Menopause

Acupuncture Benefits for Menopausal Women

Catherine Roberts

Published on February 14, 2014 Updated on June 16, 2020

Health Check Certified by Dr. Andrea Eisenberg, MD

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Acupuncture, the ancient Chinese medicine that targets various pressure points, or energy channels along the body, has been used to heal chronic conditions, promote weight loss, and improve injuries.

Eases Hot Flashes

Perhaps the most notable health studies, one from Turkish scientists and another from the National Center for Biotechnology Information credited acupuncture with lowering the incidence of menopausal hot flashes. The majority of test subjects enjoyed a 35-percent lower rate of hot flashes following acupuncture treatment—that’s a higher success rate than traditional hormone therapy.

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Soothes Menopause-Related Insomnia

Additional studies also gave kudos to acupuncture and its ability to encourage the sleep bug in the face of hormonal imbalance. It seems the holistic therapy may attempt to regulate hormones and reduce sleep problems—including restlessness, and menopause-related insomnia.

Mood Imbalances

According to the theory behind acupuncture, hormonal system imbalances occur when the internal balance of Yin-Yang energy is disrupted. Acupuncture attempts to strengthen and rebalance the Yin-Yang equality within the body, restoring internal balance and hormone-related symptoms, like irritability.

Night Sweats

Another effect of Yin-Yang imbalance, when fiery Yang energy overcomes cooling Yin energy the body can overheat, especially during sleep. This occurs due to Yin energy is weaning during menopause, which causes the body to be unable to cool itself down as quickly.

Fatigue

Acupuncturists who treat menopausal patients using a short series of regular appointments (i.e., weekly), many women reported an noticeable increase in energy levels as well as a decrease in menopausal fatigue due to raging hormones.

Spider and Varicose Veins

Acupuncture has been long credited with opening pathways and improving circulation throughout the body. So it’s no surprise that the instance of spider and varicose vein development would be greatly reduced thanks to overall improvements in blood circulation from regular acupuncture treatments.

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General Muscle Aches and Pains

Although medical scientists have scratched their heads over how an acupuncture needle inserted into one body part can heal another, there is no doubt of the effectiveness on menopausal patients. Those women regularly undergoing acupuncture therapy report reducing blood pressure, increased blood circulation, which both promote the release natural pain-relieving chemicals (i.e., endorphins).

Relief of Depression

In addition to increasing appetite and energy levels, menopausal women who underwent acupuncture treatments to restore hormonal balance, reported a decrease in menopause-related depression and overall feelings of negativity.

Catherine Roberts

Catherine is our go-to writer for women’s health news, diet trends and more. She’s dedicated to providing Activebeat readers with the information they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle every day.

Dr. Andrea Eisenberg, MD

Andrea Eisenberg, MD is a board certified OB/GYN in the Metro Detroit area. She has dedicated her life to caring for women through all stages of their lives -- from adolescence, to delivering babies, and later into menopause. Her special interests include minimally invasive surgeries, adolescence, family planning, infertility, and menopause. In her spare time she writes about the human side of medicine on her blog and has several essays published in a variety of journals. To decompress, she enjoys trail running and baking.