Acupuncture and Exercise for PCOS

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is a troubling problem experienced by around 10% of women of reproductive age. Sufferers may experience multiple ovarian cysts that may cause an increase in the male sex hormone, leading to ovulation problems and possibly infertility. Women with PCOS are also at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden tested whether acupuncture or exercise can bring relief from the syndrome. Elisabet Stener‑Victorin, who led the research, noted that women with PCOS often have high activity in an area known as the sympathetic nervous system – part of the nervous system that can’t be consciously controlled.

Women in the study received electro‑acupuncture (when the needles are stimulated with a weak, low‑frequency electric current) for four months. A second group of women were instructed to exercise three times a week. A control group was merely informed about the importance of exercise and a healthy diet, but given no further instructions.

Study findings:

Women who received the acupuncture treatment and those who exercised regularly had lower activity levels in the sympathetic nervous system. In addition, menstruation in the group of women who received acupuncture became more normal, and levels of testosterone became significantly lower.

The findings were published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Read the full study text online.

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