For 50% of the population, it’s an inevitable fact of life - and yet it’s still something we tend to speak about in hushed tones, even amongst the closest of friends.

The physiology of menopause is pretty straight forward. It is characterised by a natural decline in hormone levels including oestrogen. This leads to the cessation of ovulation, and menopause is diagnosed after an absence of periods for one year or longer. Most women notice the first signs of peri-menopause in their late 40’s.

Menopause in western countries is seen as loss of fertility equals loss of sexual desirability and this denotes women’s central worth and value. In Eastern countries such as Japan, where older women are traditionally valued for their role as caretakers, relatively little importance is attached to menopause. Research has revealed that Japanese women are less likely to feel some of the more common and disruptive symptoms of menopause (including night sweats, hot flushes, mood swings and weight gain) than their western counterparts.

It doesn’t take a leap of the imagination to see that menopause is bundled up with ideas about ageing. This sense of shame and isolation can be crippling and can be especially hard on women who may have gone through early menopause or have had to go into forced menopause before the age of 40.

More open and honest conversations will remove the stigma around menopause. The more women speak out about it and the more women share their stories, the more this negative narrative will change.

NATURAL WAYS TO MANAGE MENOPAUSE

In January 2019, the Mayo Clinic published new research to suggest the mindfulness and meditation can help temper some side effects of menopause, including irritability and depression. Any practice that helps to manage stress levels will ultimately support a calm nervous system and less overwhelmed adrenal glands, which in turn, can support a smoother transition through menopause.

Managing stress levels is important because if someone has been relentlessly churning out stress hormones, their production will be seen as a higher priority by the body than sex hormone production. So through the peri-menopause years, it’s integral to ensure that you reduce the output of stress hormones.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine have a long history of helping women with menopause symptoms.

A recent study by the University of Southern Denmark found that five weeks of acupuncture in women with menopausal symptoms reduced hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances and emotional problems. 70 women with moderate to severe menopause symptoms were given six weeks of regular acupuncture. Compared to the control group, these women recorded moderate improvements in all symptoms and 80% of the women in the acupuncture group said they felt the sessions had helped them.

IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS

Believe it or not, there can be many benefits to menopause. In traditional circles, menopause is a time when wisdom begins to flow constantly, rather than ebb and flow throughout the menstruation years. It also tends to be a time when, after many years of prioritising the care of others, many women may feel it’s finally time to ‘fill their own cup’ in terms of their own health and happiness. During the menstruation years, the ratio of sex hormones tends to foster the nurturing of others and with the hormonal changes that come with menopause, some women notice this tendency decreases. It has a biological basis.

This can be a wonderful time in a woman’s life. Relax, enjoy, indulge and if you need assistance with any symptoms, please give me a call to discuss how I can help.