How Acupuncture Restored My Lost Cycle (And My Hope)

My period began right on time. I was around 13 years old, and when it happened, I ran out of the bathroom to tell my mom. She gave me a big hug, and we quietly celebrated in each other’s arms, both knowing what this rite of passage symbolized. I was entering into a new season of my body and what it meant to be a young woman.

Growing up, I knew my mom struggled for years with an irregular period. She would openly tell me and my sisters that she didn’t think she would be able to get pregnant because of how unpredictable her menstrual cycle was. In her late twenties, she made her peace with her potential infertility until she unexpectedly did get pregnant but lost the baby. My parents kept trying, and four years after the miscarriage, they successfully got pregnant with my older sister and eventually with me and my younger sister. 

It was a happy ending for my family, but I couldn’t help but wonder: Would I struggle like she did? Was this something that was genetic? It wasn’t until a few years later I had my answer.

Irregular Periods and Potential Causes

Irregularities in menstrual cycles are, unfortunately, not as irregular as we would think. Between 14% to 25% of women have irregular menstrual cycles between their first period and menopause. This could mean different things for different women, such as having cycles that are too long, too short, too frequent, or not frequent enough. They can also be heavier or lighter than normal and even experience painful cramps. 

The reasons why a period is unpredictable vary as well. It could be the result of hormonal imbalances, genetics, diseases, stress, trauma, and certain types of medications. 

Menstrual cycles are critical for women. At the core, a healthy, regular menstrual flow is the signal the body is ready for pregnancy. A period also serves as a north star for a woman’s overall health and well-being. Menstrual cycles help determine if hormones are balanced and can provide insight into the health of your bones, thyroid, and metabolism. According to some experts, an irregular period can often be the first sign something has gone wrong in the body.

Where Did My Period Go and How Can I Get It Back?

At around age 16, I started noticing my period slowly disappearing. I would go three to four months without a cycle. If I did get it, it would be very light in blood flow and last two or three days. By the time I was nearing high school graduation, my period was nonexistent.

My mom started booking appointments with gynecologists to ask for advice. The doctors ran blood work, hormone tests, pap smears, and numerous scans to test for all potential conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but my results came back normal. I was a healthy weight, ate well, exercised moderately, and wasn’t overly stressed. My disappearing period was a mystery.

The only solution presented by the doctors was to get me on birth control to stimulate my cycle. 

The only solution presented by the doctors was to get me on birth control to stimulate my cycle. In 2008, I left for college and started my birth control prescription. I got my period within the first six months, but I was experiencing horrible headaches, so I switched birth control brands. However, when I graduated college, I still didn’t have a regular menstrual cycle.

Then in 2014, I moved to New York City and met my now husband, Matt. When we married in 2016, it had been three years since my last period. I was still on birth control but knew something had to be done if Matt and I were to ever consider growing our family or at the least, finally get the answers I needed.

I made an appointment with yet another doctor. During the visit, I gave her my elevator pitch I had repeated for years. She ran bloodwork and conducted a pap smear, but to no surprise, the results came back normal. When she delivered the news to me in her office, I burst into tears. I couldn’t help thinking to myself: I’m now in my late twenties, I haven’t had a period for years, and there is no explanation or end in sight. 

An Introduction to Acupuncture and TCM

Behind the scenes, as I was going through my doctor visits and birth control trials, my mom was researching alternative solutions for me. She had always been an advocate for acupuncture, and after my last doctor appointment, we agreed, along with the doctor, now was the time to try something different.

I got off birth control and prioritized finding an acupuncturist who specialized in women’s health. That’s when I found Shuang Huo, L.Ac. of Hold Middle Acupuncture in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. During our initial consultation, Huo asked me questions about my background and health history as well as my family’s. She wanted to know what my diet was like, my exercise routine, stress levels, and sleeping patterns. Then, she asked to check my tongue and feel my pulse.

“During appointments, I check a patient’s pulse and tongue, which is a traditional Chinese way to exam the balance of the whole body,” Huo explains. “The speed and intensity of the pulse, as well as the color and coating of the tongue, can tell me what energetic imbalance pattern has caused something like an irregular period.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the practice and belief the human body works as an integrated system with a natural flow of energy (also called chi) that circulates through body pathways called meridians. When an imbalance or blockage of this energy occurs, pain, diseases, and inflammation appear. To help remove obstructions to these meridians and re-balance energy flow, very thin needles are inserted into energy points to strengthen the flow of chi or remove obstructions in the meridians. This technique is called acupuncture.

When an imbalance or blockage of the natural flow of energy occurs, pain, diseases, and inflammation appear.

Huo believed my irregular period was the result of family history, given my mom struggled with a similar issue, as well as a potential yang deficiency. In TCM, yang (the opposite of yin) is responsible for keeping the body warm and active. When there is a yang deficiency, cold symptoms arise, such as low energy, poor circulation, and cold limbs.

She recommended I return on a weekly basis for acupuncture treatment, and I begin taking Chinese herbs daily. Huo also advised I avoid consuming cold beverages and food (good-bye smoothies and iced coffee!) and stick to warm, cooked foods to help build up my yang energy.

My Treatment and Results

Based on our consultation, Huo chose acupuncture points on my stomach, legs, and feet that targeted the affected energy channels to promote Qi (vital energy flow) and correct my body’s imbalance. 

After Huo inserts the acupuncture needles, which feel like light taps on the skin, she places TDP lamps over my stomach and feet as a form of heat therapy to help improve blood circulation and minimize inflammations. Halfway through the session, which lasts between 45 minutes to an hour, Huo will perform another form of heat therapy called moxibustion. This entails the burning of mugwort leaves over specific acupuncture points to help increase the flow of energy throughout the body and strengthen the blood.

For the next year, I returned every Sunday for my weekly acupuncture treatment. I was consistent with the Chinese herbs Huo prescribed to me and did my best to eat warm, nourishing foods. I started tracking my progress in my iPhone’s notes app, and by the end of the first year, I was slowly getting my period back. At first, it was sporadic light spotting that, by the second year, turned into a heavier, consistent flow. 

There were times I would miss a month or two of my cycle, but I wouldn’t let myself get discouraged. I continued with my appointments and herbs, and my body would kick back into gear. Huo and I were patient with the process. I had been struggling with this issue for over a decade, so I knew it wasn’t going to be fixed overnight.

Closing Thoughts

It’s been six years since I began acupuncture, and I now get my period every month, sometimes to the day. Even after all these years, I still celebrate. I’ll call my mom, give my husband a hug, or just sit quietly in disbelief. During moments when I’m cramping or experiencing PMS, I remind myself how far I’ve come. I would never trade those fleeting moments of discomfort for the years of confusion and angst I went through to get to where I am today.

My experience with acupuncture has opened my eyes in so many ways. I have a new perspective on my health and well-being, a stronger connection to my body, as well as an appreciation and respect for a culture and ancient practice that healed me.  

At the end of the day, acupuncture didn’t just regulate my menstrual cycle. What Huo and her practice did was bring balance, stability, and a state of peace into my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

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