By: Nina Roux

I started researching acupuncture when I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS.) The short explanation of PCOS is my ovaries aren’t releasing eggs; they are instead remaining on my ovaries and turning into cysts. I had been told acupuncture was good for fertility, and I put it on my “to do list.” In the meantime, my doctor put me on metformin (it’s a generic version of glucophage.) Apparently, for some women, when they are treated for insulin resistance with metformin, their hormone levels become more balanced (in my case, I was over producing testosterone, and under-producing estrogen). Once you’re all balanced, your ovaries start releasing your eggs, and you’re ovulating and having regular periods.
Metformin was working! But I am a horrible pill taker, and to remember to take something three times a day, month after month for the foreseeable future created feelings of dread and defeat.
I finally followed up on finding an acupuncturist, and the short of it is that it has changed my life. I am of pretty hard-core German and English pioneer stock, so it doesn’t freak me out to have needles sticking out of my eyelids, the top of my head, or anywhere else –especially when the pay-off is so great.
First I noticed I became more regular. My digestion and elimination quickly became something of which Dr. Oz would be proud. Next I noticed that I was falling asleep easier, had more restful sleep, and woke up feeling more rested.
On a deeper level, I am gaining a profound understanding of my history with food and eating issues, and how those emotions and that emotional history is tied to my metabolism and to my hormonal imbalance – yes indeed, everything is connected.
But the most important result: ovulation! This last cycle was the first normal one in my history without the aid of drugs. And as I come to understand my body better, and it seems to work better, I feel my confidence growing, and I know I’m a little closer to achieving my goals in the most natural and organic way possible.