We have treated many women suffering from hot flashes, and in most cases acupuncture helped them very well, and in a natural way, by restoring balance in the body. It reduced the severity of the heat sensation, and often they felt themselves “cooling down,” sometimes even during the treatment itself. The treatments were also profoundly relaxing for most of them, as many of the points used have a deeply calming effect on the nervous system.
The women we treated had hot flashes for one of two reasons. The most common cause, of course, was menopause. The second was chemotherapy, which in some cases seemed to push the younger ones into premature menopause.
Changes You Can Make Right Now to cool down hot flashes
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is a wonderful natural treatment for these symptoms, which focuses on restoring the body’s natural balance and regulating its processes as opposed to replacing a missing substance from externally (as oestrogen is replaced with HRT). The treatment is gentle, gradual and natural, and my patients rarely experience side effects. Effects of treatment are usually sustained once the treatment stops.
Regardless of which treatment path you choose to address your menopause symptoms, there are some simple lifestyle practices you can adopt immediately which can have an effect.
- Limit caffeine intake (a few coffees a week might be fine, 3 a day are probably not). Don’t forget there’s caffeine in tea and chocolate.
- Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol is like pouring petrol on a fire.
- Eat unprocessed foods that are in season
- Balance your periods of activity with enough rest to allow your body to recover.
Balance your stressful times with periods of mental calm and relaxation.