At Points for Wellness, we understand the complexities of women’s health and the importance of addressing the root causes of menstrual irregularities. Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and functional medicine are at the core of our approach to holistic healing, offering natural and effective alternatives to hormonal birth control.
Let’s start with a simple question: Do you look forward to your menstrual cycle each month, or do you find yourself dreading it?
Whether you anticipate it or not, your menstrual cycle is a key indicator of your overall health and vitality. Irregular or painful periods can signal a range of underlying issues, such as:
- Hypothyroidism
- Hormonal imbalances
- Infections
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Infertility
- And much more
Many women go through life believing that their menstrual cycle is “normal” when, in fact, it could be indicating deeper issues within the body.
Signs of an Irregular Period:
- Menstruation arrives more than 2 days earlier or later than expected
- No period at all
- Cycles shorter than 25 days or longer than 35 days
- Spotting 3-4 days before your period starts
- No clear end to the period
- Spotting throughout the cycle
- Heavy bleeding (needing to change tampons, pads, or cups more than every few hours)
- Presence of clots
- Very light bleeding or spotting
Tracking and keeping a close eye on your cycle is crucial. There are several apps available that make this easy! By monitoring your cycle each month, you’ll start to notice patterns and be alerted when something is off.
If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, along with others like:
- Acne
- Fatigue
- Severe PMS
- Migraines
- Low libido
- Hair loss
- Anxiety or depression
…it’s essential to consult a practitioner who can identify and address the root causes.
Unfortunately, the traditional approach to managing irregular and/or painful periods often involves prescribing hormonal birth control, typically in the form of oral contraceptives.
But here’s the thing: Birth control pills don’t treat the root cause of your symptoms—they only mask them.
Many women find that once they stop taking birth control, their symptoms come back, sometimes even worse than before.
Birth control pills suppress the symptoms of heavy, painful, or irregular periods, rather than treating the underlying cause. Here’s how:
- The developing egg produces estrogen. After ovulation, the shell of the egg produces progesterone.
- Estrogen and progesterone regulate the menstrual cycle—estrogen thickens the uterine lining, and progesterone thins it out. This cycle repeats monthly.
- The synthetic hormones in oral contraceptives signal the ovaries not to release an egg. Without the production of estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries, the body experiences a withdrawal bleed, which can make periods more regular.
- Since the ovaries aren’t producing estrogen, the uterine lining builds up less, resulting in lighter periods.
Long-Term Effects of Birth Control Pills:
- Significantly decrease testosterone levels, which can lead to low sex drive, vaginal dryness, and painful intercourse.
- Deplete several essential nutrients, including vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9 (folate), B12, C, E, copper, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.
- Increase the risk of blood clots.
- Raise the risk of breast cancer.
So, What’s the Alternative?
Instead of masking symptoms, a more natural approach involves measuring hormone levels through lab testing to identify where imbalances exist.
At Points for Wellness, Beth and Olivia utilize acupuncture, herbal medicine, and functional medicine to naturally balance hormones and address menstrual irregularities. Natural methods for hormone balancing—such as supplementation, seed cycling, and lifestyle adjustments involving diet and exercise—can provide relief without exposing young women, who may not be sexually active, to unnecessary health risks.
While we often recommend non-hormonal forms of contraception, such as the copper IUD, cervical caps, diaphragms, and condoms, we understand these options may not work for everyone.
If you choose to stay on birth control pills, it’s vital to monitor for any symptoms of hormone imbalance and work with a practitioner to address the underlying root causes.