Acupuncture and hot flushes
In a study of 29 postmenopausal women who experienced at least 7 moderate to severe hot flushes a day, active acupuncture was found to significantly decrease the severity of nocturnal flushes (by 28%) compared to 6% in women given sham acupuncture. The frequency of flushes was reduced by more in the active treatment group compared to the sham but not significantly so.
(A randomized controlled pilot study of acupuncture for postmenopausal hot flashes: effect on nocturnal hot flashes and sleep quality. Fertility and Sterility, September 2006; Vol. 86: pp. 700-710).
Acupuncture reduces hot flush severity
Acupuncture is associated with a significant decrease in the severity, but not the frequency, of postmenopausal hot flushes. In a randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study, 29 postmenopausal women averaging at least seven moderate to severe hot flushes per 24 hours, were randomised to receive seven weeks (nine treatment sessions) of either active acupuncture (standardised, individually-tailored point prescriptions) or placebo acupuncture (non-penetrating placebo needles at sham acupuncture points). Those receiving active treatment had a significantly greater reduction in hot flush severity than those receiving placebo. There was no significant difference in the reduction of hot flush frequency between the active and placebo groups, however both groups experienced significantly fewer episodes of flushing.
(Acupuncture for postmenopausal hot flashes. Maturitas. 2007 Apr 20;56(4):383-95).
Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms
In a randomised study, women suffering menopausal symptoms were treated either with acupuncture points specifically chosen to treat their disorder, or more general qi tonifying acupuncture. The acupuncture specific group showed a decrease in mean monthly hot flush severity whilst the comparison acupuncture treatment group showed no significant changes. Sleep disturbances in the point specific acupuncture treatment group also declined over the study, whilst mood changes in both groups showed a significant difference between the baseline and the third month of the study.
(Holist Nurs Pract. 2003 Nov-Dec;17(6):295-9).
Acupuncture for menopausal hot flushes
A systematic review by a Korean team has assessed the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for menopausal hot flushes. They searched 17 databases, without language restrictions, for randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture. Six RCTs met the inclusion criteria.
The authors concluded that the results of sham-controlled RCTs fail to show specific effects of acupuncture for control of menopausal hot flushes. (Acupuncture for treating menopausal hot flushes: a systematic review. Climacteric. 2009 Feb;12(1):16-25). Meanwhile, an RCT carried out in China has explored the effects of acupuncture and auricular acupressure in relieving menopausal hot flushes in women who had undergone bilateral ovariectomy. Forty-six women were randomised into an acupuncture/auricular acupressure group and a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) group. After treatment both severity and frequency of hot flushes in the two groups were relieved significantly, compared with pre-treatment, with no significant difference in severity of hot flushes between the two groups. At four week follow-up, the severity of hot flushes in the HRT group was alleviated more. After treatment, levels of FSH decreased significantly and levels of PGE2 increased significantly in both groups. The increase in the HRT group was greater.
The authors conclude that acupuncture and auricular acupressure can be used as alternative treatments to relieve menopausal hot flashes for bilaterally ovariectomised women who are unable or unwilling to receive HRT.
(Acupuncture and Auricular Acupressure in Relieving Menopausal Hot Flashes of Bilaterally Ovariectomized Chinese Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Feb 2. [Epub ahead of print]).
Meanwhile a Korean study has investigated the use of moxibustion in treating menopausal hot flushes. Fifty-one participants were randomly assigned into three groups, moxibustion protocol 1, moxibustion protocol 2 and wait list control. The moxibustion groups received 14 sessions of moxibustion over four weeks. The protocols were supported by evidence from clinical experts (group 1) or published literature (group 2), and participants were followed for an additional two weeks after the end of the study. By week four, the difference in severity and frequency of hot flushes was statistically significant between the treatment and the control groups. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in Menopausal-Specific Quality of Life Scale scores between treatment group 2 and the other groups.
(Moxibustion for treating menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial. Menopause. 2009 Mar 13).
Acupuncture βas good as HRTβ after oophorectory
Acupuncture results in a significant improvement in perimenopausal symptoms in women who have had their ovaries surgically removed (oophorectomy). Sixty-seven women who had undergone oophorectomy were non-randomly divided into two groups. One group was given acupuncture and the comparison group was given usual medical care (HRT drug Livial – a combination of synthetic oestrogen, progesterone and androgen). Kupperman index score (a scale for measuring the severity of menopausal complaints) and levels of serum beta-endorphin were found to differ significantly between the acupuncture and the Livial group. Based on these findings, the authors concluded that acupuncture performs as well as or better than Livial, but cautioned that bias and small sample size may have influenced the results.
(Acupuncture for perimenopausal symptoms in women who underwent oophorectomy a comparative study. Forsch Komplementarmed. 2007 Feb;14(1):25-32).
Oriental herbal medicine for menopause
A Japanese study compared the use of traditional Kampo herbal formulas and HRT, in two groups of women suffering menopausal symptoms. In the 18 patients in the Kampo group, treatment was able to alleviate the whole range of symptoms, whilst in the 16 women in the HRT group, symptoms such as cold limbs, sleeping disorders, shoulder stiffness/lumbago, and fatigue, were unaffected. In addition, the serum level of oestradiol in postmenopausal women was raised by the combined use of two Kampo formulas.
(Gynecol Obstet Invest 2004;57:144-148).
