Acupuncture for 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 process.

Estrogen is similar to what acupuncturists call Jing Qi.  Jing Qi is like a gift that is given to all of us at the time of conception .  It is the battery that provides us with the basic energy to power al our life functions.  When Jing Qi is abundant, our ability to adapt to disease, illness and stress is optimal.  As we age, our supply of Jing Qi naturally begins to decline between the ages of 35 to 60, although some people drain it faster than others.  When Jing Qi declines, the Organ System within our body becomes unbalanced.  This leads to various symptoms and signs, such as graying hair, loss of libido, weakness of knees, urinary difficulty, poor memory, backache and fatigue.

Another factor that can contribute to menopause is an imbalance in Yin and Yang energies.  One possible scenario is an imbalance caused by the slowing of the flow of Yin.  Yin can be thought of as the cooling system of the body.  When the cooling system declines, heat symptoms will naturally arise, leading to night sweats, restlessness, hot flashes, mood swings, heart palpitation and insomnia.

the decline of Yang energy can also lead to imbalance.  Yang represents the warming and metabolizing functions of the body. When Yang is unbalanced, symptoms may include water retention, cold hands and feet, weight gain, edema, indigestion, hypertention, or raised cholesterol levels

Left untreated, a decline and imbalance of Jing, Yin or Yan will lead to the symptoms and signs that are normally associated with a Western diagnosis of menopause.