Chinese Medicine may have a solution for you
Menopause and perimenopause itself is not a disease. It is normal physiological change, nature’s way of slowing down the aging process in women past child-bearing age. Unfortunately, many women do not traverse this cusp quickly and smoothly.
Menopause symptoms include:
- Hot Flashes
- Night Sweats
- Menstrual Irregularity
- Uterine Spotting and Flooding
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Palpitations
- Migraines
- Insomnia
- Vaginal Dryness & Atrophy
- Vaginal Itching
- Osteoporosis
- Menopause and weight gain
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a 2.000 year old, professional medical system, and gynecology is one of its specialties. Within Chinese gynecology, menopausal syndrome is a recognized and treatable condition. In fact, it is one of the conditions that is most easily and satisfactorily treated by Chinese medicine (as long as onset is due to natural menopause age and not surgical).
Chinese medical practitioners may use acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine or a combination of both to treat menopausal symptoms. With either method, practitioners seek to nourish and supplement the liver and kidneys, boost the qi and fortify the spleen, nourish the heart and quiet the spirit, clear pathogenic heat and lower rising yang energy, thus restoring balance to the woman’s entire organism.
According to Chinese medical theory, menopause occurs when, because of the natural aging process, a woman’s body no longer produces sufficient blood to sustain a monthly period without this blood loss being draining on her body and particularly her kidneys, the organ Chinese medicine sees as the root of life and longevity. Therefore, the body in its wisdom reverses the flow of a channel in the center of the body which sends blood down to the uterus from the heart. Rather, blood and essence from the kidneys are sent up to the heart to nourish the woman’s spirit. Thus in Chinese medicine, menopause is seen as a true change in life from mother of biological children to mother of the community. This is why, in traditional cultures, post-menopausal women are regarded as wise women, since their heart and spirit is now nourished and enlightened in a way that it was not before.
This age-old, traditional wisdom is not folk-medicine or superstition. It is supported by clinical research from both China and Japan. Reports in both the Shandong Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine #6 1992 and Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine, #6, 1993, discuss the successful herbal treatment of a number of menopausal complaints, including hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, irritability, and heart palpitations. In the second study, 28 out of 30 women were either cured or markedly improved in 15 days to 2 month for a total amelioration rate of 93%.
In Yunnan Traditional Chinese Medicine, #5, 1993, the treatment of menopausal syndrome with ear acupuncture is presented. These women suffered from menstrual irregularity, hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, dizziness, emotional depression, uterine bleeding, and agitation. Tiny intradermal needles were embedded in acupoints in their ears over a period of 1 month. Eighty-seven percent of the women in the study registered significant improvement from this cheap and easy therapy.
Likewise, research in Japan has shown that menopausal and post-menopausal women using Chinese herbs had greater bone density than women in a comparison group not using Chinese herbs (Traditional Sino-Japanese Medicine, 13, 1992) Western practitioners not only use acupuncture and Chinese herbs to treat menopausal complaints but also typically advise patients on diet, exercise, and lifestyle, thus treating the whole person and bringing balance to every aspect of the patient’s life.
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Natural Healing Ways
East Bay Clinic for Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine
1115 Marin Ave
Albany, Ca. 94706
510-978-3444