Acupuncture for Menopause and Perimenopause

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Acupuncture for Menopause and Perimenopause

Perimenopause like puberty is a time of fluctuating hormone levels. At first progesterone declines, then oestrogen levels swing up and down. These imbalances can have multi systemic effects, impacting the digestive system, the nervous system, the brain, and the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and immune systems.

Acupuncture is a holistic therapy; we look for connections between symptoms in different body systems, and treat psychological as well as physical health. In China and other eastern countries, it is common for menopausal women to use acupuncture, dietary changes and herbal medicine to manage symptoms of menopause.

Evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture for menopausal symptoms:

In a study from 2018 (British Medical Journal), weekly acupuncture was given to a group of women with mild to moderate symptoms of menopause and perimenopause over a period of 6 weeks. 80% of participants in the acupuncture group reported a general beneficial effect. More specifically the acupuncture group noticed a decrease in hot flushes, day-and-night sweats, menopausal-specific sleeping problems, emotional symptoms and skin and hair problems compared with the control group (who had no treatment over the same period).

Acupuncture for perimenopausal “brain fog”

Brain fog is a temporary condition associated with early menopause. Recent neurological studies have found that the brain undergoes a massive rewiring during perimenopause and the first few years of menopause. The cognitive deficits include:

•  Poor concentration
• Thinking more slowly than usual
• Fuzzy thoughts and lost words
• Forgetfulness

Evidence from brain scans shows that acupuncture activates distinct brain regions and improves blood flow to the brain, contributing to better mental clarity. It also soothes the nervous system (modulating adaptive neurotransmitters in related brain regions to alleviate autonomic response). These properties make acupuncture a useful tool in the management of brian fog and mental fatigue.

Acupuncture for menopause and hot flushes with sleep disturbance

Hot flushes and sleep disturbance are experienced by 75% of women in menopause and late perimenopause. Hot flushes can be well managed with acupuncture. A study published in 2015 involving over 800 women found that acupuncture significantly reduced hot flush frequency and severity and had a positive impact on well being (Chui et al).

In our experience the positive effects of acupuncture last for some months after a 6 week course and can be topped up by less frequent visits. We also provide dietary and lifestyle advice if helpful.

Acupuncture for menopause to help with weight gain

Weight gain in menopause is common, and usually due to changes in the body’s reaction to the hormone insulin. Menopause puts women at risk of ‘insulin resistance’ and this in turn can worsen menopausal symptoms by driving up inflammation.

Signs of insulin resistance are abdominal weight gain (apple shape), fatigue, sugar cravings and raised cholesterol. Women with a history of PCOS or a family history of diabetes are more at risk. Digestive health is therefore vital in the management of menopause.

The standard approaches for tackling weight gain (exercise and diet) often have little impact in this situation as the underlying metabolic issues need to be addressed. It’s a fact that it’s hard to lose weight at this time, it’s not due to lack of application.

Chinese medicine has a long history of treating metabolic and digestive deficiency. We use acupuncture, Chinese dietary therapy and Chinese herbal medicine to support metabolic function, to improve digestive efficiency and therefore energy. We also have good relationships with functional nutritionists and will refer clients if we think they need that extra help.

… and finally, some good news about menopause

Only humans and some species of whales have evolved to live for many years post their fertile time. A logical conclusion is that in early human societies post-menopausal women contributed to the cohesion and survival of their tribes.

In Japan the word for menopause (konenki) also means renewal or second spring.

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