5Women’s Health Issues and how Acupuncture May Help.
Studies show that women are more susceptible to particular health conditions in comparison to men. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine advocate for a holistic approach to ensure the best quality of life for women. Acupuncture treatment may be effective at addressing some of the health problems women face. If you or someone you know is affected by one of the health issues listed below, visit Centre of Balance.
Heart Disease:
There are a variety of diseases that affect the cardiovascular system: heart valve disease, heart failure, arteriosclerosis, shock, congenital heart disease, and hypertension to name a few. The American Heart Association asserts that cardiovascular complications are the leading cause of death among women. Risk factors include substance abuse (e.g. smoking), poor sleep, stress, high blood pressure, and obesity. However, the risk of these diseases may be reduced by integrating acupuncture with a heart-healthy lifestyle. Practitioners at Centre of Balance Hamilton advocate for healthy lifestyle changes along with acupuncture to help prevent and treat heart disease. Recommendations include:
Applying acupuncture needles to specific points on the arm and leg may lower blood pressure. This may reduce the risk of heart disease as evidenced by a 2007 study published in the American Heart Association Journal.
Acupuncture may help women maintain a healthy weight in several ways. It may help reduce anxiety, suppress appetite, regulate elimination, maximise the absorption of nutrients, and energise the body.
Other techniques such as acupressure, meditation, dietary therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, Qi Gong exercises, and Tui Na may also be used. These techniques may help regulate the level of stress in your life and improve your heart’s health.
Acupuncture may also help in treating unhealthy habits such as smoking and insomnia which increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS involves a sustained and noticeable decrease (constipation) or increase (diarrhoea) in the frequency of elimination. Results from a study by the University of York showed women have a significantly higher chance of developing IBS, and that acupuncture may minimise the severity of symptoms. IBS is caused by a disharmony of the spleen and liver meridians leading to uneven physical processes, irregular Qi flow, and Qi stagnation. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine focus on correcting these imbalances by supporting the Qi flow and alleviating the symptoms.
Depression
Depression refers to the prolonged feeling of sadness and loss of interest in life activities. The World Health Organization recognises depression as the leading mental health problem affecting women, who have twice the risk of experiencing depression than men. This is partly due to the changing estrogen levels and loss of Qi during menstruation, menopause, and giving birth. Acupuncture treatment, may help the body manage stress, support the immune system, and may eventually correct the depressive imbalances.
Autoimmune Diseases
These are disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and celiac disease, in which the immune system attacks the body. Due to the severity and complexity of these diseases, experts recommend the incorporation of alternative therapies alongside conventional treatment. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine may improve the patients’ quality of life by managing the symptoms, regulating the immune system, and relieving pain.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
As the name suggests, CFS hinders an individual’s ability to rest and is characterised by insomnia, reduced memory, feeling tired all the time, chronic pain, and flu-like symptoms. Just like the other diseases in this list, women are at a higher risk of developing CFS than men. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine may help by enhancing harmony in the body, hence reducing the mental and physical fatigue.
References
MacPherson, H., Tilbrook, H., Bland, J. M., Bloor, K., Brabyn, S., Cox, H., & Watt, I. (2012). Acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: primary care based pragmatic randomised controlled trial. BMC Gastroenterology, 12(1), 150.
Turnbull, F. & Patel, A. (2007). Acupuncture for Blood Lowering. American Heart Association Journals. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.706952
WHO. (2018). Depression. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.
I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions. As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results. I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method. I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment. From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas. Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills. My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms. In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions. In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.