Treating Hot Flashes With Acupuncture

What Are Hot Flashes?

Hot flashes are the number one symptom women experience during the transition into menopause. 75% of people report hot flashes during perimenopause & menopause, by far the most recognizable symptom.

Hot flashes can occur at any time of day or night, and can come on slowly or rapidly. For some, they can be very mild and for others they can be quite strong and disruptive. They can last for a few seconds or for 10 minutes. Hot flashes are often treated using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) but they also respond very well to acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Symptoms Of Hot Flashes

  • A sudden sensation of heat traveling through your chest, neck and face

  • Flushed skin

  • Sweating, usually of upper body

  • Feeling of a chill after a hot flash

  • Rapid heartbeat

  • Anxiety or a feeling of unease

Remedies For Hot Flashes

  • Sometimes simple lifestyle or dietary changes can help mild symptoms

  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

  • Meditation and exercise to reduce stress

  • Herbal medicine

  • Acupuncture

Acupuncture For Hot Flashes

From an Eastern medicine perspective we think of hot flashes as heat rising in the body. It comes back to yin and yang theory.Yin is the cooling, moistening, calming, feminine, energy. Yang is the warming, moving, lifting, energizing energy. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), having your period allows your body to clear itself of excess heat or yang.

When menopause approaches, menstrual flow isn’t as regular, so the body has to find other ways to clear the yang-induced heat. That’s why we experience such symptoms as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, thirst, flushed skin, and an aversion to heat. Our bodies are carrying an excess of heat because we are declining in our yin energy (estrogen).

There are many points we use to help regulate body temperature, increase yin, and harness yang. Your acupuncturist will decide which ones are best for you. Here are some common points:

  • Kidney 3 - This point invigorates and strengthens the kidney system and regulates the uterus, which helps with hot flashes.

  • Kidney 6 - Located below the inner ankle bone, this point clears heat and helps with insomnia.

  • Kidney 7 - Just a little bit above Kidney 3, this point is used for hot flashes and night sweats.

  • Heart 6 - Another heat clearing point particularly good at treating night sweats.

  • Heart 7 - This point calms the spirit and helps with insomnia and heart palpitations.

  • Spleen 6 - This is one of the most influential points for women’s health and it is cooling and calming.

A Danish study of 70 people (π˜‰π˜³π˜ͺ𝘡π˜ͺ𝘴𝘩 π˜”π˜¦π˜₯π˜ͺ𝘀𝘒𝘭 π˜‘π˜°π˜Άπ˜³π˜―π˜’π˜­), looked at the effects of acupuncture. Half were given 1 treatment/week for 6 weeks & half were not. The group given acupuncture had fewer hot flashes, better sleep, and their emotional symptoms improved. They also noted skin and hair improvements such as less dryness, redness, and less hair loss.

Herbal Medicine For Hot Flashes

There are several single herbs that have been found to be helpful for hot flashes. These you can find at any health food store. An acupuncturist can also prescribe an herbal formula such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmannia Formula) or Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan that might provide more benefits and relief than what can be derived from a single herb. Here is a list of some of the single herbs that women are using:

  • Black Cohosh

  • Wild Yam

  • Evening Primrose Oil

  • Ginseng

  • Red Clover

  • Dong Quai

  • Hops

  • Chasteberry

Other things you can do to help with hot flashes:

  • Quit smoking

  • Avoid alcohol

  • Avoid spicy food

  • Exercise regularly

  • Dress in layers

  • Stress reduction practices

Sarah JohnsonComment