As women age, we may face various health concerns such as menstrual and fertility issues, hormonal changes, weight fluctuations, stress and exhaustion from managing too many plates in the air. Women need to actively take care of their health throughout their lives, which becomes a more significant challenge as the stressors of balancing work and family take precedence over their own lives. Leading a balanced lifestyle can improve a woman’s quality of life. Recognizing the need for this balance is the easy part; it is much harder to implement it into daily life.

At A Way of Life Acupuncture, our doctors—Dr. Christine Yastrzemski, A.P., and Dr. Sarah Thomas, DACM, A.P.—work with women of all ages and stages of life to help create this balance. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses a whole body, natural approach to health care, which treats the symptoms of disease and works to correct the imbalance within the body causing symptoms. An easier way to understand this is to think of your body as a luxury car and the red “warning” light comes on. There are a couple of options: Ignore the red light and hope it goes away, or take it to have it diagnosed by a mechanic.

Our body gives us warning signs to let us know there is an imbalance. It might be sleep issues, problems with the menstrual cycle, headaches, neck tension, lower back pain, low libido, or problems trying to conceive. Many of us ignore the warnings our body is giving us by complaining we have too much to do to stop and get it fixed. We continue to push our body forward until it breaks down, leaving us frustrated and stranded. We then get angry at ourselves for being slowed down by this inconvenience. Going back to the example of the red warning light: When we finally take the car in after months of avoidance, what would have been a simple fix ends up requiring more repair work and money than what it would have originally. When women neglect to take care of themselves, the ailments begin to build up until something forces us to stop and take notice.

TCM practitioners work to identify an ailment’s origin so it can be corrected and the body’s internal system can return to normal. Research has shown that acupuncture needles release many chemicals in our brain, spinal cord, and muscles that help restore the body’s natural ability to heal. Acupuncture has been proven to release endorphins in the body, reducing pain, providing stress relief, and boosting the feeling of pleasure and well-being. By adding acupuncture to a regular healthcare routine, the body can maintain a natural balance that allows one to enjoy a healthier lifestyle. When those warning lights come on from our body, many can be resolved when addressed immediately.

At A Way of Life Acupuncture, our doctors incorporate acupuncture, herbal therapy, gua sha, cupping and other modalities to help clients find the relief they seek. We have helped women with menstrual and fertility issues, hormonal imbalances, and many other conditions, and now offer a natural way to look more youthful with cosmetic acupuncture. Thomas has advanced cosmetic acupuncture training and offers facial cupping and facial gua sha, which help promote collagen production.

Most people experience little or no pain with acupuncture treatments yet report a deep sense of relief and calm during and after treatment. Peak effects of acupuncture can be achieved within one to four days. Consider adding acupuncture to your regular self-care routine to help you maintain a natural state of balance within yourself, so you can better care for your family.