London: A brief course of acupuncture may help ease troublesome menopausal symptoms, such as excess sweating, mood swings, sleep disturbances, a study has found. According to researchers from University of Copenhagen in Denmark among women dealing with moderate to severe symptoms, acupuncture was also associated with reductions in hot flushes, as well as skin and hair problems.
The research offers an alternative for women who can not, or do not want to, use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Menopausal symptoms are common, and depending on their severity, can have a major impact on quality of life, health and wellbeing, as well as productivity. Hot flushes are one of the most common symptoms, and these can go on for several years.
However, others include heavy sweating, emotional vulnerability, sleep disturbances, fatigue, ‘fuzzy’ brain, joint pain, vaginal dryness and reduced sex drive. Hormonal and other drugs can treat the various symptoms, but they are not without side effects.
The evidence for other non-pharmacological approaches, such as exercise, relaxation, and herbal or dietary remedies, is not very convincing, researchers said. Previous research suggests that acupuncture might be helpful, but design flaws or quality issues have undermined the findings.
