Acupuncture for Period Pain & Endometriosis in Middlesbrough | Deanna Thomas
Deanna Thomas – Acupuncture & Wellbeing
"Wellness grows where energy flows."
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Deanna Thomas acupuncture clinic treatment room, Middlesbrough Teesside
Women's Health Acupuncture  ·  Middlesbrough  ·  Teesside

You Deserve More Than Just
“Push Through the Pain”

Specialist acupuncture for period pain, PMS, heavy bleeding, endometriosis and PCOS — a thorough, evidence-informed approach to menstrual health. No scripts. No rushing. Just proper time to understand what your body is telling you.

⭐ 800+ Five-Star Reviews 🏅 Three Best Rated Middlesbrough 2026 🎓 DipObsGyn · MBAcC Registered 📍 Middlesbrough, Serving Teesside
Book Your Initial Consultation — £90 No obligation. At your pace. Appointments usually within 1–2 weeks.
How it works →
Three Best Rated Acupuncture Middlesbrough 2026 Fresha Highly Recommended Badge British Acupuncture Council Member BAcC CNHC Quality Mark Registered Fertility Support Trained Acupuncturist

📍 Serving women across Teesside: Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Thornaby, Yarm, Ingleby Barwick, Marton, Nunthorpe, Redcar, Hartlepool, Darlington & beyond. Free parking available.

Quick Answer — for anyone searching right now

Does acupuncture help period pain?

Yes — and the evidence is substantial. A 2018 meta-analysis of 60 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 3,200 women found acupuncture significantly more effective at reducing menstrual pain than no treatment or NSAIDs, with fewer side effects. A further clinical study found benefits lasting up to 12 months after treatment.

Acupuncture works on multiple levels: reducing the prostaglandins that drive cramping, calming the nervous system, improving pelvic circulation, and regulating the hormonal signals underlying painful, heavy, or irregular periods. Treatment is always tailored to the individual — because no two cycles are the same.

Sound Familiar?

Here is what women often tell Deanna before their first session — and what they describe after a course of treatment.

Before
😣 Dreading your period every single month
💊 Relying on painkillers that barely touch it
😔 Mood crashes and tearfulness before your period
🌊 Heavy flooding, clots, and anxiety about leaving home
😴 Exhaustion that wipes out days at a time
🤷 Being told: "It's just how it is. It's normal."
After Acupuncture Support
🌸 Periods that feel manageable again
✨ Less reliance on pain relief — or none at all
😊 Steadier mood and energy in the lead-up
💧 Lighter, calmer, more predictable flow
⚡ Better energy throughout the whole cycle
💜 Finally feeling heard — and understood

You Are Not Alone — Not by a Long Way

Painful periods, PMS, and endometriosis are among the most common health concerns affecting women — and among the most dismissed. If you've spent years being told to simply get on with it, your experience is far from unusual.

90%
of young women experience period pain at some point
1 in 4
women find NSAIDs alone don't give adequate relief
1.5M
women in the UK are estimated to have endometriosis
1 in 10
women have PCOS, a leading driver of painful & irregular periods

Your pain is real. Your quality of life matters. And there may be more support available than you've been told.

When the Usual Options Haven't Been Enough

Ibuprofen and the contraceptive pill are the two most commonly prescribed responses to period pain — and for many women, they help. For many others, they don't. Around one in four women find NSAIDs alone don't give adequate relief. Side effects like nausea, headaches, and digestive discomfort make regular use difficult. And not everyone can, or wants to, take hormonal contraception.

The pill works by suppressing your cycle: it switches off ovulation and reduces the hormonal activity that drives pain. For women trying to conceive, or who prefer a non-hormonal approach, that isn't an option. For women with endometriosis, even hormonal management often doesn't address all the pain.

Acupuncture takes a different route. Rather than suppressing or masking, it works with your body's own physiology to address the underlying patterns driving your symptoms. It is not a quick fix — but it is a well-evidenced, drug-free path that many women find changes things in ways medication alone did not.

Already taking medication or receiving medical treatment? Acupuncture works safely alongside NSAIDs, hormonal contraception, and other standard care. Deanna always works in a way that complements, never conflicts with, your existing treatment.

Your Period Is Telling You Something — and in Chinese Medicine, We Know How to Listen

One of the most powerful things Traditional Chinese Medicine offers women is this: your menstrual cycle is a monthly diagnostic. The colour, consistency, timing, and pattern of your period — along with where you feel pain, what makes it better or worse, and how you feel emotionally in the days around it — all tell a trained acupuncturist exactly what is happening in your system.

This is why acupuncture treatment is never one-size-fits-all. Two women with "period pain" may have completely different patterns driving that pain — and their treatment will reflect that.

The four patterns Deanna most commonly sees in clinic are below. You may recognise yourself in one, or in a combination of more than one.

🩸

Blood Stagnation

Common signs

Dark or purplish blood with clots. Sharp, stabbing pain that is fixed in one spot, often worse with pressure and before bleeding begins. Pain that eases once the flow gets going properly. This is one of the most common patterns behind dysmenorrhoea and endometriosis pain.

❄️

Cold in the Uterus

Common signs

Cramping that responds well to a hot water bottle. Pale, thin, or scanty flow. Feeling cold generally, particularly around your period. Pain that worsens in cold weather or after eating cold foods, and eases with warmth. Often present in women who have felt the cold from a young age.

🌿

Liver Qi Stagnation

Common signs

A PMS-led pattern: breast tenderness, irritability, low mood, or emotional sensitivity in the days before your period arrives. Pain that moves or shifts rather than being fixed. Sighing often. Stress makes everything worse. This is the pattern most closely linked to the emotional side of PMS.

🌙

Qi and Blood Deficiency

Common signs

Dull, aching pain rather than sharp cramps. Pale or scanty flow. Exhaustion that lingers for days after your period ends. Dizziness, light-headedness, or palpitations around menstruation. This pattern often develops after prolonged stress, illness, or in women whose reserves are low.

Pulse and Tongue Diagnosis: Two Thousand Years of Clinical Intelligence

At your first appointment, Deanna assesses your TCM pattern using pulse and tongue diagnosis — two diagnostic frameworks refined over two millennia of clinical practice. The pulse reveals the quality of Qi and Blood movement throughout your system. The tongue reflects the state of your internal organs and any accumulation of heat, cold, damp, or stagnation.

No blood test can replicate this. It is a different kind of knowing — and it is what allows Deanna to select points and treatment strategies that are specific to you, rather than to a diagnosis on a form. Your pattern is reviewed and adjusted at every session as your cycle responds.

How Acupuncture Works — What the Science Shows

Alongside the TCM framework, there is growing clinical evidence for acupuncture's physiological effects on menstrual pain. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive — they work together.

🌿

Prostaglandin Regulation

Reduces PGF2α — the prostaglandin directly responsible for painful uterine contractions — more effectively than NSAIDs in clinical trials, with fewer side effects.

🩸

Improved Pelvic Circulation

Increasing local blood flow eases the stagnation that contributes to heavy, clotty, or cramping periods and supports the uterine lining.

🧘

Nervous System Regulation

Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, shifting the body out of stress mode — which significantly worsens period pain and PMS symptoms.

🔬

Inflammation Reduction

Modulates inflammatory markers — particularly relevant for endometriosis-related pain, where chronic pelvic inflammation is a key driver of symptoms.

💛

Hormonal Support

Supports regulation of oestrogen, progesterone, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis — the hormonal cascade governing your cycle.

🧬

Endorphin Release

Stimulates the body's own pain-relief system, triggering endorphins and enkephalins for drug-free pain management that builds over time.

What the Research Tells Us

The evidence base for acupuncture and menstrual pain is one of the strongest in the field of acupuncture research.

Woo et al. (2018) — 60 randomised controlled trials, nearly 3,200 women: A large-scale systematic review and meta-analysis found acupuncture significantly more effective at reducing menstrual pain than no treatment or NSAIDs. Pain relief was measurable from the first treatment, with manual acupuncture producing the strongest sustained outcomes.

Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(23):e11007. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29879061/

Armour et al. (2017) — Pilot RCT, 12-month follow-up: Over half of participants receiving acupuncture experienced a clinically meaningful reduction in pain severity within three months. Benefits were sustained at 12 months, with many women reducing or stopping pain medication entirely. This is the study behind the three-month recommendation.

PLoS ONE. 2017. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5507497/

Smith et al. (2016) — Cochrane Systematic Review: A rigorous review of acupuncture for dysmenorrhoea concluded acupuncture may reduce menstrual pain compared with no treatment or NSAIDs, with low rates of adverse events.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27087494/

Bai et al. (2023) — Multicenter RCT, endometriosis-associated pain: A well-designed randomised controlled trial across four hospitals found acupuncture significantly reduced endometriosis-associated pain — including dysmenorrhoea, pelvic pain, and pain during intercourse — compared to sham acupuncture over 12 weeks.

Fertility & Sterility. 2023;119(5):815–823. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36716811/

Research is presented for informational purposes. Individual results will vary. Deanna will give you an honest, realistic picture at your first appointment.

Acupuncture and Endometriosis

Endometriosis affects an estimated 1.5 million women in the UK — and it takes an average of eight years from symptom onset to diagnosis. During those years, many women are told their pain is normal, managed with the pill, or left navigating symptoms that significantly affect their daily life, their relationships, and their mental health.

In Chinese medicine, endometriosis is understood through the lens of Blood Stasis: a pattern where blood that should flow freely instead accumulates and congeals in the pelvis, forming the nodules, adhesions, and cysts that cause pain. This is the same root pattern that drives painful periods in many women — endometriosis is, in TCM terms, a more entrenched version of it.

Acupuncture cannot remove endometrial tissue. What it can do — and what the research supports — is meaningfully reduce pain, calm pelvic inflammation, improve quality of life, and support emotional wellbeing alongside your medical care.

🔥 Pain Management

Clinical evidence supports acupuncture for reducing dysmenorrhoea, chronic pelvic pain, and pain during intercourse associated with endometriosis — including a 2023 RCT in Fertility & Sterility.

🔬 Inflammation Support

Acupuncture has been shown to modulate inflammatory markers including CA-125, which is often elevated in endometriosis, and to reduce chronic pelvic inflammation over a course of treatment.

🧘 Nervous System Calm

Chronic pain conditions sensitise the nervous system over time. Acupuncture's effect on the parasympathetic nervous system helps interrupt this cycle, reducing the overall pain experience.

💜 Alongside Your Medical Care

Many women with endometriosis use acupuncture as part of a broader care plan — alongside surgery, hormonal management, or pain medication. Deanna works openly and collaboratively with your existing team.

For women thinking about fertility

Endometriosis and Fertility

Many women with endometriosis are also thinking about their fertility — whether now or in the future. Deanna's specialist fertility training gives her a deeper understanding of how endometriosis interacts with conception, IVF, and the broader hormonal picture.

Explore Fertility Acupuncture

Could PCOS Be Behind Your Period Pain?

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects around 1 in 10 women in the UK and is one of the most common hormonal drivers of painful, heavy, or irregular periods. It is also frequently under-diagnosed — many women live with PCOS symptoms for years without a clear answer.

In Chinese medicine, PCOS typically involves a pattern of Dampness and Phlegm accumulation alongside Kidney imbalance — a picture that responds well to acupuncture's ability to regulate the hormonal axis, support ovulation, and reduce the inflammatory environment in which cysts develop.

If your period pain comes alongside irregular cycles, difficulty losing weight, acne, or excess hair growth, PCOS may be worth exploring at your consultation. Deanna will assess your full hormonal picture and work with you from there.

🌸

PCOS Specialist Support in Middlesbrough

Deanna has specialist experience supporting women with PCOS — including those managing both hormonal symptoms and fertility goals.

Acupuncture for PCOS →

Why Three Months? Understanding Your Hormonal Cycle

Your hormones don't reset in a week. They operate on a monthly rhythm — a carefully choreographed cycle of rising and falling oestrogen, progesterone, LH, and FSH that takes 28 to 35 days to complete. Meaningful, lasting change in how that cycle behaves takes time to establish.

This is why the research shows the strongest results at three months — and why a single session, while often helpful in the short term, rarely produces lasting change on its own. Three cycles gives acupuncture enough time to work with your body's natural rhythm rather than simply managing a crisis each month.

Days 1–5 🌊

Menstruation

Supporting flow, easing pain, reducing inflammation. This is often the most impactful time to treat for dysmenorrhoea.

Days 6–13 🌱

Follicular Phase

Building Blood and Yin, nourishing the lining, supporting oestrogen regulation as the follicle develops.

Day 14 ✨

Ovulation

Supporting Yang energy and warmth, facilitating the Qi movement that accompanies the shift from follicular to luteal phase.

Days 15–28 🌙

Luteal Phase

Moving Qi to prevent stagnation, addressing PMS symptoms before they build, preparing the body for a smoother bleed.

What Three Months of Treatment Typically Looks Like

1

Cycle One

Your first cycle under treatment. Many women notice some shift — often in pain intensity or emotional symptoms — even at this early stage.

2

Cycle Two

Where the cumulative effect begins to show. The pattern is responding. Pain is often noticeably different. Reliance on medication often starts to reduce.

3

Cycle Three

The point at which the research shows the strongest results. Many women report their cycle feels genuinely different by now — not masked, but changed.

Your Hormones Need Time. Starting Now Matters.

Every month you wait is another cycle without support. The initial consultation (1 hr 20 mins, £90) includes a full hormonal and cycle history, AcuGraph meridian assessment, TCM diagnosis, and your first treatment. It is also where you get an honest, realistic picture of what a course of treatment looks like for you.

Book Your Initial Consultation — £90 Secure booking via Fresha · No card required to reserve your time

What Women Notice After Acupuncture Treatment

Individual results vary — Deanna will always give you an honest picture. These are the changes women most commonly report across a course of treatment.

✅

Reduced Period Pain

Less intense cramping, sometimes from the first cycle — often significantly reduced by the third.

✅

Lighter, More Manageable Bleeding

Reduction in heavy flow, clotting, and flooding that affects daily life.

✅

Better Mood and Emotional Wellbeing

Less PMS-related irritability, anxiety, tearfulness, and low mood.

✅

More Regular, Predictable Cycles

Gradual improvement in cycle length and predictability over successive months.

✅

Better Energy Throughout the Cycle

Less cycle-related fatigue, brain fog, and the exhaustion that follows heavy bleeds.

✅

Reduced Bloating and Nausea

Easing of the digestive symptoms that often accompany menstruation.

✅

Fewer Menstrual Headaches

Reduced frequency or intensity of headaches and migraines tied to the cycle.

✅

Improved Sleep Around Your Period

Better quality sleep in the days before and during menstruation.

What to Expect at Your First Appointment

Your initial consultation is 80 minutes of dedicated, unhurried time. Nothing is rushed. Deanna wants to understand you — your cycle, your history, your life — before she picks up a needle.

1

In-Depth Conversation

Your full cycle history, symptom pattern, medical background, diet, sleep, stress, and emotional wellbeing. The kind of intake that rarely happens in a GP appointment.

2

AcuGraph & TCM Diagnosis

Computerised AcuGraph meridian assessment alongside pulse and tongue diagnosis — two complementary ways of reading your body's energy and balance, combining modern technology with 2,000-year-old clinical intelligence.

3

Your First Treatment

The consultation includes your first acupuncture treatment. Most women find it deeply relaxing. The needles are extremely fine — far more so than injection needles.

4

An Honest Treatment Plan

Deanna explains what she found, what a realistic pathway looks like for you, and what you can reasonably expect. No pressure. No obligation to continue.

Simple, Transparent Pricing

All pricing is clear before you book. No hidden costs. No packages you're pushed into.

MOST POPULAR — START HERE

New Patient Consultation, AcuGraph & Acupuncture

£90
1 hr 20 mins · Full assessment, AcuGraph analysis + first treatment
  • In-depth cycle and health history
  • AcuGraph meridian assessment — computerised energy mapping
  • TCM diagnosis (pulse and tongue)
  • First acupuncture treatment included
  • Personalised treatment plan and realistic timeline
Book Now — £90 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 800+ five-star reviews · Secure booking via Fresha

Returning Patient Acupuncture

£75
1 hour · Continue Your Healing Journey
  • Progress review at every session
  • Treatment adapted as your cycle responds
  • Weekly sessions recommended for first 4–6 weeks
  • Frequency reduces naturally as your cycle settles
Book Follow-Up No contract. No commitment. Book session by session.

View the full treatment menu including all services at deannathomastherapies.com/treatments/

Could Your Health Insurance Cover This?

As an MBAcC-registered acupuncturist, Deanna Thomas is recognised by most UK health insurers that cover acupuncture. She is a confirmed recognised provider with AXA Health.

✅ AXA Health — recognised provider
🔍 Vitality — check your policy
🔍 Cigna — check your policy
🔍 WPA — check your policy
🔍 Aviva — check your policy
🔍 Simply Health — check your policy

The question to ask your insurer is: "Is acupuncture by an MBAcC-registered practitioner covered under my policy?" Some policies may require a GP referral first.

Deanna does not bill insurers directly. You pay for treatment and reclaim from your insurer. Always confirm your cover before booking.

What Women Say

★★★★★
Asked plenty of questions to get a good understanding of me, my body and my goals. The service was very personalised and I felt comfortable from start to finish.
Neve B.  ·  Google Review
★★★★★
Taking the time to understand my current personal circumstances before tailoring each session accordingly. I always leave feeling incredibly relaxed and rejuvenated.
Faye W.  ·  Google Review
★★★★★
Deanna is so knowledgeable and really listens. I came in feeling exhausted and overwhelmed and left feeling calm and hopeful. I can't recommend her enough.
Google Review  ·  Women's Health
Deanna Thomas, Licensed Acupuncturist and Women's Health Specialist, Middlesbrough
BAcC Member Fertility Support Trained Three Best Rated 2026

Meet Deanna Thomas

BSc (Hons) Acupuncture MBAcC Registered DipObsGyn Fertility Support Trained CNHC Registered

Deanna has been practising acupuncture since 2021, and women's health — specifically period pain, hormonal imbalance, endometriosis, PCOS, and fertility — is at the heart of her clinical work. Over 800 women across Middlesbrough and Teesside have trusted her with their care.

Her Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (DipObsGyn) is a postgraduate qualification in women's reproductive health — clinical training that goes well beyond standard acupuncture qualification and means she understands the full hormonal and gynaecological picture behind your symptoms, not just the pain at the surface.

As a Fertility Support Trained practitioner (trained by Naava Carman), Deanna brings a depth of understanding around the menstrual cycle, ovulation, and hormonal health that shapes how she treats period conditions — even in women who aren't yet thinking about fertility. The cycle is the foundation of everything.

AcuGraph + TCM Diagnosis

New patient appointments combine computerised AcuGraph meridian analysis with pulse and tongue diagnosis — a uniquely thorough picture of your health.

Specialist Women's Health Focus

Period pain, endometriosis, PCOS, and hormonal health are her everyday specialism.

800+ Five-Star Reviews

Multi-award-winning practice. Three Best Rated Middlesbrough 2026. 800+ five-star reviews across Google and Fresha.

Evidence-Informed Practice

TCM tradition and contemporary research, combined. Honest about what acupuncture can and cannot do.

The House, 283 Acklam Road, Middlesbrough — Deanna Thomas Acupuncture and Wellbeing clinic

Acupuncture for Period Pain in Middlesbrough and Across Teesside

Deanna's clinic is at The House, 283 Acklam Road, Middlesbrough TS5 7BP — centrally located in Acklam, with free parking available nearby. Women travel from across Teesside and North Yorkshire for specialist women's health acupuncture.

If you're searching for acupuncture for period pain near me in the Teesside area, you've found Middlesbrough's most experienced dedicated women's health acupuncture clinic.

  • Middlesbrough — Acklam, Marton, Nunthorpe, Linthorpe
  • Stockton-on-Tees & Thornaby
  • Ingleby Barwick & Yarm
  • Redcar & Guisborough
  • Hartlepool & Billingham
  • Darlington & South Durham
  • Northallerton & Stokesley
  • North Yorkshire — wider area

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — and the evidence is substantial. A 2018 meta-analysis of 60 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 3,200 women found acupuncture significantly more effective at reducing menstrual pain than no treatment or NSAIDs. A further study found over half of participants experienced a 50% reduction in pain severity within three months, with benefits lasting up to a year. View research
Because your menstrual cycle resets monthly, meaningful change typically takes three complete cycles — around three months of regular treatment. Most women notice something shifting from the second cycle. We recommend weekly sessions for the first four to six weeks, then review together. Progress is discussed openly at every appointment. There is no fixed package you are pushed into.
Acupuncture cannot remove endometrial tissue, but it can meaningfully support pain management, reduce pelvic inflammation, and improve quality of life alongside your medical care. A 2023 randomised controlled trial in Fertility and Sterility found acupuncture significantly reduced endometriosis-associated pain compared to sham over 12 weeks. This is an area Deanna has particular clinical experience with.
Yes — PCOS is one of the most common hormonal drivers of painful, heavy, or irregular periods. If your period pain comes alongside irregular cycles, difficulty losing weight, acne, or excess hair growth, PCOS may be worth exploring. Deanna has specialist experience supporting women with PCOS. You can also read more on the PCOS acupuncture page.
The pill works by suppressing your cycle — switching off ovulation and reducing the hormonal signals that drive pain. Acupuncture works differently: it addresses the physiological patterns driving your pain, supporting your body to regulate more effectively rather than overriding it. For women who cannot take hormonal contraception, are trying to conceive, or prefer a non-hormonal approach, acupuncture offers a well-evidenced alternative. The two approaches can also be used alongside each other.
Yes. Acupuncture can be safely given during menstruation and is often most beneficial at this time for women with painful periods. Deanna adapts the points used based on where you are in your cycle — treatment is never generic.
Most people are pleasantly surprised. Acupuncture needles are extremely fine — much thinner than injection needles — and most women describe a gentle heaviness, warmth, or tingling at the needle site rather than pain. Many find the experience deeply relaxing. If anything feels uncomfortable, you will always be heard and the needle adjusted or removed.
Possibly — it is worth checking. As an MBAcC-registered practitioner, Deanna is recognised by most UK health insurers that cover acupuncture, including as a confirmed recognised provider with AXA Health. Ask your insurer: "Is acupuncture by an MBAcC-registered practitioner covered under my policy?" Some policies may require a GP referral. Deanna does not bill insurers directly — you pay for treatment and reclaim.
Deanna's clinic is at The House, 283 Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, TS5 7BP. Free parking is available nearby. Women travel from Stockton-on-Tees, Thornaby, Yarm, Ingleby Barwick, Marton, Redcar, Hartlepool, Darlington, Guisborough, Stokesley, Northallerton, and across North Yorkshire to see Deanna.

Explore More Ways Deanna Can Support You

Women's health is rarely just one thing. If period pain is part of a bigger picture, these services and resources may also be relevant.

🌸

Acupuncture for PCOS

Specialist support for PCOS, cycle regulation, and hormonal balance in Middlesbrough.

Find out more →
🤱

Fertility Acupuncture

Specialist fertility support — natural conception, IVF, and the full hormonal picture.

Find out more →
🌙

Menopause Acupuncture

Natural support for hot flushes, sleep, mood, and the perimenopause transition.

Find out more →
💜

All Treatments & Pricing

View the full treatment menu, pricing, and session options at the clinic.

View pricing →

📖 Further Reading

Ready to Feel Supported in Your Body?

Your period health matters. Painful, heavy, or disruptive periods are not something you simply have to endure. Deanna is here — in a space that is calm, unhurried, and entirely focused on you.

Book Your Initial Consultation — £90 Secure booking via Fresha · 90 minutes · No obligation to continue
📞 Call 0800 593 2023

If you have been living with endometriosis pain and are exploring what targeted support could feel like — this is the right conversation to start.

Healthcare Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Acupuncture is a complementary therapy and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you have concerns about your menstrual health, always consult your GP or a medical specialist. Individual results will vary.
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