While we often think of "hot flashes" when someone mentions menopause, individuals going through menopause experience a wide array of symptoms including:
irregular periods
fatigue
insomnia or early awakening
vaginal dryness
anxiety
mood changes
dry skin
thinning of the hair
All of these symptoms are directly connected to the biochemical changes associated with the decline of estrogen and other hormones including progesterone and testosterone. Any of the aforementioned symptoms may have an impact on a person's quality of life, but hot flashes, or vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are one of the most commonly reported complaints. One of the purported causes of VMS during menopause is the reduction in β-endorphins in the hypothalamus resulting from low concentrations of estrogen. While some patients turn to hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture is an effective, safe and natural treatment option. Acupuncture alleviates hot flashes while regulating endorphins and other neurotransmitters. In doing so, this treatment can also alleviate the anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and moodiness that often times accompanies menopause.
Please feel free to call us at 301.880.3232 and it would be our pleasure to schedule a comprehensive evaluation and acupuncture treatment for you with Dr. Christina Tian.
References:
Avis, Nancy E. PhD1; Coeytaux, Remy R. MD, PhD3; Isom, Scott MS2; Prevette, Kristen BA1; Morgan, Timothy PhD2 Acupuncture in Menopause (AIM) study: a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial, Menopause: June 2016 - Volume 23 - Issue 6 - p 626-637 doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000597
He Q, Ren Y, Wang Y, Zhang F, Zhang S. The efficacy and safety of acupuncture for perimenopause symptom compared with different sham acupuncture control groups. Medicine. 2020;99(10). doi:10.1097/md.0000000000019366