HORMONE BALANCING THROUGH LIFE TRANSITIONS

Hormones are such unassuming substances that circulate the body, making a grand entry and exit during puberty and menopause, respectively. They play a vital role in development, help to regulate mood, and ultimately drive reproduction. In an individual with a regulated hormonal system they may not think twice about transitioning through these stages of life. However, in those with hormonal imbalances the effects can be quite impactful.

You may start to notice how hormones can affect fertility, ovulation, and menstruation. You may start to notice the depletion of hormones resulting in vaginal dryness or painful intercourse. What you may not realize is how hormones play a role in invisible illnesses that disproportionately affect women, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and many more.

Here are some areas we can focus on that may be relevant to you.

Menstruation

For most, the menstrual cycle is something that comes and goes with very little change in their day to day. But for others this can be a time in the month that is full of unwanted symptoms.

Acupuncture is a gentle form of treatment that can be used to ease many of the symptoms such as heavy bleeding, clots, pain (in the pelvic area, lower back, legs…), as well as facilitate sleep and anxiety. With the use of acupuncture we can help regulate your cycle and reduce inflammation. This can be especially helpful for someone looking to stay off birth control and/or prepare for pregnancy. Note that acupuncture can be a great tool for someone with endometriosis, adenomyosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is also a helpful tool to address pelvic pain associated with menstruation. It is not uncommon to also experience bowel and bladder, and lower back issues because of the tightening of the muscles due to clenching from pain. Additionally one might also experience pain during touch and intercourse; all of which may be helped by training the pelvic floor muscles through engagement with the pelvic floor.

In Naturopathic Medicine the key to treating menstrual disorders is not to treat the hormones themselves. Rather they are a clue to an underlying inflammatory or pain condition such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, heavy bleeding, and others. Through charting of your cycle - which is often helpful - we can obtain blood work during ovulation to truly assess your hormone levels. From there the approach is individualized. For those who are looking to stay off conventional birth control or are looking to conceive, working with a naturopathic doctor is also a great first step.

Hormone changes

Rather than targeting specific hormones, acupuncture helps bring overall hormonal balance in the body. We can target the affected endocrine glands if testing has been performed, or simply address the symptoms if there hasn't been testing. Both approaches help re-establish long term hormonal balance.

In Naturopathic Medicine the key to treating menstrual disorders is not to treat the hormones themselves. Rather they are a clue to an underlying inflammatory or pain condition such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, heavy bleeding, and others. Through charting of your cycle - which is often helpful - we can obtain blood work during ovulation to truly assess your hormone levels. From there the approach is individualized.

As the name suggests, bioidentical hormones are hormones that are chemically identical to the ones produced by your body. In traditional hormone therapy, the hormones used are chemically different from those found in the body or in bioidentical hormone therapy (also known as BHRT). At Femade, our Naturopathic Doctors are able to work with patients to support hormone balancing with bioidentical hormone therapy. ND’s can choose to undergo additional training to be licensed to prescribe certain controlled substances such as bioidentical hormones. Our NDs focus their practice on helping female-identified patients with hormonal problems, including endometriosis, infertility and menopausal issues. They commonly use bioidentical hormones in their practice and is eager to work with patients to find the safest and most effective way to manage symptoms and hormonal disorders.

Perimenopause and menopause

Menopause is such a buzz word in society, signifying the stage in life when a person no longer has their period. But in reality it is so much more than that. It is a process that can happen relatively early in life for some people, beginning slowly as a perimenopausal state and transitions into full blown menopause. There is also chemical induced menopause - such as through the use of Lupron - or surgically induced menopause via an oophorectomy. Life choices may bring about these dramatic hormonal changes as early as your 20s or 30s, kickstarting a cascade of events that your body may not be ready for.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine we work with Yin and Yang: - the Yin is the ability to calm down, the body fluids: the hormones; The Yang is the energetic side, the ability to get up and go: movement in the body. Someone with menopause usually has a deficiency in the Yin and the Yang. Acupuncture for menopause can address the balance of hormones themselves, but also targets the prominent side effects such as night sweats, hot flashes, and restless sleep. Acupuncture can also address vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, prolapses, and weight gain.

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is a helpful tool to address pelvic pain associated with menopause. It is not uncommon to experience the following: vaginal dryness, prolapse, urinary frequency; all of which may be helped by training the pelvic floor muscles through engagement with the pelvic floor.

For any hormone-related issue we would focus on dietary changes and bioidentical hormones which have shown to have a lot of success. Ultimately we want to improve quality of life which does not - from a naturopathic perspective - involve masking symptoms with more generalized synthetic hormones. Instead we look at the whole body, the various things that may be happening, and how we can get the body to function optimally.

Should You Consider Hormone Testing?

If you are experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance, fertility issues, or are suffering from an invisible illness such as endometriosis, hormone testing can be a helpful tool to uncover exactly what is happening within the body.

Working with a dedicated health care practitioner with a focus on hormone balancing is the best first step if you believe there might be something out of alignment with your hormones. If you are seeking support with hormone testing specifically, we suggest you consider booking in with our Naturopathic Doctors as they are licensed to order testing in Ontario. During your consultation, you can discuss and explore the different hormone testing options. We can guide you to the best testing options for your individual concerns and symptoms. We offer conventional lab testing, digestive function testing and hormone testing for patients in Ontario. For those living in Quebec we will need to work with an Ontario pharmacy to assist you with prescriptions such as bioidenticals as they are not regulated in Quebec.