PCOS is the most common female endocrine disorder. Up to one-third of women in the UK have polycystic ovaries (10 or more follicles per ovary detected on ultrasound), and around a third of these are thought to have the syndrome.
PCOS is characterised by infrequent or very light menstruation, infertility (failure to conceive), acne and hirsutism (excessive hair growth).
Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically help with symptoms of PCOS by:
Regulating hormones such as FSH, LH, androgens, testosterone and beta-endorphins
Affecting the sympathetic nervous system and improving ovarian blood flow
Regulating steroid hormone/peptide receptors
Controlling hyperglycaemia by increasing sensitivity to insulin and decreasing levels of blood glucose and insulin
Acting on areas of the brain that reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the part of the brain which is responsible for anxiety and worry
Increasing the release of adenosine, thus reducing inflammation, by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors.
For more information about how acupuncture works in controlled trials please visit
www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org or view the PCOS fact sheet at www.acupuncture.org.uk.