Acupuncture Can Help With the Menopause

Treating Symptoms of Menopause with Acupuncture

Our case study gives an insight into how acupuncture can help with the menopause. As you reach the age of menopause, most ladies will tell you that it brings its own problems. Restlessness, hot flushes, weight gain and mood swings can all be symptoms of the menopause. A client contacted The Riverside Natural Health Centre. She wondered if acupuncture could help reduce her hot flushes. For confidentiality reasons, I’ve changed her name and called her Lydia.

Lydia wanted relief from the hot flushes which started over 10 years ago. The last few months they had become stronger and more frequent. Sometimes she would have 4 hot flushes an hour. These would happen through the day and night.

During the night, suffering from being very hot in bed was becoming common. So hot, she would have to remove the covers to try and cool down. The disrupted sleep was causing tiredness and a feeling of lethargic. The flushes were also disrupting her work life too. These symptoms were noticed by her colleagues and sometimes cause embarrassment. Lydia could see no end to them! She was unable to take HRT because of a history of breast cancer in her family and her GP couldn’t offer another alternative.

Acupuncture Can Help With The Menopause

Lydia had heard that acupuncture can help with the menopause, so she decided to book an appointment with an acupuncturist at The Riverside Natural Health Centre. Lydia left the first acupuncture treatment feeling very positive. By the following weeks appointment the hot flushes were less intense. She was still getting the same number of flushes but she wasn’t feeling as hot. Describing it as moments of ‘feeling warm’, Lydia’s sleep had improved because the hot flushes had become less intense.

After the second acupuncture treatment the intensity and frequency of the flushes had drastically decreased. She looked brighter and happier and she even arrived at the centre wearing boots, jacket and trousers. She felt delighted to wear this type of clothing because before the treatments she would have found them too hot to wear.

The acupuncturist offered advice about which foods to eat and which foods to avoid. Certain types of food can invoke heat in the body such as alcohol, coffee and red meat. Smoking is another factor that can induce heat and can exacerbate hot flushes.

The Successful Outcome

Lydia went on to have two further treatments, which in total made four weekly visits. On conclusion of the four treatments she said she had some days where she didn’t have any moments of ‘feeling warm’ and definitely no flushes.

The positive treatment has since seen Lydia attending a sauna at her local gym. Something she wouldn’t have dared to do before her acupuncture treatments. Lydia also advised us that she was looking forward to wearing her nice scarves again. Something she hadn’t worn for a long time due to her hot flushes

Her acupuncturist, Sarah, advised her to visit for treatment every 4-6 weeks to keep the flushes at bay. It would be important to keep them under control and make sure they don’t start to creep back again which could happen whilst Lydia is still experiencing the menopause.