How many of you know at least one female friend or relative who has one or more of the following women’s health issues?
• Dysmenorrhea (painful periods)
• Amenorrhea (absence of a period)
• Fertility problems
• Endometriosis
• PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
• Underactive/Overactive Thyroid
• Uncomfortable/Difficult pregnancy
• Breech babies
• Back and joint pain
• Food cravings
• Mood swings
• Fatigue
• Weight fluctuations
• Migraines/Headaches
• Hot flushes
• Early menopause
The discomfort you may experience is your body’s way of telling you “I need help.”
Women’s Health problems are not normal and should not be causing distress or disrupt your everyday life. Yes, your mum, sister, aunt, friends may all experience them but that does not mean that you should be experiencing them too.
I used to be one of those people: I had regular migraines, painful cramping during periods, started to slowly creep up dress sizes, I was moody, and I even had a scare with Cancer.
Menstrual Health
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the general term for a collection of over 150 different emotional and physical symptoms that occur in the week to 10 days leading up to a woman’s menstrual period. Symptoms can start from as early as puberty with acne, cramps and mood swings being the most common.
Selecting the right remedy can be hit or miss.
Often women are prescribed birth control pills, NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), or other medication from their teenage years to control their symptoms. These can provide temporary relief, however they only mask over the problem, they don’t get to the root of it.
Fertility
Infertility has become a major health issue, affecting one couple in five in the US, one couple in every six in Australia and one couple in every seven in the UK.
There are many things that can cause infertility including ovulatory dysfunction, endometriosis, adrenal exhaustion, improper nutrition & exercise and exposure to environmental chemicals & toxins.
Medications, surgery and assisted reproductive technologies can take their toll on a woman’s overall health, increasing stress, stretching finances, and putting added pressure on the couple to conceive. These interventions can directly manipulate and affect the hormones that influence your sexual organs. The use of synthetic hormones to either prevent or promote fertility can have severe side effects for women.
Click here to read one of the success stories we have seen over the years.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy should be a special time in a couple’s life when they can celebrate the happiness that comes with the anticipation of the arrival of the new life they have created together. It shouldn’t be a time of pain, discomfort and stress. A woman’s body goes through many changes during pregnancy: physical, mental/emotional and chemical.
We talk about this in more detail here.
Menopause
Menopause is not an illness. It is the body’s way of saying “I can’t handle a pregnancy anymore.” While many women suffer from symptoms during menopause, these are not normal.
Menopause often starts at around the age of 50, for some women it can occur earlier, often in those who have surgically induced menopause after a hysterectomy. It can be an unpleasant experience for some women as it is the result in a change in hormones in the body that causes an imbalance that can trigger symptoms such as; mood swings, hot flushes, sleep problems and weight change. The severity of symptoms with menopause differs from woman to woman.
There has been an increase in the number of women seeking more natural treatments as the standard synthetic hormone replacement therapy comes with a whole list of symptoms of its own.
How Can Chiropractic Help With Women’s Health Issues?
Normal nerve function is essential to optimum health. In order to function optimally, female sexual organs receive their instructions from the brain via the nerves that branch off from the spine, just like every other organ in the body. Misalignments (subluxations) of the spine can interfere with nerve function and reduce the messages getting to the sexual organs, which results in reduced health and increased symptoms, such as the ones listed above.
Chiropractors do not claim to treat or cure a condition or symptom, they help to get to the root of the problem by making sure that the connection between the brain and the sexual organs is functioning properly. Vitalistic Chiropractors get to the root of the problem by removing the subluxations and allowing the nerves to function at their best, resulting in an increase in health and a decrease in symptoms.
Your vitalistic Chiropractor can also advise on lifestyle factors that may be affecting your health too.
References:
CDC National Centre for Health Statistics.
Bedell, Leslie. Successful Pregnancy Following Diagnosis of Infertility and Miscarriage: A Chiropractic Case Report. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation
Peak Chiropractic Centre located in Claremont are family-friendly chiropractors focused on relieving aches, pains and posture correction. We offer in-house X-Ray facilities.
