Here it is - that time of the month again. Yes, I'm referring to the Women's Monthly, the menstrual cycle. Lucky are the women for whom the monthly cycle flows along smoothly, creating no real disruption to mood or routine. Probably more common are the women for whom the cyclical pattern creates some very real discomfort. This discomfort can range from minor to quite severe, and include such symptoms as mood swings, cramping, digestive disturbance, headache, tiredness and more (no need to go into graphic detail here – the people who are affected know what I am talking about).

From the acupuncture perspective, a smooth and healthy menstrual cycle depends greatly on the smooth flowing of the body's qi, and the ability of that qi to mobilize the blood and other physiological functions associated with the menstrual cycle.

If an imbalance develops in the flow of the qi, a woman may experience symptoms of difficulty during her monthly cycling. The character and timing of the symptoms give the practitioner some insight into the nature of the imbalance and from there the correct course of treatment.

Let's take a couple of examples. Some women find they are tired from midcycle onward. Some find they are tired during their period. Some women don't get tired, but they experience some kind of pain. Upon questioning, we may be able to clarify whether the pain is sharp or dull in character, where it is located, what make it better or worse, at what point in the cycle it comes and goes, an if it is associated with any other symptoms. As we talk, symptoms may group into a pattern. Physical and emotional experiences may prove to be related in unexpected ways.

We must take a good look at a woman's emotional state during her monthly cycle. Pre-menstrual tension presents a real concern for many women and their families. Women can experience emotional swings that vary from mild to quite dramatic, and may include bouts of depression, sadness, crying, anger or irritability. Sometimes these symptoms appear shortly before the onset of the period, and sometimes last for as long as two weeks before the period. That's a lot of time of the month to be uncomfortable. And again, the nature and duration of the symptoms point to the appropriate treatment.

Emotional issues can affect the ease and regularity of the cycle. Big life changes have been known to stop the cycle for some time. Too much time spent in anger, frustration or resentment may wind up affecting the period. (The body/mind connection is real. Those strong feelings have to go somewhere!) Over work and over-exercising may affect the period, as can weight loss or gain. Some of these things can be easily adjusted with lifestyle changes alone, and some can be made far more manageable with treatment. The good news is that treatment with acupuncture often leads to more ease and balance as we go through our monthly journey, and without any untoward side effects. Why be uncomfortable? My feeling is that since most of us women-folk will be repeating this sequence for the greater part of our lives, we might as well be as happy with it as possible!!