Menopause Symptoms The Weird Ones

Acupuncture

Over half of all women experience hot flushes at some point during menopause.

The symptoms of hot flushes can come on at almost any time and can make getting a good night’s sleep a challenge.

The reason they occur is not completely understood, but it’s believed to be related to high levels of ovary stimulating hormones trying to unsuccessfully jump start the sleeping ovaries.

This causes “vasomotor instability” which leads to the unpleasant experience of hot flushes.

The symptoms of hot flushes have become even more difficult to treat with the movement away from hormone replacement therapy which still seems to be the best treatment for the problem – despite its other health risks.

Fortunately, a new study suggests that a more “natural” approach may help hot flushes – acupuncture.

A Norwegian study looked at 248 women who had undergone menopause and divided them into two groups. One group used standard natural therapies such as exercise and herbs to treat hot flushes, while the other group used similar natural therapies plus acupuncture.

After three months, the women who received acupuncture and natural therapies fared better than women who used only natural therapies. The women in the acupuncture group reported less symptoms of hot flushes (both frequency and intensity), and better sleep patterns.

This isn’t the first study to show that acupuncture helps hot flushes. A previous study showed that acupuncture treatment reduced hot flashes at night by up to twenty-eight percent. How does acupuncture help hot flushes?

No one knows for sure, but it’s believed it may increase the production of “feel good” neurotransmitters and endorphins that make the hot flushes not as bothersome.

Keep in mind that most of the studies showing the benefits of acupuncture for symptoms of hot flushes have been small, and there’s no conclusive proof of its benefit. Still, preliminary data looks encouraging.

If acupuncture helps hot flushes, it could be an attractive alternative solution since it’s natural, and unlike hormones and antidepressants, it carries no drug-related side effects.

A disadvantage may lie in finding the time to go in for a session and the cost, which runs around $45 per session in most parts of the country. Other natural, drug-free treatments that may help hot flushes are regular physical exercise and eliminating sugar and caffeine from the diet.

There’s no solid evidence that any single herb or supplement significantly reduces the symptoms of hot flushes.

The bottom line?

Acupuncture holds promise for treating the symptoms of hot flushes and may be worth a try for women who are experiencing severe symptoms. It’s certainly a safer alternative to hormone replacement therapy.

Could acupuncture be a safe, natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy?

Find out if it helps relieve the hot flushes that so many women experience.