Harnessing the Power of Acupuncture for Hormonal Changes in Menopause

Read my Instagram post about how one of my lovely patients has found relief and a sense of hope through regular acupuncture. I have also written an article for the Secret Space Blog about how acupuncture can help if you’re suffering from anxiety in perimenopause and menopause and would like to explore a natural approach to feeling calmer.

In September 2023 I completed the Louise Newson Confidence In Menopause course so you can have full confidence in my ability to support and guide you through what can be a tricky time. The course involves education about how to start HRT, all types of HRT, knowing when it may be time to change your dosage, and how to achieve good symptom control in partnership with your GP.

Exploring the Benefits of Acupuncture: choose a better menopause

Understanding Menopausal Hormonal Changes

Menopause brings about significant hormonal shifts in a woman's body, leading to various physical and emotional symptoms which affect everyone differently and may become debilitating. Understanding these changes is crucial for finding effective management strategies. Awareness of how your body is changing is essential so you can take positive steps to have a better menopause. While we may be familiar with common menopausal symptoms like disturbed sleep, night sweats, weight gain, and mood changes, anxiety is the symptom that often catches women off guard. The sudden racing heartbeat, increased overwhelm, and difficulty coping can have a significant impact, especially in the workplace. It's crucial to acknowledge these changes as completely normal and to realise that there is support available.

The Role of Acupuncture in Menopause: finding what works for you

Regulating Hormonal Balance

Acupuncture stimulates specific points on the body, promoting the release of endorphins and regulating hormonal fluctuations. This can help restore balance and help to reduce the vasodilation response to ease the worst of symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. By smoothing out the highs and lows of the perimenopausal hormone rollercoaster we can also begin to ease anxiety and reduce how stressed you are feeling.

Enhancing Blood Flow and Energy Flow

Acupuncture improves blood circulation and where blood flows there is energy, and this can help address symptoms like fatigue, insomnia, and cognitive changes such as brain fog which are commonly experienced during menopause.

Promoting Emotional Well-being

During this stage of life, women often find themselves overwhelmed by various responsibilities, including raising children, caring for elderly parents, and managing their professional careers. As a result, their own health and well-being often take a backseat. It is not uncommon for women who visit my clinic to have ignored their own needs for an extended period of time. When the emotional challenges of menopause, such as mood swings, anxiety, and depression, are added to this equation, it's understandable that many women feel like they are struggling.

Managing Specific Symptoms

Because acupuncture works to optimise hormones and stimulate blood flow, it also shows good results in improving specific menopausal symptoms, such as vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, and joint pain and one of the huge benefits of embracing a holistic approach based on Traditional Chinese Medicine is that we can address these separate concerns in the same course of treatment.

The menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson has written an article about how acupuncture can be used successfully as part of an integrated approach to improving menopause symptoms alongside HRT. She notes that anyone interested in a course of treatments needs to work with a degree-level trained British Acupuncture Council member who can deliver advanced acupuncture suitable for menopause.

What can I expect from my treatment plan?

If you would like to work with me to make your menopause better, I offer all my patients personalised nutritional and lifestyle advice alongside acupuncture treatments. In addition, I support you in how best to talk to your GP or doctor about what you need to start feeling better, whether that is starting HRT, changing the type or dose of HRT or a referral to a specialist. Typically, you can expect a course of acupuncture treatments to last 8-12 weeks and depending on the severity of your symptoms when I first see you, you may need to attend twice weekly for two or three weeks until we see solid improvement.