Menopause is a time of change for women, a chance to step out of their child-bearing years and look forward to new types of fulfillment. However, it is often accompanied by some unpleasant physical changes.
Hot flashes. Irregular periods. Night sweats. Headaches. For women, these symptoms, along with others, signal the hormonal changes associated with menopause.
For some women, the signs are mildly annoying; for others, they can be life-disrupting. The Western approach to treatment is providing hormone supplementation. But the side effects of those hormones and the ethics of their products often create as many problems as they solve.
Find Natural Relief
Acupuncture, performed by Dr. Aleksandra Mihajlovic, a licensed practitioner, can reduce or alleviate these and other uncomfortable perimenopausal and menopausal complaints. Acupuncture can also increase energy, improve sexual function, reduce sleep-related issues, and benefit mental and emotional health. Prescription medications, on the other hand, carry side effects that are significantly less pleasant.
The benefits of acupuncture for the treatment of menopause are not simply supported anecdotally or throughout history. A small 2019 study in Denmark showed both swift and significant improvements in women's symptoms after only a six-week treatment window.
The symptoms resolved were not just emotional: women in the study noted improvements to their skin and hair, as well as hot flashes, after only three weeks. Other studies have shown the effects of acupuncture for menopausal symptoms last well after the treatment has been performed.
Experience Lasting Results
Perimenopause and menopause may last up to several years. Luckily, the benefits of acupuncture, particularly for hot flashes, last beyond the initial treatment period of weeks or months.
Whereas medication must be taken in an ongoing fashion with careful monitoring by a blood test, acupuncture rebalances the hormonal system naturally, and the effects endure after the process has been completed.
Perimenopause and menopause are often associated with weight gain, as well as changes in emotional regulation and sleep. Acupuncture is an effective remedy for each of these issues.
In contrast, Western medicine would require a bevy of different medications, each with its own potentially unpleasant or habit-forming side effects, to treat these concerns. Hormone replacement therapy has been linked to such risks as heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer, while acupuncture has few risks when performed by an experienced, trained practitioner.
Acupuncture as Adjuvant Treatment
For women who do choose or require medical hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture can also be used as an adjuvant or supportive treatment, potentially allowing them to use less medication for less time.
This reduces the health risks of hormone replacement therapy and increases the efficacy of treatment overall. Yet another benefit of acupuncture is that it can be used in concordance with Western medical practices with minimal risk.
Menopause need not be a life-disrupting period of chaos and confusion. Instead, through using both the historically and scientifically proven treatment of acupuncture, it can be a time of rebirth, a chance for women to reflect and make thoughtful choices about the direction of the rest of their lives.
Women can continue to be fully present as mothers and partners, continue to be productive in the workplace, and be enthusiastic participants in their hobbies and towards their personal goals.
Contact Dr. Aleksandra Mihajlovic for a consultation so we can help you explore and enjoy your life transition rather than dreading and enduring it!
