Positive Health Online

Abstract

DONG and colleagues, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, hong.g.dong@hcuge.ch, explored the effects of acupuncture on the quality of life, menopausal symptoms and reproductive hormone levels in menopausal women .

Background

Methodology

Subjects were 11 women experiencing common physical and psychological symptoms of the menopause . The women completed the Menopause Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire before an initial acupuncture session, after the last session (5 weeks later) and again 3 months after the last session. The investigators also measured blood levels of reproductive hormones (follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH], luteinizing hormone [LH], estradiol, progesterone and prolactin) before and after acupuncture treatment.

Results

Acupuncture treatment significantly reduced symptoms of hot flushes and other physical symptoms at the end of treatment, and these effects were still apparent 3 months later. No effects of acupuncture were detected on psychosocial or sexual symptoms or levels of reproductive hormones.

Conclusion

Acupuncture treatment was effective in relieving hot flushes and other physical symptoms of menopause in women, and the effects lasted for at least 3 months after the end of treatment. Acupuncture may therefore offer menopausal women a useful alternative to hormone replacement therapy . Further study involving a larger number of women is required to define more closely the possible use of acupuncture to manage menopausal symptoms.

References

Dong H et al. An exploratory pilot study of acupuncture on the quality of life and reproductive hormone secretion in menopausal women. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 7 (6): 651-8. Dec 2001.

Comment

The above research studies demonstrate the safety, therapeutic versatility and efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions.