Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine is a Toronto naturopathic clinic dedicated to providing safe and effective treatment of a wide variety of health conditions using natural therapies and the principles of naturopathic medicine.
Premenstrual syndrome is well treated using naturopathic medicine. Premenstrual syndrome is a common experience for women of childbearing age. It is estimated that three of every four women experience some symptoms of PMS. The precise cause of PMS symptoms is unknown, but possible factors include cyclic hormonal changes, fluctuations in brain chemicals (e.g., serotonin) and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Symptoms of Premenstrual syndrome
Possible symptoms of premenstrual syndrome include:
- Headache
- Acne flare-ups
- Breast tenderness
- Abdominal bloating
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Joint or muscle pain
- Weight gain (from fluid retention)
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
- Depressed mood
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Poor concentration
- Social withdrawal
- Appetite changes and food cravings
Premenstrual syndrome treatment at Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine, the goals of premenstrual syndrome treatment are to reduce or eliminate premenstrual syndrome symptoms, and correct underlying hormonal and dietary causes to prevent syndrome recurrence.
Conventional treatment for premenstrual syndrome may include a variety of medications, including antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), diuretics, oral contraceptives and medroxyprogesterone acetate which may have short- or long-term side effects. For this reason, you may choose to try natural treatment to possibly avoid use of conventional medications, or together with conventional medications in order to decrease dosages of conventional medications required to manage your premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
Naturopathic treatment of any chronic health concern must be recognized as a process that involves identifying specific treatment goals, a thorough understanding by your naturopathic doctor of all factors affecting your health, including physical, psychological, emotional and lifestyle factors, development of a comprehensive treatment plan and execution of that plan through periodic monitoring and adjustment.
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine a typical approach to treating premenstrual syndrome is to first identify and address underlying factors in your lifestyle (e.g., poor diet or dietary habits, alcohol and caffeine use) or general health (e.g., depression). Where appropriate, a number of therapeutic options are available, to be used alone, or more often in a complementary fashion, including:
- Nutritional supplements
- Botanical (herbal) medicines
- Homeopathic medicines
- Cleansing protocols
- Bowen Therapy
- Acupuncture
- Relaxation techniques
- Hydrotherapy
Reference
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) [Online]. [cited 2009 Feb 18]; Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premenstrual-syndrome/DS00134