Acupuncture has gained attention in Calgary as a complementary therapy for relief of menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and sleep problems. Rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture involves placing fine needles into specific points on the body to restore balance and promote natural healing. In Calgary, many women are turning to acupuncture to help regulate hormonal activity and reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms such as hot flashes, while also improving mood and sleep quality. Although more scientific research is needed to fully understand its mechanisms, numerous individuals report meaningful relief when adding acupuncture into their menopause management plan.
Menopausal Changes
Menopause is a natural biological process marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being around 51. A woman has officially reached menopause when she has not had a period for 12 continuous months.
The transition to menopause is often gradual and can span several years, a period known as perimenopause. During this time, hormone levels change unpredictably, leading to irregular menstrual cycles and many other symptoms.
Once a woman reaches menopause there is a significant decline in the production of estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries. These homone changes can lead to a wide range of physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms.
Menopause Relief in Calgary
If you’re in Calgary and seeking menopause relief, consider exploring the benefits of acupuncture. Acupuncture is a unique medical system with its own diagnostic and treatment systems. It is more than just needles. Visit me at Ren Acupuncture & Massage, located in the central Calgary community of Kensington. Together we can explore how menopause is affecting your life and create a treatment plan tailored just for you.
Acupuncture for Menopause Relief
Many women seek natural relief for menopause symptoms. Acupuncture is a holistic approach that can be especially beneficial for women seeking menopause relief. One of the benefits of acupuncture is its focus on the whole person. It addresses the root of the issue and is concerned with regaining health, not just symptom management.
Practitioners will place needles at specific points along the interconnecting channels of the body that correspond to specific organs — either literal or figurative. If an acupuncturist uses a point, such as a stomach one, it doesn’t necessarily correlate to the physical stomach, it may just run along that channel. Common hormone channels include:
- Kidneys – The “source of life” according to Chinese theory. Paired with the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys and produce many hormones.
- Liver/Gallbladder – Yin/yang pair that can aid in balancing gonadotropin-releasing hormones.
- Spleen/Stomach – This pair of organs runs the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the body. Proper nutrient absorption is important for hormone production.
- Ren/du channels – These are unrelated to organs in the body, but are wonderful for balancing.
Your practitioner will ask a ton of questions and may examine your tongue and pulse. This is to help them determine the root issues. Everyone is different, so your treatment will relate to you and your specific experience. To support acupuncture treatment for relief of menopause symptoms, practitioners may suggest lifestyle adjustments, dietary modifications, and herbal supplements based on their assessment.
Research Supporting Acupuncture for Menopause
Research indicates that acupuncture can offer relief for menopause-related symptoms, particularly hot flashes and overall quality of life. However, the evidence is mixed, and results can vary based on study design and comparison groups.
Literature Reviews
An analysis of 33 studies including 3,092 women found that acupuncture had a significant positive effect on memory and anxiety that lasted for 6 months after treatment stopped. (2)
A separate analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials involving 869 participants found that acupuncture significantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes. It also improved menopause-related symptoms and quality of life, particularly in the vasomotor domain. These effects were observed to persist for up to three months after treatment. (1)
Randomized Trials
A multi-centre trial involving 70 women with severe menopause symptoms found that just one treatment per week for five weeks decreased the incidences of hot flushes, day & night sweats, general sweating and menopause specific sleep problems. (3).
Another large-scale study involving perimenopausal and postmenopausal women showed that acupuncture, when added to usual care, led to a significant reduction in hot flash scores and improvements in menopause-related symptoms, including psychological, somatic, and urogenital domains, as measured by the Menopause Rating Scale. (4)
Conclusion
These various findings show that acupuncture holds promise as an effective therapy for menopause relief with minimal side effects. Visit us for more information on how we can help you manage your menopause symptoms and feel like yourself again.
References
- Chiu HY, Pan CH, Shyu YK, Han BC, Tsai PS. Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and quality of life in women in natural menopause: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2015 Feb;22(2):234-44. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000260. PMID: 25003620.
- Mehrnoush V, Darsareh F, Roozbeh N, Ziraeie A. Efficacy of the Complementary and Alternative Therapies for the Management of Psychological Symptoms of Menopause: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Menopausal Med. 2021 Dec;27(3):115-131. doi: 10.6118/jmm.21022. PMID: 34989185; PMCID: PMC8738851.
- Lund KS, Siersma V, Brodersen J, Waldorff FB. Efficacy of a standardised acupuncture approach for women with bothersome menopausal symptoms: a pragmatic randomised study in primary care (the ACOM study). BMJ Open. 2019 Feb 19;9(1):e023637. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023637. PMID: 30782712; PMCID: PMC6501989.
- Kim KH, Kang KW, Kim DI, Kim HJ, Yoon HM, Lee JM, Jeong JC, Lee MS, Jung HJ, Choi SM. Effects of acupuncture on hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women–a multicenter randomized clinical trial. Menopause. 2010 Mar;17(2):269-80. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181bfac3b. PMID: 19907348.
- Baccetti S, Da Frè M, Becorpi A, Faedda M, Guerrera A, Monechi MV, Munizzi RM, Parazzini F. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine for hot flushes in menopause: a randomized trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2014 Jul;20(7):550-7. doi: 10.1089/acm.2012.0499. Epub 2014 May 14. PMID: 24827469.
- Chien TJ, Hsu CH, Liu CY, Fang CJ. Effect of acupuncture on hot flush and menopause symptoms in breast cancer- A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017 Aug 22;12(8):e0180918. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180918. PMID: 28829776; PMCID: PMC5568723.
- Lee E, Anselmo M, Tahsin CT, Vanden Noven M, Stokes W, Carter JR, Keller-Ross ML. Vasomotor symptoms of menopause, autonomic dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2022 Dec 1;323(6):H1270-H1280. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00477.2022. Epub 2022 Nov 11. PMID: 36367692; PMCID: PMC9744645.
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