Acupuncture for Menopause: Natural Relief from Hot Flushes and More

pic Edward Cisneros @everythingcaptured

A little recap of some research from my Masters in Acupuncture degree at RMIT University …I thought I would share with ya’ll. x

Embracing this remarkable wise-woman life phase and welcoming a natural transformation in your body may be easier said than done, especially if you are lacking sleep and energy and experiencing a variety of symptoms affecting your life.

Peri-menopause represents a vital and natural facet of our aging journey. While some women navigate this phase with relatively mild symptoms, many grapple with peri-menopausal challenges that exert an influence on their overall daily lives.              

Menopause, frequently introduces a range of emotional and physical symptoms. Among these, the most prevalent include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood fluctuations, vaginal dryness, and weight fluctuations.  

Let’s look at the potential benefits of Acupuncture.

An acupuncture research study that incorporated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis and acupuncture techniques, demonstrated the effectiveness of a 6-month acupuncture regimen for women suffering from menopausal symptoms. Treatment was seen to significantly reduce hot flashes and contribute to an enhanced overall quality of life compared to those who did not receive acupuncture. Additional benefits were seen to be long lasting after treatment, lasting for more than six months. This study also revealed further positive effects on sleep quality, anxiety, depression, and overall health. Suggesting that acupuncture had positive and significant impacts on reducing post- and peri-menopausal symptoms for women over a 12-month period after they completed their treatment. (Avis et al., 2016) 

Lets break that down for you…

·       Hot Flush reduction - 36.7% reduction in the frequency of hot flushes observed.

·       Benefits Over Time - After 12 months, individuals receiving acupuncture maintained a remarkable 29.4% reduction in hot flushes.

·       How many treatments should I have? – in this study the maximum effects materialized following a course of 8 treatments.

·       Additional health benefits - sleep, anxiety, depression, and overall health improved.

Delving into twelve separate studies, involving a total of 869 participants, researchers examined how acupuncture may provide meaningful relief from hot flashes and enhance the overall quality of life in women experiencing natural menopause. The study yielded promising outcomes, with noticeable improvements observed in hot flash frequency, severity, menopausal symptoms, and overall well-being. (Chiu et al., 2015)

Compellingly, in the study by Chiu et al., (2015) acupuncture significantly reduced hot flush frequency and severity while improving psychological aspects of menopausal symptoms, with effects lasting up to three months.

Three systematic reviews and four randomly controlled trials were identified in a study by Befus et al. (2018) which indicated that acupuncture significantly reduced vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes) frequency and severity while enhancing health-related quality of life.   

Breaking it down…for acupuncture and menopause

·       Psychological aspects of menopause were seen to be improved.

·       Hot flushes frequency reduction and enhancement the overall well-being.

·       Reduced frequency and severity of hot flushes

·       Post treatment benefits - Up to 3 months reduction in hot flushes

·       Enhanced health-related quality of life

Self-Care & Acupuncture

In Borud et al. (2009) study, examining hot flashes after menopause, it was found acupuncture used along with self-care techniques leading to meaningful decreases in hot flashes and improved overall quality of life.   

Self-Care interventions are seen as helpful to reduce hot flushes….

·       Relaxation exercises

·       Tai chi

·       Yoga

·       Self-massage

·       Specific physical exercises.

Acupuncture appears to be promising as a complementary or stand-alone treatment for during menopause.  However, it is important to consider that acupuncture may not be for everyone.  There are possible limitations in studies as menopause symptoms are subjective, therefore reporting bias may be an issue, subjectivity of symptoms such as symptom severity as well as additional symptoms that may not be documented by participants in studies.   (Sussman et al., 2015) 

While more research is needed to fully understand acupuncture’s mechanisms fully, it offers a potentially effective and relatively safe option for women seeking relief from hot flashes and improved quality of life.

If you are considering natural therapies for your menopausal symptoms, and you still have questions, please don't hesitate to schedule a complimentary discovery call with me - BOOK HERE

I am more than happy to answer your questions.

Christine Carley at Love Thy Health