Menopause and HRT
Most gynecologists have a knee-jerk reaction when it comes to a common issue among aging women: if it's menopause, it's time for Premarin. While this may be all right for some women some of the time, it is not for all women all of the time. Most women heed to their doctors, and some seek to be educated about alternative points of view. Although hormone supplementation may be useful and warranted, conventional pharmaceuticals (like Premain, Provera, Estraderm, Estrace) are not the only nor necessarily best choices. An educated decision is best for every woman experiencing menopause. Acupuncture and herbal formulas, when combined, can be of enormous benefit to traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy.

The Western View
Derived from the Greek word hormon which means "to urge on, excite or stimulate," hormones are chemical messengers disseminated via the bloodstream to regulate cell physiology. They interact with and counterbalance each other. In the follicular phase, the ovaries secrete estrogen to produce eggs. After ovulation, the space once occupied by the egg produces about 20 mg of progesterone daily. The ovaries, along with the thyroid and adrenals, form an integral part responsible for the processes of reproduction, growth, maturation, metabolism, maintenance of temperature and pressure, red blood cell production, and adaptation to stressors like infection, trauma, and other environmental influences.

The current medical wisdom is the product of an industrially manufactured consciousness. In 1966, Searle, Upjohn, and Wyeth-Ayerst pathologized the perception of menopause, transforming it from a transitional life stage into a chronic disease process by hiring a Brooklyn physician named Robert A. Wilson to write a book called Feminine Forever, proclaiming that estrogen would protect a woman's youth and save her from "living decay." The book injected fear by insisting that without estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), bones would dissolve, hearts would clog, vaginas would shrivel, breasts would sag, skin would crinkle, and minds would deteriorate.

Estrogen became perceived to be the miracle antidote to loss. The marketing campaign worked. Menopause is now universally and virtually unanimously treated with estrogen. Estrogen sales jumped from $17 million in 1966 to $83 million in 1976, and in 1990 sales swelled to $460 million. After the NIH Consensus Conference on Estrogen Use and Postmenopausal Women, this summary was concluded: "Given the current state of knowledge, no general recommendation, applicable to all postmenopausal women can be made....(HRT is a) promising but unproven approach to prevention."

The Eastern View
While Western doctors define the problems associated with menopause as stemming solely from estrogen deficiency, estrogen, along with other hormones, is subsumed within the larger category of internal secretions known as Essence (jing) in Chinese medicine. Estrogen is a kind of Essence just like carrots are a kind of vegetable, but just as all vegetables are not carrots, not all Essence is estrogen.

When Essence is plentiful, our ability to resist disease and adapt to change is optimal. With age, these capacities decline. If throughout our lives we run the body economy at a deficit, the resources eventually catch up with us. Menopausal complaints are the outcome of deficit spending; the debt can no longer be rolled over because there's no longer a cushion of funds from which to draw. Menopausal problems result from the diminuition of Essence and a consequent deficiency of Qi and Blood.

Stored by the Kidney, Essence is the origin of all Yin (Blood and Moisture) and Yang (Qi and Warmth). Loss of libido, stamina, hearing, vision, lower back pain, sore hips or knees, apathy, despair, dull mindedness, memory problems, vaginal dryness and atrophy, thinning of bones, deterioration of teeth and gums are all symptoms of deficient Essence.

When Essence becomes depleted, so do Blood and Qi, Yin and Yang. Lack of Qi produces fatigue, weakness, dull thinking, melancholy, and decreased motivation. Deficiency of Blood leads to weak vision, dizziness, night sweats, irritability, and restless sleep. Lack of Blood deprives muscles, tendons, and ligaments of sufficient nourishment and suppleness, so they become tight and inflamed leading to muscle cramps, joint pain, and neck tension. The organism responds to state of scarcity with anxiety, for lack of Blood disrupts the smooth flow that preserves elasticity of tissue and emotional flexibility. As Kidney Essence declines, a domino effect engenders down line deficiencies that eventually impact the Liver, Heart, Spleen, and Lung.

Hot flashes are a consequence of the inability of Yin to restrain Yang, causing heat to flare upward uncontrollably. This results in Dryness (dry eyes, skin, hair, and vagina; brittle nails, constipation, possibly cystitis). This also causes symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, easy bruising, poor concentration, fluid retention, indigestion and bloating, which leads to agitation, flushing, and perspiration followed by chilliness, weakness, and fatigue.

Many women have signs of both Kidney Yin and Yang depletion. However, because hot flashes, sweating, agitation, and dryness (Kidney Yin Deficient symptoms) are more "attention-getting," acupuncture and herbs that treat Kidney Yin deficiency are often overemphasized at the expense of those that restore the true Yang of the Life Gate, an equally important goal.

In summary, acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas are effective natural solutions to menopausal symptoms. There are no negative side effects (i.e. stroke, heart attack, blood clots, cancer, weight gain, etc.). Treatment and results may vary between women. This is influenced by many factors of individual histories such as previous menstrual cycles, overall emotional health and well-being, lifestyle choices and stresses, and dietary and exercise patterns.

Remember, acupuncture has been used with one third of the world's population of women for over 5,000 years. It is truly an "ancient method" and a modern medical breakthrough.

Acupuncture and Menopause Research Study

In a randomized two-group clinical study, researchers used acupuncture for relieving menopausal hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood changes. The experimental acupuncture treatment consisted of specific acupuncture body points related to menopausal symptoms. The comparison acupuncture treatment consisted of a treatment designated as a general tonic specifically designed to benefit the flow of Qi.

Results from the experimental acupuncture treatment group showed a decrease in mean monthly hot flash severity for site-specific acupuncture. The comparison acupuncture treatment group had no significant change in severity from baseline over the treatment phase. Sleep disturbances in the experimental acupuncture declined over the study. Mood changes in both the experimental acupuncture treatment group and the comparison acupuncture treatment group showed a significant difference between the baseline and the third month of the study. The researchers concluded that acupuncture using menopausal-specific sites held promise for non-hormonal relief of hot flashes and sleep disturbances.