If you’ve been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), there are several options available to help you get relief.
Diet, exercise, conventional medicine, natural medicine, acupuncture, massage, reflexology, and others have all been shown to have some kind of positive effect on relieving the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome.
1-Conventional PCOS Treatment – Is it Good for You?
Conventional medical treatment for PCOS is generally aimed at addressing the symptoms that contribute to increased risks of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.
Sometimes surgery is recommended.
Oral contraceptives and progesterone are often prescribed to regulate your menstrual cycle.
Medications such as the drug spironolactone are sometimes recommended to block excessive androgen.
Drugs like Metformin (glucophage) are given to treat insulin resistance and if you’re trying to get pregnant, fertility drugs that trigger ovulation such as Clomid are sometimes prescribed.
I’m sure these are all well and good, but the truth is that they are indeed man-made chemicals, in other words “not natural” to your system.
Your body is designed to repair itself and can usually do that if it is given the right combination of natural nutrition and exercise.
2-What Do We Mean by Natural?
Anything that is natural means that it is found in or produced by nature.
It has not been adulterated by artificial or man-made ingredients or processes.
Let me clarify a bit.
Foods that are packaged are processed in some form or fashion.
It can still be considered natural if the process does not introduce anything into the food that is not already found in or produced by nature.
3-PCOS Treatment – A Better Way…Naturally
1-Vitamins and Supplements
There are several recommended vitamins and supplements that help with polycystic ovarian syndrome treatment.
For more information on vitamins and supplements you can click on this article PCOS Supplements.
2-Herbs
Root of the Nettles plant contains compounds that increase sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in humans. SHBG works to ‘disarm’ strong testosterone.
Flax seeds contain compounds similar to those in the nettles root that will increase SHBG and thus lower blood testosterone levels.
Green Tea has been shown to support and enhance the immune system. Studies also show it has a reliable anti-tumor effect.
Relatively low in caffeine, green tea has other properties that increase thermogenesis, the biologic processes that help you burn fat as fuel for your muscles.
Spearmint Tea, just 2 cups daily, has a positive effect on the hormones involved in PCOS.
A study by the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Eastbourne District General Hospital, U.K. suggested drinking spearmint tea reduced excess hair growth in women with PCOS.[1]
Saw palmetto has been extensively studied and is seen to lessen hair loss and improve hair density in women with hair loss related to testosterone levels.
Saw palmetto can be helpful for women with PCOS especially if they have elevated DHT.
Vitex agnus castus helps maintain healthy prolactin, required for optimal hormonal balance during the monthly menstrual cycle.
Vitex also helps support a normal healthy attitude and mood during the menstrual cycle while helping maintain normal ovarian function.
A word of caution when using herbal treatment for PCOS or for any other malady.
Herbs affect the way your body functions.
They need balance just as any form of nutrition or conventional medication does.
You need to use due diligence when using herbs and it is always best to consult your doctor or Naturopath before starting any herbal treatments.
3-Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been demonstrated to improve menstrual frequency and to decrease circulating testosterone when used as a treatment for PCOS.
In a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted between June 2009 and September 2010, thirty-two women with PCOS were selected to receive either acupuncture with manual and low-frequency electrical stimulation or meet with a physical therapist twice a week for ten to thirteen weeks.[2]
At the end of the trial it was concluded that repeated acupuncture treatments resulted in higher ovulation frequency in both lean and overweight women with PCOS and acupuncture was indeed more effective than just meeting with the physical therapist.
In a literature review paper published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, it was concluded when seeking treatment for PCOS that:
“Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment to PCOS as the adverse effects of pharmacological interventions are not expected by women with PCOS. Acupuncture therapy may have a role in PCOS by: increasing of blood flow to the ovaries, reducing of ovarian volume and the number of ovarian cysts, controlling hyperglycemia through increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing blood glucose and insulin levels, reducing cortisol levels and assisting in weight loss and anorexia.”[3]
Reflexology and Massage
Reflexology is the use of gentle pressure applied to specific areas of your hands, feet, and body that correspond to a particular condition either physical or psychological.
In controlled studies it has been shown to have statistically significant, clinically worthwhile, effects on quality of life.
Research using reflexology as a treatment for PCOS is limited.
Although research may not appear to support the effectiveness of its use for relieving the symptoms of PCOS, the therapy may be more effective when used with other treatments.
In a 2000 report published in Nursing Standard, a study found that cancer patients who received reflexology treatments reported more benefit than those who received a placebo.
Given that massage, reflexology and other therapeutic touch techniques can improve mood, it makes sense that this can facilitate healing.[4]
4-PCOS Diet and Exercise
I know some of us avoid as much of it as possible, but exercise is one of the keys to overall health and well-being.
When we take a look at an overall approach to natural PCOS treatment, no matter how we try to get around it, you absolutely have to include exercise.
This is not to say you have to go to a gym any certain number of times per week or that you have to go out and buy any kind of equipment.
Start slow.
Go for a morning or evening walk a few times per week.
Go to the mall and make a few laps while you’re window shopping or find something fun like Zumba.
The idea is to just be active.
If you can find something you really enjoy doing, you’ll more than likely meet other women out there who are experiencing the same issues and dealing with the same type problems.
We all know it’s easier to make changes when we have a friend going down the same road we are, encouraging us along.
Now for the other side of the coin.
For exercise to really work and have a lasting effect, we have to talk about the d-word. Diet.
Yes, there’s a reason most people see it as a four letter word. But, it doesn’t have to be seen that way.
Try not to think of diet as just a temporary change in eating habits.
That hardly ever works for us who live in the real world.
Let’s define what diet really is.
It’s whatever nutrients we consume, either good or bad, on a regular basis.
When you look at it like that, the reality is that everyone is “on a diet.”
The “diet” that will get you back to where you want to be and feeling better is really just a simple, specifically designed diet plan for women with PCOS.
5-Natural Treatment for PCOS – The Bottom Line
The best overall natural treatment for PCOS is a multi-step approach.
Whether it’s through diet, exercise, acupuncture, reflexology, natural medicine, or massage, the idea is to start.
You don’t have to make huge changes all at once.
Start small with just one or two simple steps.
You can do it! If you’re looking for an easy place to start, one of the most effective first steps is to make small changes in what you eat.
A word of encouragement.
The key to feeling good again is to take action.
Take that first step. Do it for yourself. You’ll be glad you did!
