Acupuncture and the menopause

For Chinese women, hot flashes and night sweats are uncommon experiences, and very few of them are ever put on hormone replacement therapy by their doctors. It is an interesting fact that only 10 per cent of Asian women experience noticeable menopausal symptoms, compared with 75 per cent of the women in the Western world. What explains the difference between the typical Chinese woman s experience of menopause and the typical Western woman’s experience?

Based on observations, the team at Care & Cure believe a combination of diet, acupuncture, and Chinese herbal medicine is the determining factor in maintaining the health of Asian women through menopause.

Acupuncture

To achieve the most effective level of treatment, acupuncture is combined with Chinese herbal medicine. There are very few women who do not respond well to acupuncture treatments. Many feel an improvement after just a few sessions.

A good example is Sue, a 53-year-old school teacher who went to Care & Cure this summer. She began menopause early, at age 43, and was put on hormone replacement therapy by her doctor. Then she developed breast cancer and went through a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. After that, her doctor would not resume hormone replacement therapy, and Sue’s menopausal symptoms became severe. She had daily headaches, night sweats, and hot flashes every 20 minutes. She was unable to sleep through the night, and had to get up to change her sweat-soaked nightgown at least once a night. Her emotions were volatile, and she became irritated or began crying under the slightest stress. When she came to see me, she was in great distress because she felt that it would be impossible for her to resume teaching in September. After her first acupuncture treatment, her hot flashes and sweating decreased noticeably, and she slept through the night for the first time in a year. After a month of bi-weekly treatments, the hot flashes, headaches, and night sweats were gone, and Sue began her teaching year. Now Sue comes in for treatments once or twice a month, to manage stress-related symptoms.

The clinic is seeing more women who are referred by their gynecologists for acupuncture. The scientific evidence that corroborates the ancient practices of traditional Chinese medicine is mounting up, giving women who want an alternative to hormone therapy real hope. Phone 086 2159282 to book a free consultation.