Hormonal Imbalance Can Be Treated Without Drugs
Acupuncture Has Shown Promising Results
UPDATED: 12:45 p.m. EDT April 12, 2002
CLEVELAND -- Some women suffer from a little-known condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome.
PCOS is often misdiagnosed, and most women turn to hormonal drugs that have side effects. But there is a new drug-free option.
Since she was a teenager, Grace Ecclestone has battled polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance that leads to weight gain, excessive hair growth, irregular menstrual cycles, and difficulty getting pregnant.
"There is actually no specific treatment for that," said Dr. Abegael Lorico, a medical acupuncturist. "When a patient comes to you, she comes in for a particular complaint."
An ancient therapy may prove to be the answer for the often-misunderstood condition.
After a study of acupuncture's benefits, doctors said that the results were encouraging.
"If you define success as regulating the periods, I would say that's 5 out of 5," Lorico said.
Longtime PCOS sufferer Tina Mahserejian tried acupuncture, even though she was skeptical.
"My weight stabilized, I started losing a little bit of weight, mentally I was more stable -- I didn't have as many headaches," she said.
But Ecclestone's success was even more exciting -- she got pregnant.
"I don't think that I really grasped the importance for me of becoming a mom until I actually was pregnant, and then I said, 'Oh, wow! This is really great," she said.
If you suffer from PCOS and this treatment sounds like a miracle cure to you, doctors suggest finding an acupuncturist who is experienced in treating women with gynecological problems.
PCOS is often misdiagnosed, and most women turn to hormonal drugs that have side effects. But there is a new drug-free option.
Since she was a teenager, Grace Ecclestone has battled polycystic ovarian syndrome, a hormonal imbalance that leads to weight gain, excessive hair growth, irregular menstrual cycles, and difficulty getting pregnant.
"There is actually no specific treatment for that," said Dr. Abegael Lorico, a medical acupuncturist. "When a patient comes to you, she comes in for a particular complaint."
An ancient therapy may prove to be the answer for the often-misunderstood condition.
After a study of acupuncture's benefits, doctors said that the results were encouraging.
"If you define success as regulating the periods, I would say that's 5 out of 5," Lorico said.
Longtime PCOS sufferer Tina Mahserejian tried acupuncture, even though she was skeptical.
"My weight stabilized, I started losing a little bit of weight, mentally I was more stable -- I didn't have as many headaches," she said.
But Ecclestone's success was even more exciting -- she got pregnant.
"I don't think that I really grasped the importance for me of becoming a mom until I actually was pregnant, and then I said, 'Oh, wow! This is really great," she said.
If you suffer from PCOS and this treatment sounds like a miracle cure to you, doctors suggest finding an acupuncturist who is experienced in treating women with gynecological problems.
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