Acupuncture for Menopause
If you suffer with menopausal symptoms
acupuncture for menopause may be able to help you.
We have years of experience using acupuncture to support women's menstrual cycles
through puberty, with fertility issues, during pregnancy and through menopause.
The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. It usually occurs naturally between 45 and 55 years of age but around 1% of women experience the menopause before 40 years of age. Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few months, or years, before they stop altogether but sometimes they can stop suddenly.
During this time most women will experience some symptoms.
The change in hormone levels during perimenopause and menopause, particularly the decline in levels of oestrogen, is what causes the symptoms. Often mild, they can be quite severe and have a significant impact on everyday activities. These symptoms can begin months or even years before your periods stop.
Acupuncture for menopause treats the issue at the root
and offers the possibility of drug free treatment.
As much as 70% of women in Western countries will experience some symptoms, such as hot flushes and night sweats. These regularly last from about 4 years but, for some women, they can last longer than 12 years. There are also other related physical and psychological symptoms including:
Anxiety
Low libido
Memory and concentration issues
Low mood
Sleep disturbances
Tiredness
Vaginal dryness
Can acupuncture for menopause help me?
Systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials have found that acupuncture and moxibustion (the use of mugwort to warm the acupuncture points) is at least as effective, and sometimes superior to, hormonal drug treatment.
Chinese medicine describes many of the symptoms as being caused by a deficiency in Blood and of fluids that have become depleted through years of monthly blood loss. Acupuncture for menopause helps by strengthening your blood production and fluid circulation.
Where do the needles go?
We generally use a combination of ‘local’ and ‘distal’ points. ‘Local’ points are on your abdomen and are above and below your navel. ‘Distal’ points are on your arms and legs, generally below your elbow and knees.
I will always discuss what points I am going to use first and make sure that you feel comfortable. If you do not, please let me know.
How much treatment do I need?
At the initial consultation we go through your medical history and any notes or test results that you have, and combine these with a Chinese medical diagnosis to develop an individual treatment plan to suit you. Treatment is generally advised every week to two weeks for as long as is necessary.
