Menopause and Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help you go through menopause smoothly.

What is menopause?

Menopause is a normal, natural event. It is defined as the state of an absence of menstrual periods for 12 months (in the absence of other obvious causes). Menopause is associated with reduced functioning of the ovaries due to aging, resulting in lower levels of estrogen and other hormones. It marks the permanent end of fertility. Although varies, menopause occurs, on average, at age 51.

There is another term ‘perimenopause’ which literally means “the time around menopause” and is often used to refer to the menopausal transitional period. It can last six years or more.

Main Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause

Irregular vaginal bleeding
Hot flashes and night sweats
Tiredness and fatigue
Decreased memory
Mood swings
Vaginal dryness and itching
Urinary tract infection and urinary incontinence

Menopause and perimenopause from TCM perspective

Jing (Essence) is one of the most important substances in the body, and is responsible for birth, growth, development, sexuality, maturation, and aging. Jing is also the source of yin and yang. Kidney is the organ that stores jing.

As we age, kidney jing declines gradually. This gradual depletion of kidney jing is responsible for the timing and symptoms of menopause. Triggered by decreased jing, yin and yang will balance themselves given the body is in the right state (as our body is adaptive and resilient). However, many would see disharmony of yin and yang occurring due to various factors, including emotional stress, overwork, inadequate rest, irregular diet, etc.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for menopause and perimenopause

Acupuncture has been successfully used to control hot flashes, improve sleep and alleviate stress. In the meantime, it can also rebalance yin and yang.

It is worthwhile to mention Chinese herbal medicine in particular here as it can be amazingly helpful. Lin always recommends individually prescribed formula in stead of ready-made pills as each woman experiences different symptoms. Taking more aspects into consideration, a tailored prescription with more than 12 herbs gives the woman a better chance of profound benefit.

Your menopause transition can be smooth if in good hands.

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