more contented place and not slip into 'the what I've not got' thing that I'm so good at!.

My list included things like..

the weather (esp the rain in Glasgow) cos it keeps us in the lovely green place

for being born in a time when i have the opportunity to do things like degrees, living in south Korea

family for supporting me

friends for loving me for exactly who i am

my body for tolerating the years of abuse its had thrown at it.

for having the opportunity to learn so much every day

so go on, be inspired to write your own.. and feel free to comment at the bottom with some of yours!!

new Clinic and Licensing.

Hello there

it has been quite a few months since my last visit here.. just been working away.

Finally found a new clinic, in Rutherglen to practice my acupuncture and now am just waiting for the licensing to get back to me so that I can begin work, but all the prep has been done, and even had the environmental health out who were quite happy with my level of hygene etc.

Have to say I was more than a little perplexed when she turned to the student she has with her to indicate that they insist on a 'closed room' due to potential for 'blood spatter'.  I found this highly amusing to be honest, as I have never had more than a drop of blood in the near 5 years I've been working.  She did suggest that it was more important for skin piercing (i.e. jewelry) but did still feel the need to mention it.

Please dont think I am upset or annoyed at the process of obtaining a skin piercing license in order to practice, I most certainly am not, I value the council for ensuring those of us practicing are working to a high level of safety and hygene, however i believe that being allowed a year to issue said licence a little eh.. draining.  That said it has never taken more than 8 weeks for me in the past, so here's hoping in 4 weeks time I'll be blogging to advise that I am now up and running!!!

The new clinic is within a private medical practice, in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire.  Where I will be working along side physio's, a massage therapist and chiropractors working along with medical doctors.  I must admit I am both excited and nervous at working with these more 'medical' people rather than my usual 'alternative therapists'.  Many main stream health care professionals (HCPs) are unsure of acupuncture and many even consider it to be 'nonsense' or 'placebo' and that it has no long term benefit, I hope that with time if any of the therapists I'll be working along side wil soon be fully versed and 'converted' with its regards to helping improve the quality of life for most people.

I'll keep you posted with regards to getting up and running and also on how i settle in to the new clinic!!

Hope your happy and healthy.. and if not, come see me!!!