Easing PMS Symptoms With Functional Medicine and IV Therapy In Toronto
POSTED BY TORONTO FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CENTRE
Many would agree that PMS can impede optimal health, especially when it comes to health goals! But a functional medicine clinic can tailor modalities for this condition, which may include stress management tactics, acupuncture, herbal tinctures, nutraceutical supplements, IV therapy in Toronto, and more.
If you tend to suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), you’re not alone. According to an article from the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, “As many as 75% of women with regular menstrual cycles experience some symptoms of PMS, according to epidemiologic surveys.”
PMS is a cluster of physical and emotional symptoms that usually occur a week before a menstrual period; and there are about several different symptoms! Some of them include:
- Cramping, body aches
- Bloating
- Swollen and tender breasts
- Depression, mood swings
- Acne
- Digestive issues (i.e. constipation)
If you’re seeking PMS support, a personalized service of health care could offer beneficial effects. For this post, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC) highlights how functional medicine uses key nutrients, and lifestyle and dietary interventions to manage symptom relief.
Functional medicine therapies for PMS symptoms
A functional medicine healthcare provider considers the key components of your individuality; these include your medical history, lab test results and lifestyle and environmental factors. The point of functional medicine is to treat the root cause of your health concerns. When you tackle this source, you can address the symptoms, while promoting chronic illness prevention.
If you were to visit the TFMC for PMS health concerns, these are some things we might discuss:
- Lifestyle modifications: If depression manifests during your PMS, you should know that aerobic exercise can boost endorphins; in turn, this may help reduce PMS discomforts, including stress. A study validated that 60 minutes of aerobic workouts, done for two months and three times a week, led to physical and emotional improvements in women.
Yoga may also have positive effects for PMS symptom relief. One study revealed that 12 weeks of yoga led women to have less bloating, and cramping was eased, too, when particular poses were practiced, such as “cobra” or “cat”.
- Dietary changes: A heart-healthy diet such as the Mediterranean Diet – which emphasizes good fats, loads of antioxidants, minerals, nutraceuticals and fresh produce – can contribute to reducing PMS effects. In fact, one article from Nutrients explains that, “… the antioxidant power of various fruits may explain the protective role of fruit in PMS. Increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant capacity may occur in PMS, and …may be a cause or consequence of various stress symptoms in PMS.”
- Supplementation: The functional medicine model considers how nutrient deficiencies play a role in health issues, including PMS. Vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium have been shown to be noticeably lacking in PMS sufferers. You may be advised to take these as oral tablets/capsules if lab results show you’re deficient. (In some cases, vitamin D may be advised as booster shots.)
If you’re impacted by malabsorption, dysphagia, or a fear of pill-swallowing, IV vitamin drip therapy may be advised to help correct deficiencies. Known as IV therapy, this is a modality that can help prevent unwanted side effects that may result from consuming oral supplements (i.e. nausea). This is because the digestive tract is not required for filtration. Rather, an IV tube is connected to a vein and a compounded formula is inserted into your bloodstream for immediate use. IV vitamin infusions may be preferred by some patients because they assure a complete absorption of nutrients.
One thing to keep in mind: the recommendations above may or may not be applied as an adjunct support to your PMS issues. Functional medicine treats the human body as a distinct entity, so depending on your biology, you may be advised to use different therapies. Book your complete diagnostic session, and let see how we can help rally optimal function naturally.
Request your session at the TFMC
When your treatment plan is customized, your health care is tailored for your uniqueness. At the TFMC, this is what we do – and our goal is to help you prevent chronic disease, while addressing the core of your chief health concerns.
Integrated care is a personalized service that our private downtown clinic offers to patients. Health strategies may be tailored with various modalities, such as naturopathy, Western medicine, acupuncture, and bioidentical hormones. All TFMC therapies, including IV doses of nutrients, are in line with integrative functional medicine principles.
In our vitamin IV Lounge, intravenous therapy is available as adjunct support. Each vitamin IV session is supervised by our naturopathic doctor, medical doctor or nurse practitioner. IV therapy drips are freshly compounded daily, with these vital nutrients (and more) on the menu: vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, a combination of amino acids, glutamic acid, NAD+ drip therapies, and other essential nutrients. Vitamin D injections are also available.
If you have health concerns outside of PMS, please speak up! At the TFMC, we can adapt therapies for a variety of health conditions related to: immune function, mental clarity, nutritional deficiency, cellular damage, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic inflammation/whole-body inflammation, sports performance/muscle recovery, functioning of nerves, substance withdrawal symptoms, wound healing/healing of scars, and more.
In our blog, we also regularly post helpful topics on health and wellness. Our recent article covered a common issue experienced by menopausal women called hot flashes and how functional medicine may help manage this.
If you’re in pursuit of functional medicine or IV therapy in Toronto, our clinic is accepting new patients. Let’s introduce you to a new experience, in which YOU help customize your treatment plan! Call us today to request your initial consultation.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.
References
A DM, K S, A D, Sattar K. Epidemiology of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Study. J Clin Diagn Res. 2014 Feb;8(2):106-9. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2014/8024.4021. Epub 2014 Feb 3. Erratum in: J Clin Diagn Res. 2015 Jul;9(7):ZZ05. PMID: 24701496; PMCID: PMC3972521.
Abu Alwafa, R., Badrasawi, M. & Haj Hamad, R. Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome and its association with psychosocial and lifestyle variables: a cross-sectional study from Palestine. BMC Women’s Health 21, 233 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-021-01374-6
“Can Diet Changes and Exercise Help With PMS?” from WebMD, medically reviewed on September 13, 2021, viewed on July 5, 2023.
Gao, M., Gao, D., Sun, H., Cheng, X., An, L., & Qiao, M. (2021). Trends in Research Related to Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder From 1945 to 2018: A Bibliometric Analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 596128. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.596128
Gudipally PR, Sharma GK. Premenstrual Syndrome. [Updated 2022 Jul 18]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560698/
Saeedian Kia A, Amani R, Cheraghian B. The Association between the Risk of Premenstrual Syndrome and Vitamin D, Calcium, and Magnesium Status among University Students: A Case Control Study. Health Promot Perspect. 2015 Oct 25;5(3):225-30. doi: 10.15171/hpp.2015.027. Erratum in: Health Promot Perspect. 2016;6(1):54. PMID: 26634201; PMCID: PMC4667262.
Steiner M. Premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder: guidelines for management. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2000 Nov;25(5):459-68. PMID: 11109297; PMCID: PMC1408015.
Triebner K, Markevych I, Bertelsen RJ, Sved Skottvoll B, Hustad S, Forsberg B, Franklin KA, Holm M, Lindberg E, Heinrich J, Gómez Real F, Dadvand P. Lifelong exposure to residential greenspace and the premenstrual syndrome: A population-based study of Northern European women. Environ Int. 2022 Jan;158:106975. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106975. Epub 2021 Nov 12. PMID: 34781209.
