Stress Causes PMS – Acupressure Technique Can Lighten Both

Women’s health researchers recently established that symptoms of premenstrual syndrome are a response to stress for some women. We all get stressed.  So what is this way out?

For more than a decade, women have been using a do-it-yourself acupressure technique to gain relief from the physical and emotional symptoms associated with PMS.  This is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), which  involves fingertip tapping on select acupressure points while focussing on one symptom at a time.

Dr. Jane Ussher, Professor of Women’s Health Psychology at the University of Western Sydney, explains, ‘Women feel that they are expected to cope with the gamut of responsibilities – including their job, partner, children, extended family, housework, etc. – without complaint.

‘Premenstrually, when many women feel more vulnerable, and their repressed frustration or anger comes to the fore, their self control is ruptured, and they can lash out.’  Dr. Ussher recommends that women who suffer PMS syndrome take time away from their responsibilities with a focus on self-care.

Women don’t take time for themselves

Gary Craig, the Stanford-trained engineer who developed EFT, agrees with her assessment, but points out that women who feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities are unlikely to make an easy transition to taking time for themselves.

He says, ’Whatever the reason for the distressing emotions, EFT claims an 80% success rate in calming stress associated with PMS as well as with serious diseases and illnesses.

‘In my experience of doing EFT with thousands of women, if they are struggling to balance their many responsibilities, they may tend to feel guilty, weak, self-indulgent, or undeserving of taking time for themselves.

‘EFT helps combat these feelings of negative self-worth, enabling women to take relaxing, guilt-free breaks.’

Thousands of examples

Craig continues, ‘My EFT practitioners and I have witnessed thousands of examples where women resolve negative emotions or traumas – and find their physical symptoms of PMS have subsided or disappeared.  They are clearing stress, anger, guilt and negative self-worth at the level of their energy meridian system, which is a much more thorough clearing than any conventional relaxation method offers.

‘PMS stops being an automatic stress response once the meridian system’s clear, healthy flow is restored.’

The selp-help skill EFT can be a peacemaker…  Try it yourself.