MENOPAUSAL SYNDROME RESEARCH (© JCM Ltd)

ACUPUNCTURE HELPS REDUCE MENOPAUSAL HOT FLUSHES
A Norwegian study has found that acupuncture in addition to self-care can contribute to a clinically relevant reduction in menopausal hot flushes. The research was a multicentre, pragmatic, randomised, controlled trial with two parallel arms comparing the effect of individualised acupuncture plus self-care against self-care alone for hot flushes and health-related quality of life in 267 postmenopausal women. Hot flush frequency decreased by 5.8 per 24 hours in the acupuncture group and 3.7 per 24 hours in the control group. Hot flush intensity decreased by 3.2 units in the acupuncture group and 1.8 units in the control group. The acupuncture group also experienced statistically significant improvements in vasomotor, sleep, and somatic criteria compared with the control group. (The Acupuncture on Hot Flushes Among Menopausal Women (ACUFLASH) study, a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2009 May-Jun;16(3):484-93).

ACUPUNCTURE BETTER THAN USUAL CARE FOR MENOPAUSAL HOT FLUSHES
A pilot study on the effect of acupuncture in decreasing hot flushes in menopausal women has concluded either that there is a strong placebo effect or that both traditional and sham acupuncture significantly reduce hot flush frequency. Fifty-six postmenopausal women (aged 44 to 55) were randomised to one of three treatment groups: usual care, sham acupuncture (shallow needling at non-therapeutic sites) or TCM acupuncture. The TCM acupuncture group received one of four treatments based on a TCM diagnosis. There was a significant decrease in mean frequency of hot flushes between weeks one and eight across all groups, although the differences between the three groups were not significant. However, the two acupuncture groups showed a significantly greater decrease than the usual care group, but did not differ from each other. (A randomized, controlled pilot study of acupuncture treatment for menopausal hot flashes. Menopause. 2008 Jun 2. [Epub ahead of print]).  

ACUPUNCTURE & HOT FLUSHES
In a study of 29 postmenopausal women who experienced at least seven 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 FORT 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).

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).