How to treat menopause symptoms with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Menopause or perimenopause may be an inevitable occurrence, but it can still have a major impact on a woman’s quality of life, health and mental well-being.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can relieve symptoms of menopause such as reductions in hot flashes, sweating, mood swings, sleep disturbance, and skin and hair problems.

What is menopause?

For women around the age of 50, the menstrual cycle occurs less regularly and finally stops altogether, which is the start of menopause. Some women experience only mild symptoms during menopause, while others notice significant physical, emotional and psychological changes as their body begins to feel the effects of estrogen withdrawal. The physical and emotional signs and symptoms that go with “the change” usually span 1-2 years, but TCM can help make this transition easier.

How is TCM an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?

While Western medicine typically offers hormone replacement therapy for the discomforts which may come with menopause, it is not the only option out there. For those who can’t (or don’t) want to receive hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms, Traditional Chinese Medicine has a great deal to offer these women. Instead of the standard hormone replacement therapy, we treat you individually, taking into account the whole pattern of your physical and mental-emotional symptoms.

How acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can help menopause

The body’s hormonal cycles are closely related to the kidney systems, and TCM focuses on nourishing its yin and yang to treat hormonal imbalances:

1) Deficiency of kidney yin

Symptoms: Irregular menstruation or a shortened menstrual cycle with the profuse flow, hot flushes, heat sensations in the body, night sweats, abnormal perspiration, irritability, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, soreness and weakness of limbs and knees, dryness of the mouth, constipation, scanty and yellow urine, red tongue with scanty coating and a thready, rapid pulse.

Treatment: nourish and improve yin, suppress yang, soothe the heart and calm the mind.

2) Deficiency of kidney yang

Symptoms: irregular menstruation or a prolonged menstrual cycle with scanty flow, a feeling of suffocation, restlessness, irritability, poor sleep, a sallow complexion, loose stools, epigastric and abdominal distension, puffy oedema in the face and limbs, frequent urination, a pale tongue with thin, white coating, and a deep, thready and weak pulse.

Treatment: warm kidney yang, invigorate the spleen and soothe the heart.  

Acupuncture

Acupuncture may help reduce symptoms of menopause and perimenopause by:

• regulating hormones
• promoting blood vessel dilation
• reducing tension and improving well-being
• stimulating the release of endorphins
• regulating the hypothalamus, your body’s internal thermostat

Chinese herbs: Individual Chinese herbal mixture can be used to treat menopause depending on each patient’s case. The main herbal products which have been proven very effectively for the treatment of menopause are TAI TAI JING XIN KOU FU YE, KUN BAO WAN, ZHI BAI DI HUANG WAN. Other treatments may include either one or a combination of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, dietary suggestions, and/or specific exercises or lifestyle recommendations.

Usually, we find the combination of herbal products and acupuncture works better and faster at relieving symptoms.

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