Is Acupuncture Helpful For Menopause?

Every society and culture has unique methods for treating illness. Many people are taking a look at what is on offer outside of their own narrow medical paths. For some people, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture are a revelation. These techniques are thought to be quite effective yet gentle on the system in comparison with what Western medicine has on offer.

Achieving Longevity

According to the philosophy of TCM, menopause is the time during which the female body ceases its reproductive cycles so as to preserve a woman's resources and natural energy for coping with old age and for achieving longevity. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a belief that menopause is not a condition but rather an imbalance of hormones that leads to a kind of internal chaos in the female body.

It is interesting to note that symptoms of menopause in Asian women bother them very little in comparison with their western sisters. The event of menopause in Asian women is less affecting because their lifestyles are slower-paced so that less stress is induced. Their diet is also much more healthful and contributes to the Asian woman's general wellbeing during menopause.

There are over 2000 acupuncture trigger points in the human body. These triggers have common links through groupings that connect to 20 different pathways or meridians. Each meridian serves to conduct the life force between the body's surface and its internal organs. When meridians are blocked the life force cannot flow from link to link and the body and the mind will show symptoms of illness. Unblocking these forces will restore health.

Unblocking Meridians

Just as menopause symptoms vary from woman to woman, so will the acupuncturist's treatment vary according to the individual. Each symptom corresponds to a different pathway and unblocking the correct meridian is the key to relieving the symptoms. An interview with the patient should help to determine the proper course of acupuncture.

Treatment is administered through the insertion of thin needles into trigger points. These needles stimulate the meridians so that the life force will be produced therein. Depending on where the trouble spots are, an acupuncturist can and will insert needles into the arms, legs, and shoulders, and even into the feet. When the treatment is applied by an experienced hand, there will be no pain or bleeding.

What you may experience is a bit of tingling or some numbness that disappears with rapid speed. Treatment tends to last about half an hour and patients report a feeling of relaxation at the end of acupuncture sessions. A patient may need many treatments over a long period of time to experience benefits, though you might feel some symptom reduction right away.