As you go through menopause, you may experience symptoms that can range from barely noticeable to completely debilitating. Depending on your particular circumstance, you may attempt to alleviate your discomfort through some form of treatment. There are many alternative therapies for menopausal symptoms, some with fairly predictable results and some with results that vary from woman to woman. Consult with your medical practitioner before embarking on any alternative treatment.
Black Cohosh
According to Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of "The Wisdom of Menopause," and MayoClinic.com, the bulblike roots of the black cohosh plant are used to treat menopausal symptoms, such as day and night sweats, emotional volatility, hot flashes, severe headaches, sleep disturbances and vaginal dryness. Black cohosh, also known as Cimicifuga racemosa or cramp bark, seems to be safe except for people with liver problems and perhaps those with a history of an estrogen-based cancer. Black cohosh has been examined, and some research has shown it to be effective in treating menopausal symptoms. But its usefulness has not been consistently demonstrated by well-designed studies. The National Institutes of Health reports that more research is being done on black cohosh at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Dong Quai
Dong quai is a plant that is also known as Angelica sinensis. Although Dong quai has been used for many hundreds of years, it has not been well-studied. Dong quai has been used often in China to treat both menstrual and menopausal issues. Northrup recommends dong quai to menopausal women as an herbal therapy to increase their vitality and good feelings but, according to the North American Menopause Society, there has only been one well-designed study of dong quai. That research examined dong quai's effectiveness as a treatment for hot flashes and found it lacking. Dr. Andrew Weil, author of "Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body's Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself," also recommends dong quai as an herbal treatment for menopausal women. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health reports that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is conducting a study on dong quai. MayoClinic.com and Weil say that dong quai is traditionally used in combination with other herbal treatments, a point that may provide a challenge to researchers who wish to settle the question of whether this age-old treatment is truly effective at treating menopausal symptoms. Although in America dong quai is regarded as a harmless ingredient in food, it should not be taken by anyone on the drug warfarin.
Ginseng
Ginseng, also known as Asian ginseng, Chinese ginseng, Korean ginseng, Asiatic ginseng and American ginseng, is a root that is sometimes used to treat menopausal symptoms. The North American Menopause Society and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health say that studies of ginseng have demonstrated its effectiveness for addressing the menopausal symptoms of disrupted sleep, irritability and depression, and feelings of general ill health.
References
- North American Menopause Society: Do Mother Nature's Treatments Help Hot Flashes?
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: The Menopause Years
- MayoClinic.com: Menopause
- "The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change"; Christian Northrup, M.D.; 2006
- "Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body's Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself"; Andrew Weil, M.D.; 1995
- "Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause"; The Boston Women's Health Collective; 2006
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