The Hormone & Mental Health Connection

By: Dr. Keara Taylor, ND When it comes to addressing and optimizing mental health, it is vitally important to take a holistic approach, which may include looking at and addressing your hormonal health since hormones and mental health are intrinsically linked. As we know, PMS or premenstrual syndrome, is composed of both physical and psychological symptoms, which include low mood, anxiety, mood swings, social withdrawal etc. that occur in the two week period prior to menstrual bleeding and affect daily functioning. PMDD or premenstrual dysmorphic disorder is defined in the DSM-5 and includes severe mood and physical symptoms (1). We see an increase in low mood and anxiety in peri- and post-menopausal women (2). All of this shows us that mood changes can be linked to shifts in hormones, such as a decline in estrogen, and sometimes a rise in progesterone or progestogens, which can then affect neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine(3). A good way to determine whether hormones are affecting your mood symptoms is to track your symptoms along with your cycle. There are many free apps out there that make this very easy. If you are undergoing a hormonal transition, for example, pregnancy, post -partum, or perimenopause, then it may be worthwhile to work with a health care practitioner who can help you determine whether your hormones are having an effect on your mental health. The importance of a proper diagnosis cannot be stressed enough to ensure that you get the proper care and treatment that you need (4). […]

By |2023-04-28T10:08:52-04:00January 28th, 2020|Hormone Health, Mental Clarity, Mind Body Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, ND Editorial, Nutrition, Post Natal Care, Self Care, Sexual Health, Women's Wellness|Comments Off on The Hormone & Mental Health Connection

PMS Success with Acupuncture

By Evelyn Cho, Registered Massage Therapist & Registered Acupuncturist Mood swings. Headache. Tender breasts. Acne. Cramps. Back pain… Most women will experience various degrees of these common PMS symptoms at some point.  Many thinking that’s just the way it is, reach for the pain medications or chocolate and soldier on. But it certainly doesn’t have to be so unpleasant!  Acupuncture plus a few lifestyle tweaks can go a long way to keep you comfortable when it’s that time of the month.  […]

By |2018-03-06T15:38:56-05:00March 6th, 2018|Acupuncture, Women's Wellness|Comments Off on PMS Success with Acupuncture

Massage Therapy & Women’s Health

Interview with Leigh-Anne Best, Registered Massage Therapist Leigh-Anne is one of the talented team of RMTs at Innate Wellness. Both as an RMT and as a mother, she has tackled many women’s health issues including pelvic floor health, pregnancy, labour and postpartum health. She is a wealth of information on how massage can be used for women specific concerns. We asked her to help us understand a little more about how this wonderful modality can be used for health & healing in women. Q1: How can massage therapy help to address women’s health? Massage Therapy is well known for its ability to promote relaxation, reduce stress and muscle tension, as well as for its role in rehabilitation and injury prevention. However, there is less of an understanding of the benefits of massage as a holistic approach to women’s health issues. What most people don’t know is that Massage Therapy is an effective modality for treating women’s health issues, including irregular menstrual cycles, menstrual disorders like PMS and PMDD, but also for aiding with fertility issues. Additionally, massage is an excellent means in which to support the ever-changing needs in women’s bodies during pregnancy, in preparation for birth and during labour, and, most importantly, as part of the postpartum picture for healing. […]

By |2021-06-01T01:02:03-04:00March 6th, 2018|Fertility, Innate Wisdom Practitioner Q&A, Massage Therapy, Post Natal Care, Women's Wellness|Comments Off on Massage Therapy & Women’s Health
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