Acupuncture Alleviates Moderate-to-Severe Menopause Symptoms

THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A brief acupuncture intervention is associated with reductions in moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in BMJ Open.

Kamma Sundgaard Lund, Ph.D., from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial involving 70 women with moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms. Thirty-six women received the acupuncture intervention, which included one treatment for five consecutive weeks. Thirty-four women were in the control group and were offered treatment after six weeks.

At the six-week follow-up, the researchers found significant reductions in hot flushes, day-and-night sweats, general sweating, menopausal-specific sleeping problems, emotional symptoms, physical symptoms, and skin and hair symptoms with the acupuncture intervention compared with the control group. At three weeks into the study, the pattern of decreases in hot flushes, emotional symptoms, and skin and hair symptoms was already apparent. Four participants reported mild potential adverse effects; there were no reports of severe adverse effects.

“Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms is a realistic option for women who cannot or do not wish to use hormone therapy,” the authors write. “Women seeking acupuncture treatment for menopausal symptoms should be informed of the current evidence, and its limitations, so they can integrate this with personal preferences and values in their decision making.”

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