PCOS, Exercise, and Acupuncture

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While polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects as many as 10 percent of women and is the most common cause of infertility among women, yet it remains a relatively unknown condition. Polycystic ovary syndrome or (PCOS) isn't an easily diagnosed disorder because it is a collection of symptoms including obesity, acne, irregular periods, and high levels of testosterone and male hormones, as well as often having a bunch of small cysts on their ovaries.

“[Physicians] didn't really put the pieces together until recently," said Hillary Wright, a registered and licensed dietitian who works with many infertile patients at the Domar Center in Waltham, Mass. A key characteristic of women with PCOS is high levels of insulin in the blood, otherwise known as insulin resistance. What researchers have found is that for women with PCOS exercise is an essential part of treating the condition. In fact, exercise is able to do naturally what some medications do chemically. 

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden have also found that acupuncture can have a positive effect on the hormone levels and menstrual bleeding patters of women with PCOS. This study was published in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. In it, the researchers monitored a group of women with PCOS who were given acupuncture and the needs were stimulate manually and with a weak electric current with a very low frequency. Another group was instructed to exercise three times a week, while the third were controls. According to Associate Professor Elisabet Stener-Victorin, who headed the study, "The study shows that both acupuncture and exercise reduce high levels of testosterone and lead to more regular menstruation, [but] of the two treatments, the acupuncture proved more effective." 

For women who have PCOS, weight loss through diet and exercise is one of the most important things they can do to improve their heath and odds of fertility. Adding acupuncture to the mix can be another important step. 

Source: 

Elisabet Stener-Victorin 

University of Gothenburg 


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