| Acupuncture and Menopause Although many women treat menopause as a disease, it is actually a normal part of the woman’s life cycle. Some of the symptoms are uncomfortable and even down right unpleasant, but is important to realize that these symptoms are the body’s way of saying that something is out of balance. Acupuncture can help the body regain its balance. One reason the body may get out of balance at this time, is that the balance of yin energy and yang energy shifts. Estrogens seem to make up part of the yin, or cooling balance of the body. As they decline in a woman, then the body’s energy system seems to run to warm and less smoothly. This can give rise to symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, heart palpitations, dry skin and insomnia. If the yang energy, which is the heating energy also becomes imbalanced, then you get other symptoms such as retention of water, weight gain, hypertention, and even edema. When the balance of energy is left untreated, then women begin to see the signs and symptoms of menopause. Left untreated at that point, they may begin to see some of the more serious age related illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Acupuncture can help. It is a non hormonal way to treat the hot flashes. Using needles and in some cases Chinese herbal medicine, it can help restore the balance of yin and yang. Although a course of treatments may restore the balance of yin and yang rather quickly, lessening problems like hot flashes and night sweats fairly quickly, most patients check in with their practitioner once a month or once every few months. Menopause is a natural process and not a disease state, which means that periodic readjustments will be necessary as long as the body is in going through this process. Acupuncture can address many symptoms and a woman should feel comfortable talking with her acupuncturist about all of her symptoms. Studies include: Wyon Y, Lindgren R, Lundeberg T and Hammar M (1995) Effects of acupuncture on climacteric vasomotor symptoms, quality f life and urinary excretion of neuropeptides among postmenopausal women, Menopause 2:3-12. |
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