Acupuncture + Integrative Women's Health · San Francisco, CA
Do you live with PMDD?
There is a path through — and it starts here.
Your body knows how to find its way back.
We're here to help light the path.
If PMDD has been dimming your light in the weeks before your period, know this: the wisdom to heal already lives inside you. Daoist medicine offers a time-honored lens for understanding your cycle — one that works beautifully alongside your existing care to restore flow, ease, and wholeness.
Our philosophy
We work with you exactly where you are — welcoming an integrative approach alongside Western medicine, or treating your PMDD with 100% natural, time-tested techniques.
The goal is to return you to yourself — the version of you that exists outside of those 7–10 days of dread. In many cases, patients experience meaningful relief from mood dysregulation, pain, fatigue, and anxiety, and can reduce their reliance on medication as their bodies come back into balance.
Our approach can help with all the ways PMDD shows up in your life, including:
Severe mood swings
Irritability & rage
Anxiety & panic
Depression & despair
Feeling out of control
Brain fog & poor concentration
Insomnia & disrupted sleep
Debilitating fatigue
Food cravings & appetite changes
Bloating & fluid retention
Breast tenderness
Pelvic pain & cramping
Headaches & migraines
Sensitivity to light & sound
Social withdrawal & isolation
Natural PMDD treatment that goes deeper than symptom management
Ancient wisdom, modern application —
a lens that sees your whole self
We honor the wisdom of your cycle
In Daoist medicine, the menstrual cycle is a mirror of your overall vitality and balance. Rather than viewing the luteal phase as something to endure, we see it as a meaningful signal — one that points us toward where your qi, blood, and spirit are calling for nourishment and flow.
We work alongside your care team
East Asian medicine has been treating menstrual and hormonal disorders for thousands of years. The framework is sophisticated, specific, and elegant — and it works beautifully alongside modern integrative care. You don't have to choose between ancient wisdom and current science. Acupuncture and East Asian medicine are powerful allies to allopathic care — not alternatives to it. Whether you are working with a gynecologist, psychiatrist, or naturopath, we coordinate and collaborate to ensure your healing is supported from every angle.
We Follow the Intelligence of Nature
Daoism teaches us that nature has an innate intelligence — and that the human body is no exception. Our role as practitioners is not to override your body's wisdom, but to support its return to natural harmony. Healing, in this tradition, is not forced. It unfolds..
We restore flow where it has stagnated
At the heart of Daoist medicine is the concept of qi — the vital energy that animates all life. When qi flows freely, so does health. PMDD often reflects a stagnation of liver qi, a depletion of blood, or an imbalance of yin and yang. Acupuncture and herbs work to gently restore that natural movement.
We see the whole person, every time
Your PMDD doesn't exist in isolation. Sleep, stress, digestion, emotional history, and life season all play a role. We honor that complexity — and we meet you there. Every visit is a conversation as much as a treatment.
The commitment that changes everything
A Season of Care: Your 12-Session Treatment Plan
Healing a hormonal pattern that has built up over years doesn't happen in one visit — and it shouldn't have to. A Season of Care is our 12-session framework designed to give your body the time, consistency, and support it needs to genuinely shift. Think of it like tending a garden: you don't plant seeds and expect roses overnight. You show up. You tend. And in time, things bloom.
Most patients begin to feel meaningful improvements within the first 2–3 cycles, with sustained, lasting change emerging across the full season.
How it works
The process is clear, caring, and completely guided
Step One
Detailed Assessment & Personalized Treatment Plan
If we both feel it's a good match, your next visit is your Intake Appointment. Here, we do a thorough assessment of your cycle history, hormonal patterns, emotional landscape, constitution, and contributing factors — building a clear picture of the root cause of your PMDD. You'll then receive your first acupuncture treatment and a personalized plan that may include:
Weekly acupuncture sessions
Custom herbal medicine formulas
Dietary and lifestyle recommendations
Cycle charting and body literacy guidance
Step Two
Treatment & Symptom Resolution
You'll come in weekly so we can offer close support as your body begins establishing a new pattern. Signs we're moving in the right direction include:
Fewer days of severe mood symptoms
More emotional steadiness in the luteal phase
Improved sleep quality and energy
Reduced pain, cramping, and bloating
A sense of coming home to yourself
Step Three
Transitional Care as Improvements Hold
Once we see consistent improvements holding cycle to cycle — usually around sessions 8 to 12 — we begin spacing visits further apart. We move from weekly sessions to every two weeks, then monthly, then as-needed tune-ups. We remain a resource for you as your life, cycle, and health evolve over time.
Step Four
Ongoing Wellness & Community
Many of our patients become part of a longer wellness relationship — returning seasonally or when new health questions arise. We are honored that the majority of our new patients come through referrals from people whose lives genuinely changed through this work. It is the greatest privilege of this practice.
Common questions
Answers to what our patients ask most
Can acupuncture really help with PMDD?
Yes. Acupuncture has been shown to support hormonal regulation, nervous system balance, and emotional resilience — all of which play a central role in PMDD. Many patients experience meaningful improvements in mood, sleep, pain, and cycle regularity over the course of a 12-session Season of Care.
How many sessions does it take to treat PMDD?
We recommend a 12-session Season of Care for lasting hormonal change. Most patients begin to feel meaningful improvement within the first 2–3 menstrual cycles, with sustained results building across the full treatment season.
Can I do acupuncture alongside my current PMDD medication?
Acupuncture integrates well with most medical treatments. We welcome an integrative approach and will coordinate with your existing care. Always consult your prescribing physician before making any changes to your medications.
Ready to begin?
Your cycle can be a source of wisdom, not dread.
A Season of Care is an investment in returning to yourself — fully, gently, and for the long term. We'll meet you exactly where you are and build a path toward a cycle that feels like yours again.
* Legal Disclaimer: Individual results may vary. There is no guarantee of specific results, expressed or implied, and individual outcomes depend on many factors including the severity and duration of your condition, your overall health, and your consistency with the treatment plan. Abalone Acupuncture is a wellness clinic of Licensed Acupuncturists providing guidance and treatment within the legal scope of practice as regulated by the California Acupuncture Board. Our services are not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician. We do not diagnose medical conditions. Please consult your physician before beginning any new health program, especially if you have an existing medical condition or are currently taking prescription medications.