hormonal health

A lack of energy, low libido, sugar cravings, and irregular menstrual cycles are just some of the symptoms that you may have experienced if you are struggling with a hormonal imbalance. Different types of hormonal imbalances will present with different symptoms. At Gotham Holistic Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine we provide customized acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy treatments in NYC to help balance your hormones and improve your health and vitality.

What Are Hormones?

Hormones are substances that act as your body’s chemical messengers. The endocrine system is made up of a number of glands throughout the body that produce and release hormones, including the thyroid, adrenal glands, pituitary, ovaries, and testes to name a few. This system of hormones is highly interrelated. If one endocrine gland becomes dysfunctional and produces too much or too little of a specific hormone, that will in turn cause other hormones to become imbalanced, and can lead to a range of symptoms. 

Sex hormones (like estrogen and progesterone) are those produced in the ovaries and testes and are perhaps the most commonly known. Imbalances in sex hormones contribute to symptoms like lower sex drive, and unwanted period-related complaints, as well as PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome). However, hormonal balance goes beyond sex hormones. For example: cortisol, produced in the adrenal glands, is our main stress hormone. Insulin controls the amount of glucose in our blood and regulates the absorption, storage, and conversion of glucose into fat. Melatonin is released in a rhythmic cycle and helps to regulate sleep. Balanced hormones are essential for maintaining health.

Some of the disorders that result from hormone imbalance include:

Balance Your Hormones With Chinese Medicine

While some hormonal conditions may require an integrative approach that combines Eastern and Western medicine, many involve subtle imbalances that can be improved by acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. A number of studies (listed below) have shown acupuncture to be helpful in the treatment of endocrine diseases.

Common Complaints We Treat Related to Hormone Imbalance

Balance Your Hormones at Gotham Holistic

At Gotham Holistic Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine, we have had the pleasure of helping many of our patients to improve hormonal balance and feel more like themselves. Experience the life-changing benefits of acupuncture for yourself. To get started, schedule your appointment online to meet with our skilled and experienced licensed acupuncturist and find out how we can help you.

Studies on Acupuncture for Endocrine Conditions:

1. Wang SJ, Zhang JJ, Qie LL. Acupuncture Relieves the Excessive Excitation of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Cortex Axis Function and Correlates with the Regulatory Mechanism of GR, CRH, and ACTHR. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:495379. doi: 10.1155/2014/495379. Epub 2014 Mar 11. PMID: 24761151; PMCID: PMC3972872.
2. Azizi H, Feng Liu Y, Du L, Hua Wang C, Bahrami-Taghanaki H, Ollah Esmaily H, Azizi H, Ou Xue X. Menopause-related symptoms: traditional Chinese medicine vs hormone therapy. Altern Ther Health Med. 2011 Jul-Aug;17(4):48-53. PMID: 22314633.
3. Zhu J, Arsovska B, Kozovska K. Acupuncture Treatment for Fertility. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2018 Sep 19;6(9):1685-1687. doi: 10.3889/oamjms.2018.379. PMID: 30337989; PMCID: PMC6182526.
4. Shen LY, Liang CM, Yang WJ, Pan L, Li H, Hu H. [Acupuncture Treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Patients with Abdominal Obesity by Regulating Dai Meridian: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2018 Apr 25;43(4):255-9. Chinese. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.170687. PMID: 29888581.
5. Cheng FK. An overview of the contribution of acupuncture to thyroid disorders. J Integr Med. 2018 Nov;16(6):375-383. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2018.09.002. Epub 2018 Oct 6. PMID: 30341025.
6. Avis NE, Coeytaux RR, Isom S, Prevette K, Morgan T. Acupuncture in Menopause (AIM) study: a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2016 Jun;23(6):626-37. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000597. PMID: 27023860; PMCID: PMC4874921.