Perimenopause and Menopause
Support to manage hot flashes, support your hormonal balance, rediscover your well-being and enjoy a smoother transition through perimenopause.
Perimenopause is a natural phase of life, but it can be a challenging time if your hormones are out of balance or you’re feeling depleted. Discover effective ways to support your hormones and address imbalances, leading to a smoother transition into menopause and helping you to feel more like yourself again, using acupuncture and Integrative Chinese Medicine.
What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause, the transition period of up to 10 years before periods stop, can often feel like a “second puberty” with its own set of challenges. These changes can start as early as age 35.
Hormonal shifts during this time may cause:
- Hot flushes & night sweats
- Low energy, brain fog
- Insomnia
- Anxiety, mood swings
- Metabolic changes, weight gain
- Joint pain
- Low libido, vaginal dryness
- Urinary symptoms
- Menstrual cycle changes – irregular cycles, heavier flooding periods
Can acupuncture treat hot flushes?
Hot flushes are a common and disruptive symptom of perimenopause. Hormonal imbalances affect the brain’s temperature control centre, leading to uncomfortable “vasomotor symptoms” – hot flushes, night sweats, often with disrupted sleep, chills, anxiety, and palpitations.
Acupuncture can help the body relax and manage stress better, and this is good news for addressing hot flushes. Research shows that high stress levels can increase the frequency and intensity of hot flushes. By regulating the parasympathetic nervous system, acupuncture can help ease hot flushes and other perimenopausal symptoms, bringing you back to a state of calm and comfort.
Chinese herbs for balanced hormones
During perimenopause, periods become unpredictable and hormone balance is disrupted. A sluggish thyroid and exhausted adrenals – often due to overwork and chronic stress – can worsen symptoms like hot flushes, sluggish metabolism, mood swings, and sleep disturbances.
Balancing your hormones, supporting thyroid health, and revitalizing adrenal function are all crucial for easing perimenopausal symptoms. When I work with women to navigate this transition, I use a combination of tailored Chinese herbal medicine, supplements, and lifestyle changes to maintain the results from acupuncture, for a smoother transition.
Pathway to Wisdom
Traditionally, the transition into menopause was a time for women to step into their power, and embrace their inner “wise woman”. Research shows that in societies where younger women are more valued, going through menopause can feel like a time of loss, and symptoms can feel much worse. And when women are under immense pressure and stress, or approaching burnout, an integrative holistic approach is even more necessary.
We believe women deserve better care and support through perimenopause – both emotional and physical – for a smoother transition, and access to a range of treatment options to suit their unique situation.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Regular acupuncture sessions can help the body relax and manage stress better, and this is good news for addressing hot flushes and other symptoms of perimenopause. Studies show that higher stress levels seem to be linked to increased hot flushes and temperature sensitivity.
Acupuncture has been found to regulate the parasympathetic nervous system, as it stimulates the vagus nerve, and is an easy way to reduce the effects of stress and bring the body back to a state of cool and calm.
Chinese herbs that are used to support perimenopause include Dong Quai (dang gui), Rhemannia (sheng di), Albizzia (he huan pi), and Rhodiola (hong jing tian). Their traditional actions include supporting the adrenals and improving resilience to stress, as well as cooling and calming the liver.
Commonly used formulas include Er Xian Tang (Two Immortals formula), Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan (Rhemannia Eight formula), and Suan Zao Ren Tang (Ziziphus formula).
Herbs work best when they are individually prescribed to fit your presentation, and after a consult we will select the best formula for you.
Yes – working with perimenopause usually means more than just relieving hot flushes and night sweats!
Better hormonal balance, adrenal and thyroid function and circulation means improved overall health – including all the signs and symptoms your body is displaying. Using the framework of integrative Chinese medicine we can focus on the issues that are bothering you the most, working on relieving the symptoms and addressing the root cause.
While hormone replacement therapy (HRT or MHT) has brought many women relief from debilitating symptoms of perimenopause, others prefer to try a natural approach first, or have reasons they aren’t able to use HRT.
Many of my patients find that HRT gets the best results when they also have good nutrition, and a calm nervous system. I am experienced at safely adding acupuncture, herbs and supplements to complement other medications that may have been prescribed, for an integrative approach.
When you see an experienced, registered Chinese herbalist you can be confident they are highly trained and aware of herb-drug interactions and any potential contraindications to treatment.