Acupuncture works to relieve symptoms of menopause
Two recent research trials highlighted below have shown that acupuncture works for menopause. It can produce fast and clinically relevant and sustained reduction of hotflashes and night sweats. A series of treatments over a few months can result in effects lasting several more months.
Menopause symptoms
Hot flashes and night sweats are the most common and troublesome symptoms associated with menopause. A hot flash is a transient sudden episode of flushing, sweating, and sensation of heat often accompanied by palpitations, weakness, sleep disturbances, and feelings of faintness, anxiety, and/or panic.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has risks
Relief from hot flashes and night sweats is the primary reason women seek hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which may include estrogen and progestin hormones. Although effective, depending on your specific circumstances, HRT is associated with serious risks (increased risks of cancer, blood clots, heart disease, and stroke). Acupuncture can be seen as an alternative to HRT with other benefits other than just avoiding the HRT risks!
How our acupuncture approach goes beyond night sweats and hot flashes
Even though research shows acupuncture works for menopause, our approach is not necessarily to just apply a standard research protocol for your treatment. Rather, we customize each acupuncture treatment to reflect your changing situation and adapt the focus to support your ongoing progress. Our clients often notice improvements in skin and hair quality, sleep problems, emotional issues (mood swings, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks), and headaches and joint pain too. We like to give you homework for self care (acupressure points, diet and lifestyle suggestions, stress management), including trying a tracking system. This helps to create more awareness of triggers and areas of influence in order to encourage positive changes during this transition in your life.
We see you as a whole ecosystem and support your body’s inherent tendency to heal and be in health.
Phone us at 780-437-7723 or contact us if you have any questions or want to set up a consultation.
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Recent Research on Menopause:
- Acupuncture in Menopause (AIM) Study: a Pragmatic, Randomized Controlled Trial. N.E. Avis et al. NIH National Library of Medicine. Menopause. 2016 Jun; 23(6): 626–637.
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Efficacy of a standardised acupuncture approach for women with bothersome menopausal symptoms: a pragmatic randomised study in primary care (the ACOM study). K.S. Lund et al. British Medical Journal. Vol 9, issue 1. 2018.