PMS, or Premenstrual Syndrome, is a common condition which ails many females. Though society may tell us that these unpleasant symptoms are “normal” every month, they are most certainly not normal.
Sadly, many girls grow up believing PMS is just a part of womanhood, either accepting their fate of pain every month, surviving the week using painkillers, or even going on hormonal birth control. There is good news– it does NOT have to be like that! There are natural ways to heal your body and your menstrual cycle, and we want to help you!
Understanding the signs and symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is the first step towards managing and alleviating its impact. PMS symptoms can occur within the 10 days before a woman’s period and disappear shortly after bleeding. They can vary widely among individuals, but common indicators include:
Recognizing these symptoms allows for a proactive approach to managing PMS. If you find these symptoms affecting your daily life, consider consulting a PMS doctor for personalized strategies and support tailored to your unique needs.
Commonly, hormonal changes are blamed for these PMS symptoms. And while yes, hormonal changes occur naturally throughout the menstrual cycle, it is not these changes inherently that are causing your PMS symptoms. Rather, the imbalance of each type of hormone is problematic since their job is to counterbalance each other throughout the natural fluctuations.
The hormones of interest here are progesterone and estrogen. Both are GOOD hormones which improve mood and overall health when kept in check. Throughout the menstrual cycle, these hormones naturally fluctuate for stimulation of ovulation and to support pregnancy. When out of check, these hormones can be overstimulating and cause breast pain, fluid retention, headaches or migraines, irritability, fatigue, and night sweats.
Usually, PMS symptoms can be attributed to a combination of high estrogen and low progesterone.
During this time in the menstrual cycle, a woman’s body undergoes hormonal fluctuations to prepare for menstruation. These symptoms often arise as a result of overall low progesterone, a natural calming hormone.
Progesterone, also known as progestational hormone, is responsible for much more than just pregnancy. Progesterone has many benefits which counterbalance estrogen as it maintains your period health.
The conventional approach to treating these unpleasant PMS symptoms is to turn off the system with hormonal birth control. While this may take care of the symptoms at hand, it is not without a catch. Taking hormonal birth control literally turns off your entire hormonal system and replaces it with similar substances. Unfortunately, these synthetic hormone replacements do not incur the same benefits as the natural ones, so many many side-effects and risks are related to hormonal birth control use. Namely:
In essence, hormonal birth control takes away the natural hormones that would usually prevent these conditions.
At Active Edge, we take a natural, holistic and personalized approach to PMS relief. We believe in the body’s natural cycle and ability to warn us when something is off. A healthy, hormonally balanced woman will BARELY feel her period coming; it should be smooth, painless, and free of mood-swings.
If you are experiencing PMS, we would love to help you unpack your condition and get to the underlying issue which ultimately involves balancing your hormones so they can keep each other in check and make you feel great!
We often find that hormonal issues are rarely an isolated problem and are commonly related to the gut, stress or xenoestrogens. If the gut is unhealthy, nutrients and supplements are not being absorbed properly so other systems like hormones will not be healed. A gut cleansing may be a necessary first step in addressing your PMS and hormone imbalance issues. Addressing your adrenal system (stress response system) can have a major impact on your hormones as your body either makes sex hormones or sex hormones and will rob the sex hormones when the stress hormones are in greater demand. Xenoestrogens are things that mimic estrogen in the body but are not native to it. A short list of these include: birth control, plastics, pesticides/herbicides, detergents, ingredients in perfumes, food dies and preservatives and different building materials.
Xenoestrogens are things that mimic estrogen in the body but are not native to it. A short list of these include:
During your discovery phase, our PMS doctors will evaluate your whole body needs through muscle testing, urinalysis, and/or bloodwork and begin addressing your issues in order. Once we understand your condition, we may recommend stress management strategies, lifestyle adjustments, targeted nutritional interventions, and supplements to help with detoxification and gut healing.
You do NOT have to experience PMS symptoms every month! There are natural, holistic ways to heal so you can navigate your menstrual cycle with ease and resilience. Active Edge is here to help! Call 614-407-5335 today to get started.
As Doctors of Chiropractic, we study the whole body and it’s interconnective nature. Our curriculum includes more nutrition education than medical doctors and some of the most in-depth training in anatomy, microbiology, diagnosis, and vertebral subluxations.
With studies under some of the Functional Medicine greats including Bob Rakowski, Jeffery Bland, Mark Hyman, and Jeff Bryst, our doctors have spent countless hours enhancing their coaching techniques, studying bioavailable diagnostic tests (blood, hair, skin, nails ), and gaining in depth knowledge of supplements, tinctures, essential oils.
Our physicians have also done extensive and continuous study into women’s health including pregnancy, hormones, menopause and more. Applying this whole body approach, we address PMS by treating the physical body as well as supporting physiological function to allow your body to naturally restore balance and reduce or resolve PMS symptoms.
Symptoms of PMS typically occur 7-14 days prior to a woman starting her menstrual cycle up until when menstruation begins or shortly after. 7-18 days is fairly common to a total length of time each cycle.
In terms of age, PMS starts in women who are in their late 20s to early 40s, with PMS and other menstrual problems ending with menopause when they no longer have periods.
Taking a combined approach for period cramp relief we find can be very effective. Using chiropractic adjustment and soft tissue work especially in the abdominal region/hip flexors and pelvic floor can help reduce the effects of period cramps. While physical work can be very beneficial it is also important to look at the physiological side through hormones, GI health, estrogen toxicity and stress. Addressing period cramps as a whole can drastically reduce period cramps!
Feeling nauseous, or changes or sensitivity differences in your nipples are common differences. Many of the other symptoms of PMS are very close to that of pregnancy.
There is some research that shows vitamins and specifically calcium can help with PMS related mood swings. This can be found in cheese, milk, and leafy vegetables.
You may also want to take vitamin B6 which is often found in chicken, turkey, fish, and other fruits.
At this point, you are feeling better than you ever thought you could as you are feeling energized and thriving. You have learned a lot about your body, you are moving more efficiently, you understand your body’s cues, and you have a good idea of what to do with these cues. This means you get to try new things, achieve new goals, and conquer new challenges! As you do, we will be here as your resource, as needed, to help you nourish, boost, and refresh your health.
Pain is generally the last symptom to show up and the first to go away. This means that by the time you realize there is a problem, there has been a problem for a long time. Especially for chronic or recurring issues, understanding how you got to where you are is so important for getting to where you want to go. In this stage of your journey, you will resolve underlying dysfunction, remove cheats, and retrain habits. As we aid you in activating your body’s natural healing potential, we will help you regain movement, energy, and body function both inside and outside. Throughout this process, you will start to feel greater ease and inspiration as you restore communication and efficiency in your body. Together, we will constantly assess, observe, and reassess your body’s responses to boost your results.
You are your own person, with your own collection of life events which brought you to where you are today. You deserve to be heard, seen, and treated as the individual you are. Your journey begins with your Discovery Evaluation. This first visit includes your exam which works to uncover the root of your issue(s), new patient diagnostics, and, of course, your first treatment. This is how we will help you begin connecting the dots and feeling better. After your first treatment, we will ask you to observe your body’s responses– good, bad, or indifferent. There is no wrong answer as this is just starting point information and direction for moving forward. In your second visit, we will review this feedback and your diagnostics to further identify potential underlying causes and compensations. We will combine everything we have learned about you, consider your goals, and together create a plan to resolve your concerns from the roots up.
