Acupuncture for Menopause

Menopause Treatment

Serving Los Altos, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Menlo Park, Sunnyvale, Redwood City & San Francisco Bay Area

At Annie Wang Acupuncture our expert acupuncturists and staff are knowledgeable of the changes and nuances women in Los Altos and surrounding areas often experience when going through menopause. Hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, irritability, mood swings, fatigue, insomnia, and weight gain – menopause can be very disruptive to quality of your life. We provide menopause treatment for those who prefer a natural approach to find relief from this phase in life for women. Some women begin going through menopause in their early 40s, while others don’t begin noticing symptoms until their 50s. On average, menopause symptoms last for about 4.5 years although some have hot flashes and other symptoms for a decade or even longer.

Common Menopause Symptoms

How do you really know when you are entering into the menopause phase of your life? There are common symptoms that often occur prior to this stage in your life, known as perimenopause. These include:

• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Hot flashes/night sweats
• Mood swings
• Poor sleep or insomnia
• Vaginal dryness
• Chills
• Weight gain
• Anxiety
• Loss of libido
• Dry skin
• Heavy periods

These symptoms and others are thought to be “normal” by most women, but why let them steal your quality of life? Menopausal symptoms may also indicate various imbalances in the body that lead to the development of serious health issues as time goes on. Your ovaries make very little estrogen after menopause, and as a result you risk increases for heart disease and stroke, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, and oral issues such as a dry mouth and increased risk for cavities. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary modification often work to alleviate symptoms more naturally and promote wellness.

Natural Remedies for Menopause

In addition to acupuncture and herbal medicine, our practitioners educate our patients and will be able to recommend relaxation techniques, physical exercise, a healthy diet, nutritional supplements, and support smoking cessation if needed to help you alleviate symptoms caused by menopause without taking potentially dangerous hormones often prescribed with hormone replacement therapy (or HRT). HRT is medicine to help alleviate your menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. However, HRT may increase your risk for blood clots, stroke, and for some- cancers. Eating oily fish such as sardines or salmon has been shown to delay the onset of this condition; legumes seem to work in the same way when eaten regularly. Foods rich in vitamin D and calcium are good choices as they help to lower the risk of osteoporosis which often occurs due to hormonal changes. Herbal medicine for menopause can effectively reduce hot flashes, stabilize mood and more. Black cohosh, kava, dong quai, evening primrose oil, ginseng and others help with insomnia, fatigue, night sweats, headaches and other menopausal symptoms. Acupuncture is highly effective in menopause treatment and often used in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Acupuncture promotes hormonal balance and relaxation, helping reduce stress and balance the “qi” or energy pathways in the body. Also used to reduce or eliminate pain, acupuncture has been a primary component of Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Whether you are beginning to notice signs of menopause such as irregular periods or have been experiencing symptoms for some time, we are here to help you discover how to promote wellness of the body, mind and spirit. Your body has the ability to heal itself from within, helping you conquer the often life-changing symptoms of menopause. At Annie Wang Acupuncture we invite those in Belmont and Los Altos to visit us today. Menopause should not rule your life, or leave you feeling “old” or worn out. Try acupuncture to help you take back your energy, vitality and happiness!