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Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches
menopause as a variety of syndromes.
All of them have been successfully treated by acupuncture and herbal
medicine. The most typical cause for the symptoms associated with
menopause is the slowing of the flow of "yin."
When applied to the health of the physical body, this is the Chinese
concept of the hydration or the cooling system within the body.
Typical symptoms of yin deficiency include:
 hot flashes
night sweats
mood swings
insomnia
heart palpitations
 Hot
Flashes
Hot flashes, the primary symptom of menopause, can be severe enough
to mean that you have to plan your outfits to accommodate as many
as 5 different body temperatures, peeling layers off as the heat
rises, then putting them back on as it subsides.
Mood
Swings
Moodiness that accompanies menopause might catch you by surprise.
Your usual youthful exuberance has you taking on extra projects
but then you find yourself cursing the extra work when your mood
drops.
Poor
Sleep, Insomnia, Night Sweats
And you're blaming your mood swings on the fitful nights of sleep,
when you wake up soaked through from night sweats.
Palpitations
As if that's not enough, you find your heart racing at odd moments
and you wonder if you're a candidate for a heart attack or if you're
overworking for "your age." You start to think you should
slow down and the thought really depresses you, and you start to
eat everything in sight ...adding depression and weight gain to
the list. And the symptoms just start to stack up and up.
Sexual Passion, Creative Inspiration, Professional
Gains
In addition to all of the symptoms of imbalance associated with
menopause, this period can also mark the beginning of a woman's
most sexually passionate, creatively inspired, and professionally
productive phase of life.
While this may sound like wishful thinking, examine how a woman's
lifestyle, emotions, and beliefs are affected by menopause. With
the right diet, attitude, and Oriental Medicine women can actually
look forward to a resurgence of energy and a revolutionary opportunity
for personal growth - one that rivals the hormonally driven period
of adolescence.
Menopause: A transitional period of a few
months or a few years
Menopause is a transitional period marking the cessation of ovulation
in a woman's body. This time of change may last a few months to
several years. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and are brought
on as our bodies try to adapt to decreasing amounts of estrogen.
Preserving Blood and Energy
According to Chinese Medical theory, menopause occurs when a woman's
body begins to preserve blood and energy in order to sustain her
vitality and allow for the maximum available nourishment for her
body, especially her kidneys.
From Mother to Enlightened and Wise Being
The kidney is the organ Chinese Medicine sees as the root of life
and longevity. Therefore, the body, in its wisdom, reserves the
flow of a channel in the center of the body that sends blood and
energy down to the uterus. Instead, blood and essence from the kidneys
are conserved and cycled through the body to nourish the woman's
spirit and extend her longevity. Thus, in the Chinese Medicine,
menopause is seen as true change in life from mother to enlightened
and wise being.
Your Diagnosis and Treatment of Menopause
is Individualized
Traditional Chinese Medicine, including herbs,
meridian
exercise and dietary
recommendations to restore imbalances found in the body, treat
symptoms that are unique to each woman. Therefore, if 10 women are
treated with Oriental Medicine for hot flashes, it is possible that
each of these 10 women will receive a treatment using different
acupuncture points, different herbs and different diet recommendations.
Acupuncture Points Treat the Emotional and
Physical Effects
Acupuncture points to treat the emotional and physical effects
of menopause are located all over the body. During the acupuncture
treatment, tiny needles will be placed along your legs, arms, shoulders,
and perhaps even your little toe!
The length, number and frequency of treatments will vary. Typical
treatments last from five to 30 minutes, with the patient being
treated one or two times a week. Some symptoms are relieved after
the first treatment, while more severe or chronic ailments often
require multiple treatments.
Great Results from Studies on Acupuncture
for Menopause
Since the early seventies, studies around the globe have suggested
that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are effective treatments
for hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, vaginal dryness and many other
symptoms associated with menopause. Recent studies show extremely
positive results:
From 1997 to 1999, one of the first studies in the United States
to explore the effectiveness of acupuncture in alleviating hot flashes,
insomnia and nervousness, conducted by Dr. Susan Cohen, D.S.N.,
APRN, associate professor of the University of Pittsburgh, it was
found that during the course of acupuncture treatments, hot flashes
decreased by 35% and insomnia decreased by 50%. A follow-up study
revealed hot flashes significantly decreased in those receiving
acupuncture, compared to those receiving routine care.
A 2002 pilot study in England found that acupuncture reduced the
frequency and severity of hot flashes in women being treated with
tamoxifen for breast cancer.
While these results are promising and the United Nations World Health
Organization has approved acupuncture as a treatment for symptoms
associated with menopause, further clinical trials with larger samples
are currently underway.
Chinese Dietary Therapy Definitely Helps
Women in menopause are encouraged to lose that extra weight and
to follow
a diet with a high content of raw foods, fruits and vegetables
to stabilize blood sugar. Some foods may exacerbate hot flashes
or increase mood swings: alcohol, sugar, spicy foods, caffeine,
and smoking.
The Tools of the Trade Working to Keep You
Healthy
Chinese dietary therapy takes your individual symptoms into account
and helps you manage them as you go through the years that can comprise
menopause at various stages.
Second Spring
The time after menopause is referred to as a women's "second
spring" and acupuncture and Oriental Medicine herbal formulas
have evolved to their current beneficial status to help you enjoy
this time of life.
Join Our Healing Team
We invite you to join Heavenly Bodies Clinic healing environment
as you go through menopause. Our staff is dedicated to walking this
path with you and seeing that you live each day to your optimum
health, using all our resources to bring relief from severe symptoms,
and preventing further imbalances that impact other areas of your
life.
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