A new study has emerged that menopausal women who regularly do acupuncture may reduce their hot flushes by 50%.
Hot flushes, which often occur in menopausal women, typically last for no longer than five minutes. But this discomfort can become a hindrance as some women report having as many as 20 per day.
To remedy this, many turn to hormonal therapy to help keep their temperature in check, but a new study published in the journal Menopause states that acupuncture has been found to help dramatically reduce hot flushes, and in some cases, actually cure women of their ailment.
The data was gathered by studying 200 women who had more than four hot flushes per day, including night sweats. Participants were divided into two groups, a control and a group who received acupuncture a total of 20 times over a period of six months.
It was reported that 47% of women who received the acupuncture treatments saw a significant reduction in their hot flushes, with 25% of women claiming that they were cured from the treatment.
12% of women said they were not cured, but experienced an 85% reduction in their hot flushes.
Several doctors are now recommending acupuncture as an alternative to hormonal medication in the wake of this new study.
Dr. Nancy Avis, who works at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, stated:
“Women bothered by hot flushes and night sweats may want to give acupuncture a try as a relatively low-cost, low-risk treatment.
Women will know pretty quickly if acupuncture will work for them. Women who had a reduction in their hot flushes saw a benefit beginning after about three to four weeks of weekly treatments.”
This study is a somewhat of a landmark, as it is one of the few that is able to provide concrete data on alternative therapy. Previously, acupuncture was called into question as a potentially useless alternative to drugs, but the actual data suggests that it could be the case that it can be used as a cheaper and safer alternative.
Those who are on hormone replacement therapy, however, are not encouraged to stop their medication in light of this new study. Instead, it is encouraged to speak to your doctor about using holistic treatment during your care.
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