To the point

ACUPUNCTURE HAS BEEN USED IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. ERIN FISHER LOOKS AT HOW IT CAN BE USED TODAY AS A PATHWAY TO A HEALTHIER BODY AND MENSTRUAL CYCLE

- Erin Fisher

Mention to a friend your unbearable period pain and it’s not unusual to be met with a response like, “Ugh, me too” or “I have some pain killers if you need them.”

If you were experiencing multiple days’ worth of pain in any other part of your body – say in your chest, abdomen, leg or head – every month you would promptly book in a doctor’s appointment to get to the bottom of it.

Period pain, on the other hand, tends to be brushed aside with a dose of over-the-counter pain medication, a hot water bottle, or a prescription for an oral contraceptive pill.

Given that research indicates that period pain affects up to 95 percent of women, it’s not surprising that it doesn’t tend to be considered an abnormal indicator that something might be amiss. It’s generally thought to be just an ordinary part of the female experience that, unfortunately, needs to be put up with or masked with medication.

Underlying problems

Rachel McGrath and Gill Burdett have a different view. While the pair are not against the use of medication or the oral contraceptive pill for menstrual troubles, they share a passion for encouraging women to get to know their ownbodies, and providing education about other treatments available, one of which they have seen phenomenal improvement in their own clients – acupuncture. In their view, while the pill can indeed successfully control symptoms, it can be masking underlying problems that become more apparent as women get older and decide they want to start a family.

Regulating hormones