How the Luteal Phase Affects You (And How Things Like Acupuncture Can Help)
- Telina R.Ac
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
The Luteal Phase is most likely everyone’s favourite portion of the menstrual cycle which occurs for around 12-14 days, depending on the length of your period and can come with varying degrees of symptoms.
While many experience symptoms, those who are diagnosed with PCOS and PMDD may experience symptoms which act like they are taking spicy vitamins.
Symptoms which may occur during the luteal phase include breast tenderness, feeling like you are retaining water, constipation and/or diarrhea, headaches, muscle tension, achy joints, changes in appetite, feeling overly tired, feeling depressed or irritable, having outburst over everything and anything, crying over everything and anything, and more.
With the hormonal changes and accompanying symptoms that occur during the luteal phase, it's important to know your body and have options that may help relieve mood changes, fatigue, and those pesky aches and pains.
Acupuncture. Getting an acupuncture appointment in before your symptoms begin or while they are happening can help relax the mind, improve your mood, reduce bloating and cramping and ease aches and pains.
Exercise. Doing 30 minutes of whatever type of activity you can manage can help your brain with feel good hormones and make you feel a little less fatigued.
Get more sleep. Easier said than done, but improving your sleep hygiene can help you feel more focused and less fatigued during the day, while also helping with mood changes. Sleep also helps our bodies in recovering from aches and pains
Reduce Stress. Obviously there is no way to stop things that stress you out from happening, but you can help your brain out a little bit by practicing breathing exercises, doing some meditation or journaling, and having some me time.
Eating more food. While your appetite may be a bit off during this phase of the menstrual cycle, your body needs to be eating properly to maintain physical and mental well-being. Having regular snacks that are spaced throughout the day instead of larger meals that make you feel bloated can help your blood sugars stay consistent and potentially help with fatigue, brain vogue and mood swings.
Limiting caffeine and alcohol. I know, I know. The last thing we want to get rid of when we’re feeling tired is caffeine, but if you’re experiencing sleep issues and mood changes, excess consumption of caffeine and alcohol can make this all worse. Have you ever had coffee when you’re already anxious? Now you get to be anxious at twice the speed!
Communicating with people close to you. Things one can be hard if there’s not a safe space to share this information, but sometimes we just need to be honest that things may take a little bit longer to get done and we might not have the energy we usually do. Not everyone is 100% everyday, so sometimes it’s okay to admit to our safe people that we need a little help.
If you need a little bit of extra help with symptom management during your luteal phase, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you might have.
If you’re ready to get started, you can book an appointment here!
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