So many of us find our once even keeled natures succumb to grumpiness, tears or complete exhaustion, with maybe depression thrown into the mix after having  a baby. For those of us transitioning through peri-menopause or menopause, life can be extremely uncomfortable, particularly when a good night’s sleep seems like a distant memory. Persistent night sweats, hot flashes and irritability can make daily functioning very challenging. Hormones are the culprit of many of our many and varied emotional and physical responses.

In saying that, hormones are actually our best friends when they behave. It is the fluctuations that can be pesky. Take for example oestrogen. While the dangers of hormone replacement therapy may have given oestrogen a bad name, this vital hormone contributes greatly to a woman’s health when maintained in a natural balance. Oestrogen is responsible for female sexual development at puberty. As a foundation to fertility, oestrogen promotes accumulation of fat in the hips, thighs, and breasts. It causes the lining of the uterus to grow and thicken every month in preparation for a fertilized egg.

Studies demonstrate a relationship between hormone levels, diet, and exercise worldwide and it is essential that we use natural and healthy lifestyle to assist our hormones. Inactive women who consume more calories than they burn have elevated levels of oestrogen, which may help explain high oestrogen levels among Australian women, many of whom are overweight and obese. The natural drop in oestrogen levels with the approach of menopause will be steeper in these women, leading to a corresponding rise in cortisol (stress hormone) and lowering of thyroid hormone production. This intensifies any symptoms related to stress, and gives rise to a host of problems related to cortisol, including insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. This may help explain why women in technologically advanced Western countries with higher oestrogen levels report more pronounced menopausal symptoms than women in less-developed nations. Menopausal and PMS symptoms are few and far between in the Chinese population.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can effectively treat hormonal imbalance.  Chinese medicine can be a useful tool for women from all walks of life: for teens who suffer from painful or irregular periods, new mums who maybe experiencing baby blues or postpartum depression, or for women recently been hit with menopause who feel completely overwhelmed with flashes and mood swings. This system of medicine not only deals with our labile hormones, but can promote the release of serotonin (our happy hormone) and modulate our cortisol levels.  We can sometimes have overwhelming levels of stress and acupuncture has amazing effects on calming the mind to help you deal with life pressures, and make your transition a smoother one.

So if you found this article interesting and feel that you could benefit from acupuncture and or herbal medicine treatments then come and see me. I would love to assist you here at Family Tree.

Vimala

References
Balk, Judith et al. “The Relationship Between Perceived Stress, Acupuncture, And Pregnancy Rates Among IVF Patients: A Pilot Study”. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 16.3 (2010): 154-157.
Chou, Patsy B.Y. and Carol A. Morse. “Understanding Premenstrual Syndrome From A Chinese Medicine Perspective”. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 11.2 (2005): 355-361.
Maciocia, Giovanni. The Practice Of Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2008. Print.
Manheimer, E. et al. “Effects Of Acupuncture On Rates Of Pregnancy And Live Birth Among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis”. BMJ 336.7643 (2008): 545-549.
“Premenstrual Disorders”. Postgraduate Obstetrics & Gynecology 28.24 (2008): 6.