The change in hormone levels during peri-menopause and menopause (particularly the decline in oestrogen) is associated with symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, tiredness, sleep disturbances, mood swings, forgetfulness and loss of libido. The average duration of menopausal symptoms is about 4 years.
Menopause is a natural process, and we don’t see it as a condition, but as a transition from one hormonal environment to another. This change can have profound effects on body and mind – as it does in puberty. For some women the symptoms are very mild, for others they have a huge impact on the quality of life.

Can acupuncture for menopause help to manage the symptoms?

Acupuncture for the management of menopausal symptoms has not been widely researched, but the British Acupuncture Council website reports that randomised controlled trials have found acupuncture to be as effective as hormonal drug treatment for managing symptoms of menopause.
Using Chinese medicine we look at the body and mind as a whole system – no single part can be understood except in relation to the whole. Each symptom is chased back to look at its root. We aim to treat both the root and the branch. Our treatments are therefore tailored to fit the particular needs of each new person we see.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Menopause

Few areas of women’s health stir up as much confusion and debate as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which is normally started when the first symptoms of menopause appear. While they may alleviate hot flashes and prevent osteoporosis, they will also increase the risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, and have a number of significant side-effects. But HRT isn’t the only solution. Menopause is an area in which Oriental Medicine shines. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have the ability to detect energetic changes that occur in the body and quickly relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, foggy mind, and irritability.
Evidence that Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine have been used for women’s health can be found in early medical literature dating back to 3AD.
Traditional Chinese Medicine does not recognize menopause as one particular syndrome. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body. Therefore, if 10 women are treated with Oriental medicine for hot flashes, each of these 10 women will receive a unique, customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different herbs and different lifestyle and diet recommendations.