Natural Treatment for Menopause

The average age for onset of menopause is 51. However, not all women experience the symptoms of menopause in the same way. In short, menopause is the time in which your menstrual cycle stops permanently and you can no longer get pregnant. This natural biological process cannot be influenced, but treatment has been found very helpful in managing symptoms. The most common treatments for menopause include hormone replacement therapy, the use of topical lubricants or estrogen, and medications that aim to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes.

Symptoms of Menopause

In the months leading up to menopause, it is normal to experience a range of symptoms. Some of the most common menopause symptoms include weight gain, irregular periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood changes, night sweats, chills, loss of breast fullness, dry skin, thinning hair, and sleep problems. Many women will experience abnormal periods in the months and years leading up to menopause before their cycles end indefinitely. Skipping periods through perimenopause is a likely occurrence. In addition to being irregular, menstrual cycles are also likely to be noticeably shorter and sometimes heavier.

Treating Menopause Naturally

Many women prefer to treat their menopause symptoms naturally instead of relying on hormone replacement therapy. One of the most popular natural treatments for hot flashes associated with menopause is black cohosh. Derived from a buttercup family plant, black cohosh is believed to act similarly to serotonin in the brain. Red clover leaf extract is another natural treatment option known to reduce hot flashes, along with Dong Quai, a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for more than a thousand years to treat gynecologic conditions. Other herbal remedies for menopause include ginseng which can help improve mood symptoms and sleep disturbances, kava, and evening primrose oil.

Many women find relief from their menopause symptoms with acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese approach to treating various conditions by triggering specific points on the skin with thin needles. This minimally-invasive method stimulates nerve-rich areas of the skin which have a direct effect on organs, glands, tissues, and other functions in the body. Acupuncture also stimulates the immune system, which helps promote circulation, faster wound healing, and pain modulation. Many studies have shown that acupuncture may also be a suitable alternative to hormone therapy for women who are experiencing hot flashes.

For women who want to avoid the downfalls of traditional hormone replacement therapy there is bio-identical natural hormone replacement, also known as BHRT. This natural procedure is designed to help restore the hormones required to treat unpleasant menopause symptoms and other signs of aging. Bio-identical natural ho mone replacement uses natural BHRT to slow down the formation of wrinkles and sagging skin. Best of all, the therapy is custom-made for you based on your unique hormonal needs. The term bio-identical means that the hormones used in the treatment are identical to those that your body naturally produces. These hormones are derived from plant or animal sources instead of being synthesized in a lab and thus when used correctly are extremely safe.