Acupuncture can treat severity of menopausal hot flashes: Study

A new study has revealed that acupuncture can affect the severity and frequency of hot flashes for women in natural menopause.

Women experiencing natural menopause and aged between 40 and 60 years were included in the analysis, which evaluated the effects of various forms of acupuncture, including traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture (TCMA), acupressure, electro-acupuncture, laser acupuncture and ear acupuncture.

Executive director of North American Menopause Society (NAMS), Margery Gass, said that the review suggests that acupuncture may be an effective alternative for reducing hot flashes, especially for those women seeking non- pharmacologic therapies.

The findings showed that sham acupuncture could induce a treatment effect comparable with that of true acupuncture for the reduction of hot flash frequency. The effects on hot flashes were shown to be maintained for as long as three months.

The study was published in the journal Menopause.