Menopause

 

Unfortunately menopause has gained popularity in the media as a dreaded sign of advancing age where women’s days are filled with barely tolerable symptoms ranging from mood swings to hot flashes. The discomfort can cause many women to forget that they are a magnificent and adaptive species, constantly changing in relation to their body’s age, environment and evolutionary purpose. The years of menopause and before, age 40-55 for many, are the years when women are making their mark in multiple aspects of their lives. Self confidence is higher, many see advanced achievements professionally and women generally feel more creative and hungry for a productive life. The physical side effects of menopause absolutely should not get in the way of this powerful shift forward in living a meaningful life.

 Acupuncture and herbal formulas along with dietary and lifestyle modifications has been documented to alleviate the symptoms of menopause for thousands of years.

How Does Chinese Medicine Help the Symptoms of Menopause?

The biggest difference between the western and eastern approaches to menopause is that in Chinese medicine we do not have one governing diagnosis of ‘menopause’. It does not exist as a disease category. Often Chinese Medicine may assist in managing a symptom or an aspect of a condition rather than treating the condition itself. 

Once we have discussed in detail your symptoms, we will create a treatment plan for you. Usually both acupuncture and herbal medicine will be used but in what frequency and length will be determined by your response to the treatment. Some women respond quickly to just a month of treatment and some need to continue coming for several months. Our goal is to give you great care in the most efficient manner we can so that you may resume your normal activities inspired by how good you feel.

Is There Evidence of Chinese Medicine Alleviating Menopause Symptoms?

Substantial research indicates that acupuncture is successful at relieving many symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings and insomnia. The World Health Organisation has approved acupuncture as a safe treatment for menopause and is helping to fund clinical trials of larger sample sizes currently. Dr. Susan Cohen, D.S.N., APRN, associate professor of the University of Pittsburgh, found that during the course of acupuncture treatments, hot flashes decreased by 35% and insomnia decreased by 50% in menopausal women. This and other studies can be reviewed at www.pubmed.com type in the keywords acupuncture, menopause.