Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a condition in which small cysts develop on the woman's ovaries. There are a high number of follicles but the eggs are usually small, immature and incapable of being fertilized. PCOS can be caused by the production of too many male hormones or by having too much insulin in the body. It is thought to have a hereditary factor in some cases because women with PCOS often report other family members having it too.
Other symptoms include:
- Irregular periods or an absence of periods
- Acne
- Excessive facial hair
- Thinning hair
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Weight gain
- Pelvic pain
- Infertility
Not all women will get all of the symptoms. Many will have just one or two.
How Common is PCOS?
One in ten women suffer from PCOS and up to 25% of women have cysts on their ovaries as reported by ultrasound scan but in many instances the cysts are harmless.
Conventional treatment is normally fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation, drugs which suppress male hormones or medications for diabetes, if the woman is diabetic. Sometimes surgery may be performed.
Now, doctors have discovered that acupuncture is a viable treatment for PCOS.
The Acupuncture Study
Researchers studied 20 women with PCOS and divided them into three groups; a group that was treated with acupuncture, a group who did physical exercise to overcome symptoms and an untreated group. The women in the acupuncture group were treated for 16 weeks.
Women in both the acupuncture and exercise groups showed a lowering of activity in the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is always more active during times of stress. It is responsible for the 'fight or flight' response during an emergency, as well as for sexual arousal. Too much activity from the sympathetic nervous system can cause health problems.
The women in the acupuncture group had the edge on the women who had exercised. In addition to lowering the sympathetic nervous system, the treatment helped to regulate their periods and suppress male hormones.
Researchers concluded:
'For the first time we demonstratethat low-frequency EA and physical exercise lowers high sympatheticnerve activity in women with PCOS. Thus, treatment with low-frequencyEA or physical exercise with the aim to reduce MSNA may be ofimportance for women with PCOS.'
"Those who received acupuncture found that their menstruation became more normal. We could also see that their levels of testosterone became significantly lower, and this is an important observation", said study author Elisabet Stener-Victorin.
Acupuncture is usually painless and it has no unpleasant side-effects, offering a welcome alternative to many women.
Source: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol (June 3, 2009). doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00197.2009.
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