Acupressure is a variation of acupuncture, in which various points on the body are manipulated by pressure as opposed to needle sticks to alleviate pain, prevent disease and promote health. Acupressure points on the ears, pelvic area and lower back are typically used to relieve symptoms of menopause including hot flashes. Although many women report successful alleviation of hot flashes by acupressure and acupuncture, consult with a physician for medical advice for treatment of menopausal symptoms.
Auricle Acupressure
According to researchers at Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China, Auricle, or ear acupressure is almost as effective in relieving hot flashes as hormone replacement therapy in women who have had both ovaries surgically removed. The researchers recruited 46 ovariectomized Chinese women and divided them into two groups: the first was treated by self-administered auricle acupressure after training, whereas the second group was treated with hormone replacement therapy. Each patient was required to log the frequency and severity of hot flashes in a journal one week before the treatment began and up to four weeks after it ended. Researchers measured hormone levels before and after the trial period and found similar levels in both groups. Although hormone replacement therapy showed slightly better results, the study concluded that auricle acupressure is an effective alternative for women unable or unwilling to receive hormone replacements.
Alleviating Hot Flashes
A study published in the December 2008 issue of “Menopause” investigated the effects of acupuncture/acupressure on the frequency and severity of hot flashes in 56 women, aged 44 to 55, who had no menses within the previous three months. The women were recruited from two clinics and randomly assigned to one of two groups: a treatment group receiving stimulation of the CV4, KI3, SP6, BL23 and HT6 acupuncture/acupressure points; and the second received a sham treatment, in which only slight pressure was used as a control. The women received treatments twice a week for eight consecutive weeks and kept journals to track the incidence of hot flashes. The researchers found a significant decrease in the severity and frequency of hot flashes in both groups and concluded that there is either a strong placebo effect or that both traditional and sham acupuncture can significantly reduce hot flashes in menopausal women.
Da-zhui (GV14) and Feng-chi (GB20)
An article appearing in the December 2001 issue of “The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine” evaluated the effects of Da-zhui (GV14) and Feng-chi (GB20) stimulation on the secretion of reproductive hormones in menopausal women to alleviate hot flashes. The researchers measured several reproductive hormone concentrations in the 11 participants before and three months after treatment, including follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, luteinizing hormone, or LH, estradiol, progesterone and prolactin. Although there was a significant reduction in menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, the researchers found no change in reproductive hormone levels. Nonetheless, the study concluded that stimulation of GV14 and GB20 was effective in patient-perceived relief.
Magnetic Devices
A researcher from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Dr. Janet Carpenter, investigated the effects of magnetic devices on acupressure points on the ankles, lower abdomen and lower back for three days to relieve hot flashes in breast cancer survivors. Dr. Carpenter stated that “magnetic therapy has not been studied in the treatment of hot flashes before, but magnetic devices really have no negative side effects in comparison to medications.” The article, published in “Reporter,” the weekly newspaper from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, stated that magnetic therapy on acupressure points could relieve hot flashes in a matter of hours as opposed to a three- or four-week period required by some medications.
References
- “Evidence Based Alternative and Complementary Medicine”; Acupuncture and Auricular Acupressure in Relieving Menopausal Hot Flashes of Bilaterally Ovariectomized Chinese Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial; J. Zhou, et al.; February 2009
- “Menopause”; A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study of Acupuncture Treatment for Menopausal Hot Flashes; N. Avery, et al.; December 2008
- “The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine”; An Exploratory Pilot Study of Acupuncture on the Quality of Life and Reproductive Hormone Secretion in Menopausal Women; H. Dong, et al.; December 2001
- “Reporter: Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Weekly Newspaper”; Magnets, Acupressure Studied to Ease Cancer Therapy 'Hot Flashes'; C. Manley, July 1999
Member Comments