Sometimes it's Hard to be a Girl!

   Anxiety. Cravings. Bloating. Aches and Pains. These and many more symptoms plague 3 out of 4 menstruating women, according to the Mayo Clinic. This poses the question, with over 90% of women suffering from painful and hard to manage periods, why is there no treatment beyond basic pain medication, heat, and birth control? 
   
    Women believe that the discomfort they experience is normal, but it shouldn’t be. To outline what a period should look like; we first have to breakdown what most women experience. An absurd majority of women experience some or of all the following symptoms: 

Physical: 
o Joint and muscle pain
o Headaches
o Fatigue
o Weight gain
o Bloating
o Breast tenderness
o Acne
o Bowel Changes
o Painful cramps and clotting
o Excessive/heavy bleeding
o In extreme cases, vomiting

Psychological/Neurological:
o Anxiety
o Mood swings
o Change in libido
o Cravings
o Insomnia
o Social withdrawal
o Irritability

   Periods often range from an inconsistent 21-35 days, according to the NHS. The simple act of being a woman should not leave you in a lurch once a month. 

   Now that we have a clearer picture of what most women deal with every cycle, the question remains: what menstruation ought to look like? A period lasting between 27-29 days with little to no changes in your mental and physical state is indicative of a well-balanced hormonal reproductive process. How do we, as women, find our way to this ideal cycle?

   Enter acupuncture and herbal medicine. When we add these tools to our toolbox, it becomes much easier to manage PMS and irregular cycles. At The Yellow Door, we believe and treat the whole woman using these tools. We use herbs like bai shao peony, zhi zi gardenia, dang gui angelica, and chai hu bupleurum to reduce inflammation, promote mood stability, prevent blood stagnation, ease pain, relax and warm the uterus, and calm the body for sleep—to name a few. 

    Sometimes it's hard to be a girl! It shouldn't be. We hope to help women with all menstrual issues and create a new normal: a predictable cycle free from unmanageable PMS.  

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