Contents:
- Medical Video: Acupressure Treatments : Acupressure for Hot Flashes
- What is menopause and what is the effect on the body?
- Research shows that acupuncture can overcome the symptoms of hot flashes
Medical Video: Acupressure Treatments : Acupressure for Hot Flashes
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique where the therapist will stimulate certain points in the body by inserting a special needle through your skin. Acupuncture is believed to be able to overcome various health problems from starting to treat dizziness to increasing fertility. The latest findings suggest acupuncture can actually treat symptomshot flashes, which is a heat sensation that often occurs in menopausal women.
What is menopause and what is the effect on the body?
Menopause is a condition when the body no longer experiences menstrual periods per month. One of the main signs of menopause is when you don't experience menstruation for one year from your last period.
This condition marks the end of the reproductive period which means you cannot get pregnant again after menopause. The average woman experiences menopause in the age range of 40 to 50 years.
At menopause women usually experience various unusual symptoms. Usually this is influenced by hormone levels in the body that are not balanced. The following are the most common menopausal symptoms:
- The vagina feels dry
- Hot flashes, heat sensation throughout the body
- Frequent sweating at night
- Having a sleep disorder
- Mood changes easily
- Increased weight
- Thinning hair
- The skin becomes drier
- Sagging breasts
Research shows that acupuncture can overcome the symptoms of hot flashes
Hot flashes become one of the symptoms of menopause which is sometimes quite disturbing. Because the feeling of heat caused hot flashes can occur suddenly and attack long enough, that is in a matter of weeks. However, hot flashes can also occur in a short time and the symptoms come slowly. Hot flashes are characterized by several specific symptoms such as:
- Heat that spreads around the hands and upper body including the face.
- Reddish skin.
- Heart palpitations.
- Excessive sweating in the upper body.
- The body feels cold afterwards.
- It usually appears at night.
Researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston gathered 209 women aged 45 to 60 years. Participants were divided into two groups, 20 percent of women were given regular care from doctors and the other 80 percent were given doctor care plus acupuncture for six months.
As a result, after six months of treatment, more than a third of menopausal women who did acupuncture therapy experienced symptoms hot flashesit decreases.
Nancy Avis, PhD, lead author of the study states that acupuncture is quite effective in treating the symptoms of hot flashes and the results can even last for six months after treatment is stopped.
Researchers also say the decline in symptoms of hot flashes in menopausal women is suspected because acupuncture also plays a role in increasing the production of endorphins in the body, which this hormone serves to stabilize the temperature control system in the body.
Researchers also found evidence that acupuncture can reduce hot flashes during menopause without side effects. In the evidence found, most women experience an increase in conditions after three to four weeks of treatment.
Even so, acupuncture does not work effectively for all women. Therefore, if you want to try it, first consult your therapist, acupuncturist or doctor of your beliefs.
