Reproductive Health – The Menstrual Cycle
From the age of sexual maturity (puberty), at roughly 11 years of age, a woman’s body goes through a near-monthly (approx. 28 days) reproductive cycle, until they reach menopause (natural decline in fertility)
Over a single cycle variation of reproductive hormones, including oestrogen and progesterone, physiological changes are triggered in the reproductive system which creates the optimal environment for conception and pregnancy.
One menstrual cycle equals one single opportunity for an ovum (or egg cell) to be fertilised. When egg fertilisation does not happen, the body will dispose of and expel all the material from that previous cycle as the body no longer needs this to nurture a developing embryo/foetus.
This is known as menses, or a menstrual period.
At each phase of the cycle, there are different physiological changes. These changes produce an array of different characteristics within a woman’s body from thickening of the uterine lining (histological adaptations) to bleeding and discharge (triggered by signal changes).
A balanced and regular menstrual cycle is thought to harmonise and interact with many other systems and cycles of a woman’s body.
Research suggests that women’s cycles are acutely receptive to their external environments and individual lifestyle habits. This includes stress levels, sleep cycles, exercise, nutrition, and dietary habits.
Has the pandemic affected the menstrual cycle?
When a woman’s menstrual cycle becomes disrupted by environmental changes a whole host of characteristics may present themselves.
These include cycle irregularities; changes to the volume, quality, and frequency of menstrual bleeding; mental and emotional symptoms and pain (particularly during a period).
The bottom line being that these characteristics can greatly affect the quality of a woman’s life and in some cases, hinder fertility for those around fertile age.
Our recent and sudden change in life habits in response to Covid-19 have found women noticing changes to their monthly cycles.
A study being carried out at Imperial College London (UK) is exploring what menstrual characteristic changes women are experiencing during the pandemic – with a focus on what lifestyle factors are responsible for these.
Whilst research in the field of gynaecology and women’s health is still developing, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and treatment solutions to common health complaints in relation to the female menstrual cycle, is becoming clearer.
Acupuncture has been shown to regulate the menstrual cycle
Acupuncture is considered a safe therapeutic technique for gynaecological health with positive therapeutic effects on the female reproductive system.
Targeting central mechanisms including the HPA (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian) axis, acupuncture has been shown to rebalance endocrine activity and regulate the menstrual cycle.
Acupuncture’s clinical use is widely used to support the management and treatment of common gynaecological complaints, particularly those brought about by environmental disruptive factors. This includes dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, infertility, PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and menstrual migraines.
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