Hot Flash Relief through Acupuncture

A researcher in Norway, a country where acupuncture is widely used, designed a study to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture on post-menopausal women being treated with Tamoxifen following surgery for breast cancer. Tamoxifen is a drug that interferes with estrogen and causes menopausal-like symptoms such as hot flashes, joint pain, vaginal dryness and leg cramps. Participants who received Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture had a 50% reduction in hot flashes, both during the day and the night, and this effect continued after the acupuncture treatments were discontinued.

A total of 59 breast cancer patients received either TCM acupuncture or sham (random) acupuncture for a total of 10 weeks. Acupuncture was administered twice a week for 5 weeks and once a week for the following 5 weeks. The subjects monitored and recorded the number of hot flashes they had for 4 weeks prior to treatment, during the treatment and 12 weeks after the treatments ended. Other symptoms measured included sweating, sleep disturbance, depression, palpitations and joint pain.

The head investigator reports “During the treatment, hot flashes were reduced by 50%, both day and night, in the acupuncture group. Three months after the last treatment a further reduction was seen. No significant changes were seen in the sham group during the day. At night there was a slight reduction during the treatment period but, once treatment had ceased, the number of hot flashes increased again.”

As acupuncture increasingly becomes more and more popular, researchers are continually designing studies testing its efficacy. To experience the many benefits of acupuncture, including pain relief, stress management, insomnia and hot-flash reduction, call Aletris Center of Integrative Medicine in Scottsdale, AZ to set up an appointment.

ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment

Menopause & Decreased Lung Function

A recent article links menopause and decreased lung function such as increased risk of allergies and asthma. According to research presented in the December issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, women who had not menstruated in the last six months had an 80 percent increase in respiratory issues compared to those women menstruating regularly.

Naturopathic physicians have long linked balanced hormones to a healthy immune system, yet researchers are still trying to figure out the exact mechanism. The researchers in this study postulated that as women age, insulin resistance increases – especially when female sex hormones decrease. This increase in insulin resistance contributes to a proinflammatory state which exacerbates or brings on allergies or asthma.

Naturopathic physicians treat lung conditions very effectively with nutrient and botanical therapies. These treatment plans decrease or eliminate the need for asthma or allergy medications. In particular, corticosteroids (used to treat asthma) have serious side effects such as intestinal Candidiasis, glaucoma, cataracts, and adrenal gland suppression. Adrenal gland suppression causes a host of problems for women later down the road including weight gain, autoimmune disease, and longstanding fatigue.

Our goal at ALETRIS is to balance hormones, which play such an integral role in lung health and overall health, and provide alternatives to medications for issues such as asthma and allergies in menopause.

ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.

SOY Reduces HOT FLASHES

A new study out of Harvard, reported in the January issue of Menopause, shows that postmenopausal women were able to reduce their hot flashes by 52% by taking a soy supplement. In addition to monitoring the women's hot flashes, the researchers also measured cardiovascular markers and thyroid and sex hormones and found no significant differences from the placebo group.

Many articles have come out with conflicting evidence regarding soy. From the beginning, naturopathic physicians have educated patients on the difference between fermented and unfermented soy. Fermenting the bean lowers its harmful phytoconstituents, like phytic acid, which can contribute to mineral deficiencies. We’ve noted that many of the negative studies have used unfermented soy products; in general, there has been little consistency in the type of soy products used for research surrounding menopause and hot flashes.

In this most recent study, researchers extracted soy isoflavones from soy germ fermented with Koji fungus. The choice to use fermented soy may account for the positive findings in this study, and eating fermented soy products is generally safer than eating processed soy. Fermented soy products include miso, tempeh, and tofu.

The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.