Acupuncture for Hormone Imbalances in San Diego

Classical Chinese Medicine for Women's & Men's Hormonal Health

Your hormones affect everything. Sleep, energy, mood, weight, skin, hair, libido, digestion, mental clarity. When they're balanced, you feel like yourself. When they're not, everything feels off.

Conventional medicine offers limited options: birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, testosterone injections. These can provide temporary relief, but they don't address why your hormones are imbalanced in the first place. And they come with consequences, some of which you won't see for years.

Gateway Acupuncture & Wellness treats hormone imbalances by restoring your body's natural ability to produce and regulate hormones. Whether you're a woman navigating perimenopause or a man considering testosterone replacement, Classical Chinese Medicine offers a path to hormonal health that doesn't require lifelong dependence on external hormones.

How Hormones Actually Work in Your Body

In Classical Chinese Medicine, hormones aren't isolated chemicals floating around independently. They're what we call "endocrine fluids," thick fluids that carry messages throughout your body, telling organs and tissues what to do.

These fluids are produced and regulated by a system Chinese medicine identified thousands of years before modern endocrinology. The channel called Chong Mai, known as the "Sea of Blood," is the foundation of all your hormonal function. It's the link between your deepest constitutional reserves (Jing, or Essence) and all the fluids in your body, including hormones.

When Chong Mai is functioning well, your body produces the right hormones at the right times in the right amounts. Menstrual cycles are regular. Energy is stable. Libido is present. Mood is balanced. Sleep is restorative. Skin, hair, and nails are healthy.

When Chong Mai function is compromised (from stress, depletion, aging, or accumulated pathology), hormonal production becomes erratic. Cycles become irregular. Energy crashes. Libido disappears. Mood swings appear. Sleep deteriorates. Physical aging accelerates.

This is true for both women and men. The manifestations differ, but the underlying mechanism is the same.

For Women: Beyond Birth Control and HRT

If you're a woman dealing with hormonal issues, you've probably been offered one of two solutions: birth control pills (to regulate cycles or manage PCOS) or hormone replacement therapy (for perimenopause and menopause).

Both suppress your body's natural hormone production and replace it with synthetic or bioidentical hormones from outside. This can reduce symptoms in the short term, but it doesn't restore function. Your body stops trying to produce its own hormones because external hormones are doing the job.

Common women's hormone issues we treat:

Irregular Menstrual Cycles - Cycles that are too long, too short, absent, or unpredictable. This signals that your body isn't generating the hormonal rhythm needed for ovulation and menstruation.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) - Irregular cycles, excess androgens, insulin resistance, difficulty losing weight, acne, unwanted hair growth. PCOS isn't just about the ovaries. It's a systemic hormonal imbalance affecting insulin, androgens, and the entire endocrine system.

Perimenopause - The years before menopause when hormones start to fluctuate wildly. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, weight gain, brain fog, irregular bleeding. This is your body transitioning from reproductive years to post-reproductive life, and it doesn't have to be miserable.

Menopause - When menstruation stops completely. Continued hot flashes, vaginal dryness, bone density concerns, cardiovascular changes. Conventional medicine often frames this as estrogen deficiency requiring replacement, but Chinese medicine sees it as a natural transition that can be smooth when your constitutional reserves are strong.

PMS and Painful Periods - Severe cramping, heavy bleeding, mood changes, breast tenderness, bloating. These aren't normal parts of having a cycle. They're signs of underlying imbalance, often Blood stagnation combined with hormonal dysregulation.

Postpartum Hormonal Issues - After giving birth, your body needs to rebuild Blood and fluids while also producing hormones for recovery and lactation. When this process is compromised, you get postpartum mood disorders, severe fatigue, hair loss, inability to lose weight, and difficulty bonding with the baby.

For Men: The Truth About Testosterone Replacement

I'm going to be direct here because I've lived this personally. I went on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in my late 20s and stayed on it for 10 years. The societal pressure, particularly in gay male culture, to maintain a certain physique and to compete for attention in a image-obsessed community is real. To my naïve mind, TRT seemed like the answer at the time.

And in some ways, it worked. More muscle, less body fat, higher libido, better gym performance. But over time, I started noticing what conventional medicine doesn't talk about enough:

TRT ages you. Testosterone acts similar to what Chinese medicine calls Kidney Yang, the fire that drives metabolic processes. When you take external testosterone, you're forcing your body to burn hotter and faster than it naturally would. As a result your skin thins, dries out, ages faster. Hair thins and falls earlier. The youthful vitality you were trying to preserve gets consumed by the very hormone you thought would maintain it.

TRT shrinks your testicles. This isn't cosmetic. In Chinese medicine, the testicles are referred to as the “external Kidneys” and they assist in producing and storing Jing, your Essence, your deepest constitutional reserves, your virility and youthfulness. When external testosterone signals your body to stop producing its own, testicular function atrophies. You're trading a wide natural production of vital substances for dependence on injections of one specific substance. As a foreign body, all injections propose some level of toxic load to the body that must be dealt with in some way in the future.

TRT dries your body out. That excessive Yang (fire) consumes Yin (fluids). You become depleted at a fundamental level. Sleep quality decreases. Sleep apnea risk greatly increases. The edge you had when there was enough Yin to fuel the fire diminishes, and ironically recovery begins to takes longer. As connective tissue dries out, injuries happen more easily. You feel older than you are because you've been burning through your reserves faster than your body can replenish them. Testosterone should have natural pulse-like quality, which fluctuates based on your body’s needs, but with TRT the throttle can be on “full blast” all the time.

Now in my late 30s, I'm off TRT. Thankfully I was able to see these signs relatively early on, lower my dose, and start to rebuild my resources. Looking back there’s nothing I achieved on TRT that I couldn’t have achieved without it. Currently, I'm focused on building health, not borrowing it from my future self.

Men's hormone issues we treat:

Low Testosterone - Fatigue, low libido, difficulty building muscle, mood changes, erectile dysfunction. Before jumping on TRT, it's worth understanding why your testosterone is low and whether your body can be supported to produce it naturally.

Considering TRT - If you're thinking about starting testosterone replacement, let's have a conversation about what it actually does long-term and whether there are alternatives that don't compromise your future hormonal health.

Coming Off TRT - If you're on TRT and want to restore natural production, Classical acupuncture can support that transition by rebuilding the endocrine system's ability to function independently.

Erectile Dysfunction - Often related to Blood circulation, nervous system dysregulation, or depletion of Kidney Yang/Jing. Many men are offered Viagra or Cialis without addressing why blood flow and arousal are compromised.

Premature Aging - Thinning hair, dry skin, decreased vitality, looking older than your years. This signals Jing depletion and can often be slowed or partially reversed by restoring constitutional reserves.

Prostate Issues - Enlargement, urinary symptoms, inflammation. These often develop as men age and hormones shift, but they're not inevitable.

How Classical Acupuncture Restores Hormonal Balance

Unlike hormone replacement (which gives your body hormones from outside), Classical acupuncture restores your body's ability to produce and regulate its own hormones.

We treat the endocrine system directly. Using specific Divergent Channel protocols, particularly Small Intestine and Heart Divergent Channels, we regulate what Chinese medicine calls "thick fluids" - the endocrine secretions that include all your hormones. These channels communicate directly with your glands: thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, testes, pituitary.

We rebuild constitutional reserves. Hormonal health requires adequate Jing (Essence) and Blood. If you're depleted from stress, aging, poor sleep, or years of forcing your body to function on empty, we restore these foundational resources first. You can't produce hormones when you have nothing left to make them from.

We address Chong Mai. The Sea of Blood, the channel that governs all hormonal rhythms. For women, this means restoring natural menstrual cycles. For men, this means rebuilding the system's ability to produce testosterone, growth hormone, and other androgens naturally.

We clear accumulated pathology. Sometimes hormonal dysfunction stems from latent pathogens or Heat trapped in the endocrine glands (thyroiditis, PCOS inflammation, prostate Heat). We release these accumulations so the glands can function normally again.

We don't replace, we restore. The goal isn't just to give your body the hormones it chose to stop producing. It's to help your body remember how to make its own and address the root cause of why it stopped.

What Changes Look Like

Hormonal restoration takes time because you're rebuilding function, not just suppressing symptoms. But the changes are lasting:

For women:

Energy stabilizes throughout the month instead of crashing at specific cycle points. Cycles become predictable again. PMS symptoms decrease or disappear. Hot flashes reduce in frequency and intensity. Sleep improves. Mood stabilizes. Weight that wouldn't budge starts to shift. Skin improves. Hair stops thinning.

For men:

Natural energy returns without needing stimulants. Morning erections come back (a sign of healthy testosterone production overnight). Libido returns but feels sustainable, not forced. Muscle tone improves with normal exercise. Recovery from workouts gets easier. Sleep deepens. Skin rehydrates. Mental clarity sharpens.

For both:

You feel like yourself again. Not the artificially enhanced version, not the depleted struggling version, but the natural healthy version of yourself that your body is actually capable of sustaining.

Most patients notice initial improvements within 4-5 weeks of weekly treatment. Full hormonal rebalancing typically takes 3-6 months, sometimes longer for severe depletion or long-term imbalances.

What Patients Are Saying

"I was on birth control for 15 years to manage PCOS. My cycles never regulated on their own. After three months of treatment with Diego, I had my first natural period in over a decade. My skin cleared up and I lost weight I'd been carrying for years."
— Amanda R., Mission Hills

"I came to Diego with hot flashes that occurred whenever I would get worked up in the day time, and lots of heat at night. I couldn't sleep and generally felt very irritable. My doctor wanted to put me on HRT but I wanted to try a natural approach first. Diego's treatments worked! I'm sleeping again and the hot flashes are minimal."
— Catherine L., La Jolla

"I'd been on TRT for eight years and wanted off. Diego shared his own experience coming off testosterone and understood what I was going through. He supported me through the transition and my natural levels came back. I feel better now than I did on the injections."
— Jason M., Hillcrest

"Erectile dysfunction in my early 40s was devastating. My urologist just handed me Viagra. Diego actually figured out what was causing it and treated that. Function came back naturally within a couple months."
— Robert K., Bankers Hill

Who This Approach Serves

Classical acupuncture for hormone imbalances is particularly effective for people who:

Women:

• Experience irregular cycles, PCOS, severe PMS, or painful periods

• Are navigating perimenopause or menopause and want alternatives to HRT

• Have been on birth control long-term and want to restore natural cycles

• Struggle with fertility issues related to hormonal imbalance

• Experience hormonal mood swings, anxiety, or depression

• Want to address root causes rather than suppress symptoms indefinitely

Men:

• Have low testosterone and want to explore natural restoration before starting TRT

• Are currently on TRT and want to transition off or reduce dependence

• Experience erectile dysfunction, low libido, or premature aging

• Want to improve hormonal health and sexual function as they age

• Are concerned about the long-term effects of testosterone replacement

• Value long-term, sustainable health over short-term performance enhancement

Your First Visit: What to Expect

Initial Patient Intake & Treatment (80 minutes | $225)

Your first session includes:

• Comprehensive hormonal health history including your story, cycles, symptoms, medications, supplements, previous hormone testing, and what you've tried before

• Classical diagnostic assessment using pulse reading to evaluate endocrine function, Blood quality, and constitutional reserves

• Discussion of your symptoms, patterns, goals, and whether you're currently on hormone replacement or considering it

• Evaluation of bloodwork if available

• Personalized treatment plan addressing your unique hormonal pattern (not a generic protocol, but treatment specific to your endocrine system's needs)

• First acupuncture treatment

Follow-Up Treatments (55 minutes | $180)

Most patients begin with weekly sessions. The first phase focuses on rebuilding constitutional reserves (Jing, Blood, fluids). The second phase addresses endocrine gland function directly. The third phase fine-tunes natural hormonal rhythms. As your system stabilizes, we space sessions out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can acupuncture replace my hormone replacement therapy?

For some people, yes. For others, acupuncture works alongside HRT or TRT initially, and then dosages can be reduced as natural production increases. This should always be done with your prescribing physician's supervision. Never stop hormone medications abruptly without medical oversight.

How long does it take to restore natural hormone production?

Recent hormonal imbalances (within 1-2 years) often respond within 2-3 months. Long-term imbalances (5+ years on birth control or TRT) typically require 4-6 months or longer because the endocrine system has been suppressed for years and needs time to reactivate.

Will my cycles become regular again?

For most women with irregular cycles or PCOS, the outlook is positive. Classical acupuncture excels at restoring natural menstrual rhythm because we're treating the channels that govern hormonal cycles directly. This takes time, but cycles typically regulate within 3-4 months of consistent treatment.

Can you help me transition off TRT safely?

Yes. This is work I've done personally and with many patients. We rebuild your body's natural testosterone production gradually while coordinating with your prescribing physician to taper external testosterone. The transition takes several months but restores sustainable hormonal function.

What about thyroid and other hormonal issues?

Thyroid conditions (Hashimoto's, Graves', hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism) respond well to Classical acupuncture because the Small Intestine/Heart Divergent Channels regulate thyroid function directly. We often see thyroid antibodies decrease and hormone levels stabilize, sometimes allowing medication reduction under medical supervision. Classical Acupuncture can address all kinds of hormonal issues including pancreatic issues and people dealing with diabetes.

Do you take insurance?

We operate as a cash-pay practice but provide detailed superbills that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Some insurance plans cover acupuncture for hormonal conditions.

Ready to Begin?

Schedule your initial consultation to explore how Classical Acupuncture can restore your natural hormonal balance.

Complimentary Consultation: 15 minutes
Initial Intake & Treatment: 80 minutes | $225
Follow-Up Treatments: 55 minutes | $180