A 2012 research study in Los Angeles concluded that acupuncture for menopause reduced the frequency and severity of symptoms associated with menopause and also improved the quality of life of the patients. The research used the change in the symptoms of depression, insomnia, anxiety to monitor the improvement that the acupuncture had led to.
Another Korean study in 2010 also found that acupuncture had marked clinical improvement in hot flashes.
Many women have concerns about taking pharmaceutical medications for menopause and there is a lot of research being done just looking at the dangers of taking of taking these medicines and the unwanted side effects they contribute to.
In fact the National Cancer Institute in the United States warns on their website that the pharmaceutical treatment of prescribing Menopausal Hormone Therapy can have all the following adverse health effects.
- Urinary incontinence
- Dementia
- Stroke
- Blood Clots
- Gall Bladder disease
- Heart attack
- Breast Cancer
- Lung cancer
- Colorectal cancer
Chinese herbs and acupuncture for menopause symptoms have been used safely for centuries and in fact were first mentioned in a book dating back to the 3rd century B.C.E. This book first discussed what is called the chong meridian which was responsible for controlling the growth and aging cycles of men and women. Other traditional Chinese medicine texts explain how it is normal for women to cease menstruation at around 49 years of age but that it is not normal for women to experience symptoms such as depression, insomnia and heat flashes.
The treatment of menopausal symptoms with acupuncture and Chinese herbs is the oldest known effective treatment for this problem. Research confirms that it works. Acupuncture is safe, effective, natural and has no unwanted side effects.
Acupuncture points have historically been classified into having specific functions as well as indications. The types of functions include, acupuncture points to clear heat and points to stop sweating and other points have the function to calm the mind.
Many women choose have cosmetic acupuncture for facial rejuvenation whilst addressing their menopausal symptoms simultaneously with acupuncture.
Heiko Lade of The Acupuncture Clinic – Hastings has a master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the University of Technology in Sydney.