Can Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Treat Menopause?

 

Can Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Treat Menopause?

Acupuncture in the treatment of menopause-related symptoms in women taking tamoxifen

Glampiero Porzio, Tiziana Trapasso, ect.

Fifteen patients were enrolled in a pilot study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in tamoxifen-treated patients. Patients were evaluated before treatment and after one, three and six months with the Greene Menopause Index and were treated according to the traditional Chinese medicine. Anxiety, depression, somatic and vasomotor symptoms were improved by the treatment: libido was not modified. Acupuncture seems to be safe and effective for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in women with previous breast cancer taking tamoxifen. Confirmatory studies with a larger number of patients and with a placebo-treated group are warranted.

Key words: acupuncture, menopause, tamoxifen.

Medical Oncology Unit and medical statistic unit, university of L’Aquila, Dermatological unit, Hospital “San Salvatore”, L’Aquila, Italy, Tumori, 88:128-130 2002

 

Can Acupuncture Ease the Symptoms of Menopause?

Susan Cohen, Marry Rousseau, ect.

In a randomized, 2-group study, acupuncture was used for the relief of menopausal hot flashes, sleep disturbances and mood changes. The experimental acupuncture treatment consisted of specific acupuncture body points related to menopausal symptoms. The comparison acupuncture treatment consisted of a treatment designated as a general tonic specifically designed to benefit the flow of Chi (energy). Results from the experimental acupuncture treatment group showed a decrease in mean monthly hot flash severity for site-specific acupuncture. The comparison acupuncture treatment group had no significant change in severity from baseline over the treatment phase. Sleep disturbances in the experimental acupuncture treatment group declined over the study. Mood changes in both the experimental acupuncture treatment group and the comparison acupuncture treatment group showed a significant difference between the baseline and the third month of the study. Acupuncture using menopausal-specific sites holds promise for nonhormonal relief of hot flashes and sleep disturbances

Key Words: acupuncture, controlled needling, hot flashes, menopauses, menopause, mood changes, sleep disturbances

Holistic nursing Practice-November/December 2003

 

An Exploratory Pilot Study of Acupuncture on the Quality of Life and Reproductive Hormone Secretion in Menopausal Women

HongGuang Dong, Frank Ludicke, ect.

The majority of menopausal women suffer from climacteric symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of acupuncture on the quality of life and reproductive hormones secretion in menopausal women. Eleven menopausal women with climacteric symptoms entered this prospective study. The menopausal Specific Quality of life Questionnaire was filled out by the patients before the first acupuncture session, after the last one (5 weeks later), and 3 months after the last acupuncture session. Reproductive hormones including follicular-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin were measured before and after treatment. Acupuncture significantly improved menopausal vasomotor symptoms (p=0.001 and p=0.003 for the end of treatment and 3 months later, respectively) bad ogtsucak stnotins (p=0.014 at the end of treatment and p=0.046 3 months later). It did not change psychosocial or sexual symptoms, nor did it change the measured reproductive hormones. In conclusion, Acupuncture is shown to be effective in relieving vasomotor and physical disturbances of menopausal women with effects lasting at lease up to 3 months after termination of the treatment. Acupuncture may be a useful treatment alternative for women who are unable or do not want to revive hormone replacement therapy. A prospective study with larger samples sizes will be needed to define the role of acupuncture in the management of menopausal symptoms.

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, volume 7, number 6, 2001, pp. 651-658, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

A Comparison of Acupuncture and Oral Stradiol Treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women

Y. Wyon, K. Wijma, ect.

Objective: to compare the effects of electro-acupuncture with oral estradiol and superficial needle insertion on hot flushes in postmenopausal women

Material and methods: forty-five postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms were randomized to electro-acupuncture, superficial needle insertion or oral estradiol treatment during 12 weeks, with 6 months’ follow-up. The number and severity of flushes were registered daily and the Kupperman index and a general estimate of clacteric symptoms were completed before, during and after therapy.

Results: in the electro-acupuncture group, the mean number of flushes/24h decreased from 7.3 to 3.5 (ANOVA, p, 0.001). Eleven of the 15 women had at least a 50% decrease in number of flushes (with a mean decrease if 82%). Superficial needle insertion decreased the number of flushes/24h from 8.1 to 3.8(p, 0.001). In seven out of 13 women, the number of flushes decreased at least 50% (mean decrease 83%). In the estrogen group, the number of flushes decreased from 8.4 to 0.8 (p, 0.001). the decrease in number of flushes persisted during the 24-week follow-up period in all treatment groups. The Kupperman index and the general climacteric symptom score decreased and remained unchanged 24 weeks after treatment in all groups (p, 0.001). Electro-acupuncture decreased the number of flushes/24h significantly over time, but not to the same extent as the estrogen treatment. No significant difference in effect was found between electro-acupuncture and the superficial needle insertion.

Conclusion: we suggest that acupuncture is a viable alternative treatment of vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women and cannot recommend superficial needle insertion as an inactive control treatment.

Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Hospital, Linkoping, Sweden Climacteric 2004; 7: 153-164

Effects of Electro-acupuncture on Psychological Distress in Postmenopausal Women

M. Sandberg, K. Wijma, ect.

Objectives: to evaluate effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on general psychological distress and relate to experience of climacteric symptoms in 30 postmenopausal women. Design: a randomized single-blind controlled design was used to evaluate effects of EA and extremely superficial needle insertion, with the latter serving as a near-placebo control. Settings: the Linkoping University Hospital in Sweden. Interventions: Fourteens treatments during 12 weeks with follow-ups at 3 and 6 months. Outcome measure: General psychological well-being, mood and experience of climacteric symptoms. Results: mood scale improved only in EA group and not until 12 weeks compared to baseline, from 110 to 129 (p=0.01), and to 120 at 3 month follow-up (p=0.04). Mood was significantly better that control and 8 (p=0.05) and 12 weeks (0.01). visual analogue scale estimation of climacteric symptoms was decreased at 4 weeks in both groups and lasted throughout the study period, in EA group from 5 to 2 (p=0.04) and in control group from 5 to 3 (p=0.02) at 6-month follow-up. Well-being was ameliorated from 4 weeks in EA and from 8 weeks in control group until end of study (p=0.01, p=0.03). No significant differences on climacteric symptoms or well-being existed between the groups. Conclusions: This study does not show that EA is better than superficial needle insertion for the amelioration of general psychological distress and experience of climacteric symptoms in women with vasomotor symptoms after menopause. However the more pronounced effect on mood suggests that EA might have additional effects compared with superficial needle insertion

Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Hospital, Linkoping, Sweden, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Hospital, Linkoping, Sweden Complementory Theropies in Medicine (2002) 10, 161-169

 

A Review of Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Women’s Reproductive Health Care

A.R. White, ect.

Background. Acupuncture as a therapy and acupressure as self-treatment are increasingly widely used for gynecological conditions and this study aims to review the scientific literature on their effectiveness.

Method. A systematic review of controlled trials of acupuncture and acupressure for gynecological conditions, published in a European language.

Synthesis. No studies in mastalgia, menorrhagio, pelvic pain, premenstrual syndrome or vulvodynia met the inclusion criteria. Four studies, two of which were patient-blinded, of acupuncture or acupressure for dysmenorrheal suggest that it may have an effect. Three studies of acupuncture given at various stages of infertility treatment are promising, but none was patient-blind. Two studies of acupuncture for menopausal symptoms showed no effect during the treatment period when compared with same acupuncture, and a third study showed no effect on hypertension in postmenopausal women, though some improvement in symptoms was noted.

Conclusion. In view of the small number of studies and their variable quality, doubt remains about the effectiveness of acupuncture for gynecological conditions. Acupuncture and acupressure appear promising for dysmenorrheal and acupuncture for infertility and further studies are justified.

Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care 2003; 29 (4); 233-236

A Pilot Study of Phytoestrogen Content of Soy Foods and Traditional Chinese Medicines for Women’s Health in Hong Kong

Martin Li, Peter Poon,ect.

In view of the possible health benefits of phytoestrogens, a pilot study was carried out to quantitate the phytoestrogen content of soy foods and tea commonly consumed in Hong Kong, and also of traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) products that are prescribed for menopausal symptoms and disease relating to the menopause. Assays of daidzein and genistein were carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography, after extraction procedures. The TCM products were found to contain phytoestrogen in quantities comparable with soy products. Moreover, certain types of Chinese tea contained large quantities of phytoestrogens in the leaves, but also yielded comparable quantities in the infusion for this TCM may provide a scientific basis for their actions. However, clinical efficacy can only be determined by clinical trials.

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, Volume 55, Number 3 (May 2004) 201-205

Diagnosis of Symptomatic Postmenopausal Women by Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners

Bonnie Zell, MD, Janie Hirata, MD etc.

Objectives: to learn more about  the way that practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis women who have menopausal symptoms

Design: we assembled a cohort of 23 postmenopausal women who had hot flushes and were otherwise healthy. Each woman was examined independently by nine practitioners of TCM on the same day. Examination consisted of medical history and physical examination. Diagnosis were recorded and counted.

Results: The most frequent diagnosis made by the practitioners of TCM was kidney yin deficiency, which was the diagnosis made after 168 of 207 visits ((81%). 23 women seen by nine TCM practitioners. Practitioners showed good agreement regarding presence of kidney yin deficiency in 12 women (52%, this diagnosis was made by eight of nine practitioners, in 16 women (70%) seven of nine practitioners made this diagnosis, and in all 23 women (100%), at least five of nice practitioners made this diagnosis.

Conclusions: practitioners of TCM who diagnose postmenopausal women with Vasomotor symptoms are likely to make a diagnosis that includes kidney yin deficiency.

Menopause, the Journal of the North American Menopause Society, 2000 7: 129-134