Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

Menopause is not a disease, it is the normal physiological transition in a women’s life from a reproductive to a non-reproductive state. Indeed many women don’t experience any uncomfortable symptoms, while others do experience symptoms to various degrees. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) states; the degree to which one experiences these symptoms is dependent on lifestyle and dietary habits throughout her life. From a Chinese perspective, most menopausal symptoms are generally due to a decline of Kidney essence in its Yin or Yang aspect, with many variations of this pattern. Emotional stress, such as worry, anxiety, and fear are extremely important causes of weakening the kidneys. As well, overwork in the sense of working long hours without adequate rest combined with irregular diet and worry is also an important and frequent cause of kidney deficiency.

Menopause at a Glance

• Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when the function of the ovaries ceases. The ovary, or female gonad, is one of a pair of reproductive glands in women.
• The process of menopause does not occur overnight, but rather is a gradual process. This so-called perimenopausal transition period is a different experience for each woman.
• The average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. There is no reliable lab test to predict when a woman will experience menopause.
• The age at which a woman starts having menstrual periods is not related to the age of menopause onset.
• A woman is in menopause when she has had no menstrual periods (menses) for 12 months and has no other medical reason for her menses to stop.
• Treatments for menopause are directed toward alleviating the symptoms present in the particular woman affected.

Symptoms of Menopause

• headaches
• fatigue
• lethargy
• irritability
• anxiety
• nervousness
• depression
• insomnia
• inability to concentrate
• hot flushes
• vaginal dryness
• sweating

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) alleviates the symptoms of menopause by nourishing the essence within the body through the use of acupuncture, herbs, and diet therapy. Chinese medicine can offer a gentle, safe, effective and logical alternative to HRT. Acupuncture and herbal therapies work well on their own, or with hormone replacement therapy, as the two works in markedly different ways. HRT works by tricking the body into thinking that it is still ovulating but does not nourish the body’s, Kidney Essence. TCM, on the contrary, works by gently tonifing the Kidneys and the Kidney essence to help the women in this transitional time of life.

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