Managing Menopause with Chinese Medicine

Managing Menopause with Chinese Medicine

By Ashley Miller, MSTOM, ACA

Menopause marks a great transition in a woman’s life. Most women cringe at the thought of going through this change because of some of the “side-effects” that it seems to bring. The hormonal changes that accompany menopause often cause hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, and dryness, among other complaints.

Although some women find relief with hormone replacement therapy, this is not the right choice for everyone. Women who are looking for a natural, drug free approach to regulating their hormones should consider acupuncture and herbal therapy.

In Chinese medical theory, a state of good health results when there is a harmonious balance of both yin and yang in the body. Yin can be thought of as the blood and fluids that help cool the body, while yang can be thought of as the metabolic heat that fuels all the activity of the body.  As we age, there is a natural decline of both yin and yang. When the yin becomes deficient compared to the yang, the body loses its natural cooling mechanism. This can cause the body to overheat and results in the night sweats, hot flashes, irritability, and insomnia that are common complaints in menopause. In contrast, if the yang becomes deficient in relation to the yin, there is not enough body heat to sustain the proper metabolic rate, and the result can be fatigue, weight gain, water retention, and depression, which some menopausal women also experience.

Acupuncture and herbal therapy are powerful tools to help balance the yin and yang to provide relief for women going through this change. Scientific studies suggest that these therapies actually act on the endocrine system to help balance hormones to relieve the symptoms of menopause. Chinese medicine takes a holistic approach that balances body, mind, and soul to improve both the mental and physical state of the patient. In combination with a clean, healthy diet and certain lifestyle changes such as exercise and stress reduction, Chinese medicine can help many women experience menopause in a much more positive light.

Ashley Miller holds a master’s degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, California. She is certified by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to practice acupuncture. She is the owner of Magnolia Acupuncture Clinic at 434 N. Columbia St, Suite L in Covington and can be reached at 985-590-5172 or www.covingtonacupuncture.com.