For women during menopause, constant hot flashes can become a nightmare.
A new study suggests that acupuncture, or acupuncture, can reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes during this period, according to an online edition for girls and women between 14 and 35 years old Pannochka. net Tides are a sudden sensation of heat all over the body or in some areas.
They can be accompanied by redness of the face and neck, red spots on the hands, back and chest, and intense sweating. This condition can be observed with different health problems, but in women after 45 years the most frequent cause of hot flashes is menopause.
The most effective method of treatment of hot flashes is hormone replacement therapy - the use of estrogen and progesterone drugs, which restore the habitual hormonal background in the body, even if the ovaries stop working. However, hormone therapy is associated with a risk of serious side effects, including stroke, heart disease and certain types of cancer.
That is why scientists are actively looking for safer ways to combat tidal and other unpleasant symptoms of menopause. In a recent study, the results of which were published in the journal Menopause, scientists studied the effect of acupuncture on the frequency and severity of hot flushes in women with natural menopause.
Acupuncture is a method of alternative medicine that has been counting for more than 2,500 years. It includes many procedures in which the doctor stimulates certain anatomical points, usually with the help of very thin metal needles.
This technique is widely used to treat chronic pain, but recent studies have shown the ability of acupuncture to influence the level of systemic inflammation, and even accelerate weight loss.
Acupuncture is effective in hot flashes.
Scientists analyzed 104 scientific studies that evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture. The team included 12 of them in the final analysis, in which 869 women aged 40-60 participated.
Women included in the analysis underwent various forms of acupuncture, including electroacupuncture, acupressure, laser acupuncture, traditional Chinese therapeutic acupuncture, and acupuncture of the auricle.
The researchers found that women with natural menopause who underwent such treatment noted a decrease in the intensity and frequency of the tides over a period of up to 3 months. Moreover, treatment had a positive effect on hot flushes, regardless of the number of needles, procedures and their duration.
But the authors of the review note that in some studies the acupuncture simulation ("fake" procedures) had the same effect on tides as the actual sessions.
The team can not explain why acupuncture helps relieve hot flashes in women during the menopause, but they suggest that acupuncture can reduce the concentration of beta-endorphin, a neuropeptide contained in the cells of the central and peripheral nervous system. Scientists say that a low level of beta-endorphin can activate the release of calcitonin gene-bound peptide (calcitonin gene-related peptide, CGRP), which regulates body temperature.
Commenting on the findings of the researchers, Dr. Margery Gass, Executive Director of the North American Society of Menopause (NAMS), said:
"First of all, this review shows that we still have a lot to learn about the causes and treatment of menopause related tides. The review suggests that acupuncture can be a valuable alternative to relieve hot flashes, especially when a woman is looking for non-pharmacological options ".
Acupuncture is not the only alternative to hormone therapy. In 2012, the Menopause magazine published another interesting study, the authors of which found that hypnosis reduces the frequency of tides by as much as 75%.
medbe. en.
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