Women's Health | NY Chi Acupuncture

What Is Considered A Heavy Period?

July 16, 2025

In the new patient intake form that my patients complete, there are a lot of questions regarding menstrual period details. How often does it come? Are there clots? Is it painful? And importantly- how heavy is it? You might have wondered what is considered a heavy period, after all, you only have yourself to compare with. In this article, I will give you some specifics to answer that question as well as information about what it could mean. Keep reading for more details. Read more

“I Wish My Period Would Start”- PMS, PMDD and Liver Qi Stagnation

July 10, 2025

So often, I hear from patients that they can’t wait for their period to start. If PMS or PMDD is a part of your experience, the immediate and very noticeable reduction in emotional and physical symptoms after your period arrives can bring a dramatic sense of relief. If this sounds familiar to you, read on to learn more about PMS and its much more intense cousin PMDD, and what your treatment options might be. Read more

Infertility: The Power of Ritual and Intentional Distancing for Mental Health

April 09, 2025

Struggling to build a family can be one of the most stressful life experiences that a person encounters. One historic study found that the mental health burden of women experiencing infertility was on par with that of cancer or HIV. Research has also shown that stress associated with infertility is one of the main reasons that people drop out of fertility treatments- one study found that stress was the primary reason why insured women ended treatment. While both of these studies were conducted only on women, it’s important to recognize that infertility is stressful for all people.

For this article, I interviewed Dr. Shara Brofman, a licensed clinical psychologist in Westchester County, New York, with extensive training and expertise in reproductive mental health. She was kind enough to share some words of wisdom, which I have paraphrased below. I love Dr. Brofman’s advice- it’s different from what you typically hear. It’s real, compassionate, and eye opening. Read more

Heat Therapy In Chinese Medicine

December 17, 2021

Heat is an essential component of the therapeutic recommendations of Chinese Medicine. In order for our bodies to function optimally, we need warmth and proper circulation. Without it, cold sets in and circulation becomes sluggish. Whenever I meet a patient with signs of internal cold, I recommend a variety of ways they can build heat (also called yang energy) to feel better. Read more

Eating Seeds? Yes! Seed Cycling? Not so much.

July 06, 2021

What is Seed Cycling?

I remember first hearing about seed cycling over 10 years ago as a new acupuncturist. The idea of seed cycling is that you can eat different seeds at different parts of your cycle to optimize your hormone balance. Which seed depends on the unique micronutrients in each one, with certain seeds thought to balance estrogen in the follicular phase (before ovulation) and balance progesterone levels in the luteal phase (after ovulation). The concept of being able to truly use your food as medicine and take control of your own health is really appealing of course! Who wouldn’t want a DIY answer to things like irregular cycles, painful periods, or other hormonal symptoms like premenstrual bloating and acne? Not to mention a little help with fertility?

Seed cycling seems to have surged in popularity on social media, so I wanted to take some time to really dig into the research to see if this is worth doing. Also, as a practitioner of East Asian Medicine (TCM), I am excited to discuss our medicine’s view of seeds and how they’re used, as well as some information on how our medicine would approach hormonal health at different phases of the cycle. Read more

Posts Tagged: Women’s Health