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Jessica Cranwell shares how acupuncture can be used to treat hot flashes in this guest blog post. Enjoy!
Acupuncture Works to Reduce Menopause Hot Flashes
One of the most uncomfortable of the myriad signs and symptoms of menopause is hot flashes. However, the findings of a new study suggests that the frequency and severity of hot flashes in menopausal women can be reduced through acupuncture.
Hot Flashes:
Also known as hot flushes, when hot flashes occur a menopausal woman experiences sudden heat all over the body. Signs include red blotches on the back, arms, and chest; redness on the neck and face, and cold shivers or heavy sweating. Although a number of health conditions may cause hot flashes, they are more common in women undergoing menopause.
Medication for Hot Flashes:
Hormone therapy, the use of medication that features progesterone or estrogen, is the most effective medication for treating hot flashes. However. the treatment can enhance the risk of certain health conditions, such as heart diseases, stroke and cancer. In a study published in the Menopause journal recently, scientists wanted to determine the effect of acupuncture on the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women going through menopause.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a 2500 year old modality of alternative medicine. It deploys the use of a series of procedures to stimulate anatomical body points as a way of healing. Thin metallic needles are commonly used in acupuncture; they penetrate the skin when in use. Often, this technique of alternative medicine is used to boost weight loss, reduce inflammation and treat chronic pain.
Acupuncture for Reduced Frequency and Severity of Hot Flashes:
104 studies were analyzed by a research team to determine acupuncture’s effectiveness in reducing menopausal hot flashes. 12 of the studies that involved 869 menopausal women, whose ages ranged from 40 to 60 were incorporated in the team’s research. The women were subjected to different kinds of acupuncture, such as eletroacupuncture, acupressure, ear acupuncture, laser acupuncture and the traditional acupuncture medicine practiced by the Chinese.
Results of the Investigation:
The research team’s investigators determined that the women who received acupuncture treatment experienced a decrease in the frequency and severity of hot flashes for as long as 3 months. Moreover, irrespective of the acupuncture sessions, doses or even treatment duration a study subject (woman) received, they gained much from the treatment with respect to hot flashes. However, the team of researchers pointed out that both true and sham acupuncture had a positive effect on the frequency of hot flashes.
Conclusion:
Although the research team failed to explain the reason why acupuncture aided in the reduction of hot flashes in women experiencing menopause, they hypothesized that this type of alternative medicine stimulates a decrease in the beta-endorphin levels in the body. Beta-endorphin is a neuropeptide located in the nervous system’s central and peripheral cells found within the brain’s hypothalamus. According to the scientists, a reduction in the beta-endorphin levels triggers the release of the CGRP (Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide). This peptide plays an integral role in the regulation of body temperature.
Therefore, it seems that acupuncture works to reduce menopausal hot flashes.
Author Bio:
I am Jessica Cranwell, I am a Blogger and Freelancer, writer by profession and I love to know new things which I am aware of that, so from child hood, I stared reading books and blogs. With that experience now I am started writing the articles for blogs which are related to Travel, Auto, Lifestyle, Education and Health. As of now I am doing research of Ni cards.
