Acupuncture and Chinese medicine understand that these symptoms and signs are merely indications that deep within a woman's body an imbalance exists. This 3,000 year-old healing art focuses upon the underlying imbalances that have occurred over the years. These imbalances, left unchecked, can result in the various symptoms and signs that reflect the Western diagnosis of menopause.
Acupuncture and a woman's natural process
Menopause signifies "a change" within a woman's life. This change occurs because a woman's body chemistry is shifting. Chinese medicine recognizes this chemistry change as a natural or unnatural process that takes place.
Estrogen is similar to what acupuncturists call Jing. Jing is a gift given to all of us at the time of conception by our parents. It is our battery that provides us with the basic energy to power all our life functions. When Jing is plentiful, our ability to adapt to disease, illness, and change is optimal.
With age, we slowly drain Jing energy from our battery. Some people do it faster than others, but as we approach the ages between 35-60, Jing naturally begins to decline. When Jing declines, our bodies become unbalanced and various symptoms and signs occur: graying hair, loss of libido, backache, and fatigue.
Another cause for menopause is the slowing of the flow of Yin. The concept of Yin is like the cooling system of the body. When this cooling system declines, heat symptoms will arise, leading to hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, heart .jpg)
palpitations, and insomnia.
Sometimes, instead of Yin slowing, Yang energy declines. Yang represents the warming and metabolizing functions of the body. When Yang is unbalanced, symptoms may include water retention, weight gain, edema, indigestion, hypertension, or raised cholesterol levels. Left untreated, a decline and imbalance of Jing, Yin, or Yang can lead to the symptoms and signs associated with menopause.
What can an acupuncturist do?
When Dr. Hanna treats menopausal symptoms, he first determines where the energy has changed and what organ symptoms have become unbalanced. Once this is known, various natural therapies, such as acupuncture, herbs, meditation, Qi Gong, and diet changes can be used to correct the imbalances.