Menopause
Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms associated with menopause. While hormone replacement medications do offer some relief they can have unpleasant side effects and carry a risk of developing breast cancer. Acupuncture offers a safe alternative to these medications. A study from “Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, published in the journal Menopause” concluded that women who received acupuncture experienced a drop in their symptoms during menopause. The treatment was linked to a reduction in hot flashes and night sweats.

Chinese herbal medicine might relieve hot flashes due to estrogen-like effects. Some Chinese herbs, including bai shao, dang gui, zhi mu contain phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are considered dietary estrogens because they are structurally similar to estrogen. Since reduced estrogen plays a part in hot flashes, an increase in phytoestrogens can relieve this symptom.