Menopause & Perimenopause
Modern research shows that acupuncture can reduce and minimise menopausal symptoms. There are many options to try instead/or in conjunction with hormone replacement therapy.
Acupuncture for Hormone Balance, Auckland
Hibiscus Coast, Rodney Area + North Shore
Women are constantly adjusting to hormonal changes- this intricate balance is what creates our monthly menstrual cycles. Ideally, we would have minimal symptoms when we menstruate and when we stop menstruating. However, many women struggle with these hormonal changes and fluctuations, and they negatively impact menstruation, pregnancy or menopause.
Creating an individualised plan we apply acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, and dietary and lifestyle recommendations, to support and alleviate symptoms. The objective is to provide immediate and lasting relief.
Women’s Health
A little introduction to women’s health in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Traditional Chinese Medicine understands female physiology directly in relation to the internal organs and the 12 meridians (the channels through which the body’s essential energy – Qi – flows).
The treatment is therefore dependent on diagnosing the condition of your internal organs and checking the flow of blood as well as Qi through specific meridians.
Clinically, Chinese Medicine has been commonly used to treat gynaecological problems such as:
PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
PMT (premenstrual tension)
dysmenorrhoea (period pains)
irregular periods
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
vaginal diseases such as Candida (thrush)
vaginal discharges
inflammatory diseases of the reproductive tract menopause & perimenopause.
Common Reasons Why Women Seek Acupuncture
Acupuncture for menopause symptoms relief is a common practice
However there are many other women’s health ailments Traditional Chinese Medicine can treat without the implication of hormonal treatment therapy or other western practices.
Painful Periods
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Irregular Menstrual Cycles
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Endometriosis
Thyroid Imbalance
Fibroids
Amenorrhea
Menopause- hot flashes, night sweats, dryness
Stress and Anxiety
Decreased libido
There are wonderful ways that acupuncture, herbs, supplements, diet and lifestyle can:
Decrease cortisol levels (your chronic stress hormone)
Regulate and balance estrogen levels
Support progesterone levels
Maintain healthy thyroid function
Women’s Health Focus
“The changes, the highs and lows, and the hormonal shifts, there is power in that. ”
Get in touch
Still unsure if acupuncture for menopause or other women’s health issues is for you? Let’s see how we can help.
Menopause
The Women’s Health Initiative in 2002 drastically altered the prescription, recommendation and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This study highlighted previously unknown and unproven risks associated with using HRT, particularly heart disease and certain cancers .
By 2003 the guidelines had changed and significantly fewer women were prescribed and/or taking HRT’s. Since then, more research has contradicted and validated some of these concerns and worries. It is incredibly confusing and challenging to know how best to proceed.
As always, we want to follow best practice and care for you. This is individualised care, and it is one of the aspects of alternative medicine that is exceptional. For some women, the benefit from HRT’s outweigh the risks. Either/any/all way, the ideal is to have women make the best, most educated and informed, health choices.
A Danish study, Efficacy of a standardised acupuncture approach for women with bothersome menopausal symptoms: a pragmatic randomised study in primary care women with moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms, treated 70 women who identified as having moderate to severe menopausal symptoms. 36 participants received acupuncture and 34 participants were in the control group.
The acupuncture intervention significantly decreased hot flushes, both in the day and in the night. Additionally, the decrease in hot flushes, emotional symptoms, and skin and hair symptoms was already apparent 3 weeks into the study.
Acupuncture, by itself, has been proven to decrease the frequency and intensity of hot flashes and night sweats by up to 50%.
In addition, Chinese Medicine can:
alleviate bloating
address hormonal weight gain
relieve hormonal headaches
decrease insomnia (especially in the 1am-4am window)
reduce irritability
treat vaginal dryness
improve decreased libido
Want to know a fabulous way to decrease cortisol levels? It involves chocolate :)
Researchers, in a Swiss study published in The Journal of Proteome Research, confirm that eating the equivalent of one average-sized dark chocolate candy bar (1.4 ounces) each day for two weeks reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the “fight-or-flight” neurohormones known as catecholamines in highly stressed people.
So, next time you are feeling stressed, reach for some chocolate (the darker, the better. and in moderation, of course).
Menstrual Symptoms
Most women experience painful menstrual cramps at some point in their lives.
For some, these cramps are mild and the discomfort is annoying. For others, they experience cramps severe enough to interfere with everyday activities for a few days every month.
“More than 90 percent of people who menstruate experience PMS to some degree.”
Acupuncture and herbs can be incredibly effective at alleviating menstrual symptoms or premenstrual syndrome (PMS) like bloating, premenstrual headaches, irritability, menstrual cramps which includes abdominal or pelvic cramping, lower back pain, food cravings, fatigue and sore breasts.
A study from 2017 revealed that the intensity and duration of period pain can be reduced by up to 50 percent by consistent acupuncture treatments. Depending on your presenting symptoms, we create a treatment plan to best addresses what your symptoms are.
In addition, we include herbal and dietary options to supplement the treatment plan. However, certain health conditions can make cramps more severe. Those include:
cervical stenosis
Cramps associated with these types of conditions are known as secondary dysmenorrhea. We will work with you to ensure we have got a clear understanding of the type of cramps you’re having.
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Book an appointment.
Select the treatment you believe will suit your needs.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you’ve got more questions to ask beforehand: megan@integrativeacupuncture.co.nz