5 Ways to Get the Most of Acupuncture for PCOS

How have my acupuncture treatments been going?

If you’re new here, I have been exploring the use of acupuncture treatments as a means to help with my PCOS symptoms. I’ve completed a total of 4 acupuncture treatments thus far and while I can’t say it’s been a cure all, I can certainly see some benefits. All the treatments but one have successfully placed me in a forced state of meditation. For someone who has trouble getting out of her head, this has been incredibly helpful. It’s still early in my treatment journey to see major results like regaining my period or an overall decrease on anxiety, but I do feel my digestion has improved quite a bit. Could this be an indication that I’m becoming more successful in tapping into my sympathetic nervous system, as opposed to operating primarily in my parasympathetic nervous system? Perhaps, but I still feel it’s too soon to tell. Regardless, I’ve come away with some key learnings about how to get the most out of your treatments that I want to share with you all.

5 Ways to Get The Most of Your Acupuncture Treatments…

1. limit your caffeine intake prior to your session

During week 4 of my treatment, I came in totally hopped up on about 3 cups of coffee. I was exhausted that day, and needed to get work done and prepare for a serious meeting the next day, so I poured one cup, then a second, and then a third. During our session, my heart was racing the entire time, and I could not escape my thoughts. It was the only session I've had with Lani so far where I didn't reach the forced meditative state. So, if you can help it, try not to have caffeine before your appointment, or space out your caffeine enough from your visit so you can truly get the most of it.

2. Try to quiet your mind as much as possible

I actually had to ask Lani during my third session what I was supposed to think about after she inserted the needles and left me in the room to relax. I was confused - should I actively be thinking about letting go of certain past traumas? Should I try to completely empty my mind? Should I visualize myself somewhere serene? Should I replay a scenario I wish had turned out differently? Lani told me the best course of action was to focus on the breath, and trying to empty the mind. If that was too tough for me at this stage, she suggested I could assign fear, anxiety, anger - any emotion I wanted to let go of - a color, and visualize it melting away from my body, onto the bed beneath me, and into the floor. She also suggested reciting certain mantras to myself in my head like, "I am everything, yet I am nothing. I am everything I need". These were helpful tips for me to have tangible goals for when I was in the meditative state.

3. When in doubt, come back to your breath

If you find your mind drifting away from a point of control or focus, bring yourself back to your breath. The breath is a powerful connection point between the physical and spiritual, and centering yourself on it can help you truly succumb to the meditative state. I like to center myself on the 4-7-8 breathing technique: breathe in for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Focusing on the breath count disciplines the mind and distracts it from wandering thoughts.

4. Don’t do intensive exercise afterwards, and try to focus on maintaining a state of relaxation

The current that acupuncture produces in our bodies, and the movement of energy, persists after the needles are removed, so long as we allow it to. Putting the body into a state of stress like through vigorous exercise or a stressful situation may cut the impacts short. If you plan to do intensive exercise, try to get it in before your appointment, or the following day. Try to schedule appointments when you have the power to avoid stressful situations for a few hours afterwards.

5. Eat a small meal beforehand, and stay hydrated

The idea behind acupuncture is that by using needles to stimulate points at which our body's energy lines intersect, we can alleviate blockages that may disrupt our energy flow. With that, stimulating these points can result in feeling lightheaded or dizzy. To combat any of these feelings, it's best to hydrate before and after your treatment, and have some food in your stomach prior to treatment, but nothing too heavy.