Women, men & hormones

Acupuncture for Menopause Symptoms

In the middle of a conversation, a wave of heat rising to your face. Waking up in a clammy bed and then not being able to get back to sleep. Being more easily irritated, or feeling lower than you know yourself to be. Menopause is a natural stage of life, but its symptoms can have a real impact on daily life. Acupuncture and laser acupuncture can be used to support the body during this transition.

What are menopause symptoms?

Menopause is the period in which the ovaries gradually produce fewer hormones and menstruation eventually stops. The final period is called the menopause, usually around the age of fifty. The years before, when the cycle is already becoming irregular, are called perimenopause. Menopause can also start earlier, for example after surgery or cancer treatment.

The best-known symptoms are hot flushes and night sweats. Sleep problems, palpitations, mood swings, irritability, low mood, fatigue, concentration and memory problems, joint pain, headaches, vaginal dryness, reduced libido and needing to urinate more often are also common. Not every woman has symptoms, and their severity and duration vary greatly.

With significant symptoms, a GP may prescribe hormone therapy or other medication. Not everyone wants to or is allowed to use hormones, for example after breast cancer or with an increased risk of thrombosis. Many women therefore look for a complementary way to cope with their symptoms.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Menopause from a TCM perspective

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, menopause is seen as a natural phase in which Kidney energy, which carries the cycle and fertility, gradually declines. In the process, the balance between Yin, the cooling and nourishing aspect, and Yang, the warming and activating aspect, can be disturbed. Which symptoms dominate determines which pattern is recognised.

Kidney-Yin deficiency

Shen Yin Xu

When cooling Yin declines, TCM describes relative heat arising. This is associated with hot flushes, night sweats, warm hands and feet, dry skin and vaginal dryness, restless sleep and tinnitus.

Kidney-Yang deficiency

Shen Yang Xu

When warming Yang declines, TCM associates this with feeling cold, cold feet, fatigue, fluid retention, a weak lower back and frequent urination, sometimes combined with hot flushes.

Heart and Kidneys not communicating

Xin Shen Bu Jiao

When the Heart is insufficiently cooled by the Kidneys, TCM associates this with palpitations, anxious restlessness, difficulty falling asleep, vivid dreams and forgetfulness.

Liver-Qi stagnation

Gan Qi Yu Jie

Mood swings, irritability, a short fuse, tense breasts and a feeling of pressure on the chest are associated in TCM with Qi that cannot flow freely. Tension and stress reinforce this pattern.

How can acupuncture and laser acupuncture help with menopause symptoms?

In the first consultation we look at which symptoms bother you most, how often the hot flushes occur, how you sleep and how your energy and mood are. Any medication and your medical history are also taken into account.

01Acupuncture: very fine, sterile needles are used on points on the arms, legs, feet and lower abdomen, among others. In TCM these are used to support the balance between Yin and Yang and to nourish Kidney energy.
02Ear acupuncture with the laser: points on the ear can be used as support for hot flushes, restlessness and sleep problems. At Bai Kang this is always done with the laser, never with needles.
03Needle-free alternative: all points can also be treated with therapeutic laser light, for those who prefer not to have needles.
04Rest and sleep: because poor sleep and tension often amplify menopause symptoms, part of the treatment focuses on relaxation and better sleep. You will also be given acupressure points to use at home.

Prefer no needles?

Every treatment can also be carried out completely needle-free with laser acupuncture, in which the same points are treated with therapeutic laser light. Ear acupuncture is always carried out with the laser. Acupressure, which also uses no needles, can be used as well.

Safety and medical alignment:Have menopause symptoms assessed by your GP first, especially if they start before the age of forty. Always contact your GP with bleeding after you have not had a period for a year or longer, with very heavy or prolonged bleeding, or with severe low mood. Call 112 immediately with palpitations together with chest pain, shortness of breath or fainting. Acupuncture is a complement to conventional care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can acupuncture help with hot flushes?

Acupuncture can be used as support for hot flushes and night sweats. There has been research into acupuncture for menopause symptoms, and some studies describe a reduction in the number or intensity of hot flushes. The results are not conclusive, and the degree of change women experience differs per person.

Is acupuncture an alternative to hormone therapy?

Acupuncture works differently from hormone therapy and is not a replacement for it. It can be an option as a complement, or for women who do not want to or are not allowed to use hormones. Always discuss the choice for or against hormone therapy with your GP or gynaecologist.

Can I be treated after breast cancer?

Yes. Women who are not allowed to use hormones after breast cancer in particular often look for other support with menopause symptoms. Do consult your treating doctor and let us know during the intake which treatments you have had or are still using.

Does acupuncture also help with sleep problems during menopause?

Sleep problems are always included in the treatment, as they are closely linked to night sweats, restlessness and mood. Read more on the page about sleep problems.

How many treatments are needed?

Usually we start with a number of weekly treatments, then with longer intervals. After the first treatments, we review together how you respond and what a suitable follow-up would be.

I am not in menopause yet, but my cycle is changing. Can I come too?

Yes. In perimenopause, when the cycle becomes more irregular and the first symptoms appear, acupuncture can also be used. See also the page about menstrual complaints.

Sleep problems

Trouble falling asleep, restless sleep, waking frequently, or waking up unrefreshed.

Restlessness & overstimulation

Heightened sensitivity to stimuli, a crowded mind, and emotional restlessness.

Bladder complaints

Recurrent bladder infections, an overactive bladder or frequent urination at night.

Personal Treatment Plan

Struggling with menopause?

During a first appointment, we look at which symptoms bother you most and what plays a role in your body, and which form of acupuncture suits you.

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