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Is Relief From Menopause Just a Needle Away? The Truth About Acupuncture

Is Relief From Menopause Just a Needle Away? The Truth About Acupuncture

Yahoo16-07-2025
Menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and other sleep disturbances aren't just annoying—they can be disruptive. Whether you're suddenly overheating and covered in sweat or you're having trouble focusing on tasks at work because you didn't get a restful night's sleep, menopause symptoms can interfere with your daily life in truly significant ways.
Fortunately, there are tools at our disposal—like hormone therapy and lifestyle changes—that can make dealing with these symptoms a bit easier.
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Some doctors also recommend acupuncture: the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice involving the insertion of extremely thin needles into the skin on specific parts of the body. But can this really help with menopause symptoms? Here's what the research and experts say.
Can Acupuncture Help Relieve the Symptoms of Perimenopause and Menopause?
In short: yes, acupuncture may help relieve some symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, says Dr. Maria Colon-Gonzalez, a physician at Salud Revisited and acupuncture practitioner. In TCM, perimenopause and menopause are viewed as natural transitional phases characterized by an imbalance, she explains.
'As estrogen and progesterone levels decline, symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia and fatigue can arise,' she says. 'Acupuncture works by restoring balance within the body's meridian system, calming the nervous system and regulating hormonal function.'
According to Dr. Haley Parker, an acupuncturist and director of clinical operations at the Academic Clinic of the Virginia University of Integrated Medicine, rather than addressing or masking symptoms, acupuncture works by restoring balance in the body's energetic systems. 'These vital substances begin to shift during perimenopause, and acupuncture helps harmonize their flow,' she explains.
A 2016 study published in the journal Menopause supports this. The researchers found acupuncture treatments were associated with significant improvement in quality-of-life measures that participants who did not receive acupuncture treatments didn't experience. The study also found that the clinical benefits of acupuncture for menopause symptoms lasted at least six months beyond the end of treatment. A 2015 meta-analysis of 12 studies on acupuncture and menopause, also published in the journal Menopause, came to the same conclusion.
According to Parker, modern research supports what TCM has known for centuries: acupuncture stimulates the nervous system, improves circulation, regulates hormone levels and promotes endorphin release—all of which help mitigate the wide range of symptoms experienced during this time.
However, as Dr. Anita Sadaty, an OB-GYN, founder of Redefining Health Medical and medical advisor for Womaness, points out, there are also studies that cast doubt on the effectiveness of acupuncture for menopause symptoms.
'I think it's important to recognize that some studies caution that the effects of acupuncture may not be significantly different from sham acupuncture, suggesting a potential placebo component,' she says. 'Despite this, I believe that acupuncture is a reasonable, low-risk alternative for women seeking non-hormonal relief from menopausal symptoms, especially vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.'
Which Menopause Symptoms Can Acupuncture Help Alleviate?
Technically, TCM doesn't treat symptoms and isolated issues, Parker explains. Instead, practitioners look at root patterns, which may manifest differently in each woman. 'In a treatment, we treat the root and branch of the condition to address the symptoms and why they are presenting,' she says.
Here are some of the most common menopause symptoms that acupuncture may help alleviate, according to Parker, Sadaty and Colon-Gonzalez:
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Irregular or heavy periods
Insomnia and restless sleep
Anxiety or depression
Irritability and mood swings
Fatigue and low energy
Brain fog and poor memory
Digestive changes
Weight fluctuations
Vaginal dryness
Loss of libido
Joint pain or stiffness
Pain related to intercourse
Bone health
How Does Acupuncture Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms?
Acupuncture influences the body's energy pathways—called 'meridians'—to create physiologic shifts, Sadaty explains. 'It is thought that acupuncture may influence cortisol, cortisol metabolites and DHEA levels. These levels typically increase with menopause, contributing to changes in mood, metabolism, bone density,and cognition. It is possible that the same mechanisms play a role in the treatment of hot flashes, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, obesity, osteoporosis and dementia.'
Additionally, there is evidence that acupuncture enhances stimulation of several brain regions to improve cognitive symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, cognitive decline, insomnia and mood symptoms, she adds.
According to Park, each acupuncture treatment is personalized. 'There's no 'one-size-fits-all' because we honor the individual pattern presenting in each woman,' she says. 'We recommend booking a consultation with your acupuncturist to go through a thorough review of symptoms and medical history to make a tailored treatment plan, with point prescriptions and herbal formulas fit for your main concerns.'
How Long Does It Take for Acupuncture to Relieve Menopause Symptoms?
The short answer is that it depends.
'The benefits, the duration of the effects and the overall experience depends on the patients' health, lifestyle and other lifestyle factors that contribute to whole-person health,' Parker explains. 'This means that a patient who is inherently healthy and practicing a healthier lifestyle will usually see results faster and sustain longer.'
Most women benefit from weekly sessions for the first four to five weeks, Colon-Gonzalez says. The findings of a 2019 study published in BMJ Open suggests that as few as five weeks of weekly acupuncture may be enough to improve vasomotor symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats.
As symptoms improve, treatments can be spaced to every two to three weeks. 'Once stable, monthly 'tune-ups' are helpful for maintenance,' Colon-Gonzalez says. 'While some women feel relief immediately—though it's not the case for most—cumulative benefits are more common with consistent care over time.'
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