Menopause
What is Menopause?
Menopause refers to the period in a person’s life in which the ceasing of menstruation occurs. The transitional years can be experience by most people in their 40’s, and it can be scary and tough. As we age, our body needs a little more support than it used to and taking health risks can have more consequences. However, the good news is that there are plenty of solutions to successfully find your way through this phase and one primary element is to maintain your health. At Whole Family Health, we are here to support you and your health in order to make that transition a little smoother.
Treatment
Acupuncture
For many people, the transition into menopause is an unpleasant one, but it doesn’t have to be. Acupuncture is a natural, drug-free alternative to managing the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause. It helps restore the body’s natural balance and reduces or eliminates overt symptoms like hot flashes and insomnia.
Acupuncture can support you with the following symptoms related to peri-menopause and menopause:
- Irregular cycles
- Heavy periods
- Weight gain
- Sleep disturbances
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Anxiety
In Chinese medicine menopause occurs because of a decline in ‘yin’ energy related to a natural hormonal shift, as the body transitions to a decrease in production of menstrual blood. The blood is redirected to the heart, for further nourishing and cultivating of wisdom and compassion.
However, modern science tells us that this transition is related to decline of estrogen, which is the primary cause of menopausal symptoms. We want you to be able to handle the transition of declining estrogen smoothly and are able to help with a variety of menopausal symptoms that include:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Headaches
The most common symptoms associated with menopause are hot flashes and night sweats – which can be primarily triggered by toxin accumulation in the body. Regular massage can help your body to release toxins and promote blood circulation, reducing uncomfortable symptoms. Other accompanying symptoms massage can help with include:
- Stiff neck and shoulders
- Backaches
- Headaches/Migraines
- Leg cramps
- Depression
- Anxiety
Also, as part of your treatment plan we can teach you self-care techniques that include acupressure to ensure you are receiving extended benefits from your massage sessions.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
We may even suggest some Chinese herbal formulas that aid in menopausal symptom relief depending on your health needs. Massage can help you find relaxation again by reducing stress, which is often a trigger for many menopausal symptoms. This is because the adrenal glands which help us deal with stress are already under stress trying to adjust to take over for the ovaries. Finding time for relaxation will give yourself the ability to cope with these new changes more efficiently.
Nutrition and Diet
It has been said before that a well-balanced diet consisting of a variety of foods is important to the integrity of our health. This is especially true for those going through menopause with the exception of increasing a few specific nutrients. Since the ovaries are no longer producing as much estrogen and increasing foods that do contain plant estrogens could ease some of the symptoms that come along with menopause.
Lifestyle and Mind-Body Medicine
In addition to acupuncture and nutrition, learning relaxation techniques are greatly beneficial to general health and wellbeing. Chronic, or acute, lifestyle stress can have a wide variety of negative effects on the body, including reproductive organ blood flow and hormone regulation. Physical and psychological stress can make existing symptoms worse and delay overall internal healing.
Techniques that elicit the relaxation response (a state of deep relaxation in which the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate decrease, muscle tension relaxes, stress hormone levels fall, and the mind becomes tranquil), and relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga may aid greatly in bringing balance to mental and emotional states. Practicing focused deep-breathing, meditation, yoga, tai-chi and other activities are among those that can increase your chances of a healthy life and pregnancy. Listening to music, focused breathing, or being outside in nature are also effective methods of managing stress.
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce inflammation and balance hormones. Studies also show that it helps to reduce stress and increase resilience.
