Acupuncture & TCM for: MENOPAUSE & KIDNEY DEFICIENCY

Menopause. All women will make the transition from their fertile years through menopause and beyond; but not all will suffer with ‘menopausal symptoms’. There are the physiological changes that occur and then there are the emotional, cultural and social contexts to consider.

TCM theory will often refer to the 7 year cycles for women, and as the 7th cycle approaches (age 49) the Kidney Qi and Essence declines, the Tian Gui becomes exhausted and the Chong and Ren channels are no longer nourished. An imbalance of Yin and Yang results which can impact other organs, such as the Spleen, Heart & Liver. This will manifest in the irregular nature of periods, erratic intervals and varying quantities of blood.

TCM gynaecology describes symptoms of menopause as: flushing and sweating, dizziness, blurred vision, palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability, tinnitus, headache, ‘5 hearts hot’, forgetfulness, dry skin & vagina, sore lower back & legs or even the sensation of insects crawling on the skin.

There are a few main categories for the purpose of correct TCM diagnosis & herbal formulae prescribing:

Kidney (& Liver) Yin deficiency with Yang rising
Kidney (& Spleen) Yang deficiency
Heart Blood deficiency
Kidney Yin & Yang deficiency

Chinese herbal formulas, such as ‘Liu Wei Di Huang Wan’ and acupuncture offer alternatives to medications in treating the symptoms of menopause, especially hot flushes. (Dodin et al., 2013); and of course diet & lifestyle choices play an important role in how we feel and transition through life.

If you are getting a little hot under the collar and feel like menopausal symptoms are becoming problematic, give me a call so we can work out what treatments are best for you.

Dodin, S., Blanchet, C., Marc, I, Ernst, E., Wu, T., Vaillancourt, C., Paquette, J., Maunsell, E. (2013). Acupuncture for menopausal hot flushes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD007410. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007410.pub2