Acupuncture for Menopause

By: TLC Acupuncture

Can acupuncture treat menopausal symptoms?

Our Brisbane acupuncture clinics can treat the symptoms of menopause and this is something we see in clinic regularly. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective, as a stand-alone treatment or to support medical treatment for reducing the unwanted physical and psychological symptoms of menopause (1).

Some of the common symptoms experienced during menopause and perimenopause include hot flushes, night sweats, lack of mental clarity, mood fluctuations, depression, anxiety, irritability, palpitations, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, weight gain, low libido, dry skin, dry scalp, itchy ears, dry vagina, pain on intercourse and frequent urination and frequent urinary tract infections.

What causes menopausal symptoms?

Most women go through menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 although the experience for each woman is quite different. Some women may have no unwanted symptoms, whilst others can have several unwanted symptoms in varying combinations.

Menopause occurs when a woman runs out of eggs and ovulation can no longer occur. The entire menstrual cycle slowly comes to an end along with the rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone. The rate that these hormones decline and the balance between the two is mainly responsible for the unwanted menopausal symptoms along with the overall state of health.

How can acupuncture help?

In making a Chinese medical diagnosis for the unwanted symptoms associated with menopause, practitioners consider the complete picture, taking all symptoms into account along with the woman’s overall state of health. They then tailor the acupuncture treatment and prescribe Chinese herbs to the individual as required, aiming to restore balance to hormone levels (2) and optimize overall health and vitality.

Research indicates that a course of acupuncture treatments significantly reduces unwanted menopausal symptoms compared to not receiving acupuncture. Furthermore, the clinical benefits persist for at least 6 months beyond the end of treatment (4).

When should I see an acupuncturist?

If you have any unwanted symptoms no matter how large or small book an appointment at one of Brisbane Acupuncture Clinics

Disclaimer – Each individual’s treatment and/or results may vary from patient to patient based upon the circumstances of the patient’s specific situation. A result is not promised and/or guaranteed from the act of receiving a treatment.

Clinical trials for acupuncture as an effective treatment for menopausal symptoms

There are hundreds of clinical trials confirming acupuncture as an effective treatment for menopausal
symptoms. Here are just a few:

1 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2016.0408

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182526/
3 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877782115001277
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4874921/
5 Acupuncture on Hot Flushes Among Menopausal Women, a randomized controlled
trial. Conducted in 2009 by Borud EK, Alraek T, White A, Fonnebo V, Eggen AE, Hammar M, Astrand
LL, Theodorsson E, Grimsgaard S at The National Research Center in Alternative and
Complementary Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway.
It concluded “Acupuncture plus self-care can contribute to a clinically relevant reduction in hot flashes
and increased health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women.”
PMID: 19423996 [PubMed]