Acupuncture for Menopause

This article talks about the case of a 52-year-old female who reported of insomnia and night sweats. She had problems going to sleep as during every bed time she felt very hot, and when she managed to fall asleep she would all of a sudden wake up all soaked in sweat. This woman also experienced hot flashes during the daytime for which she would also sweat profusely. At times, she would also have some dizzy spells.

The monthly period of this woman had been decreasing during the past few years. They occur for only once in every three or four months and when they come, the periods were unpredictable. These periods either exhibited more discharge than normal or were scanty. She noticed that she was becoming more and more irritable, particularly during the onset of her periods as well in connection with the occurrence of her hot flashes.

She also talked about her headaches starting, particularly on the top of her head. There was also a bitter taste in her mouth that accompanied those headaches. The woman likewise stated that she upped her fiber content which helped facilitate her bowel movement that were starting to become slower that possibly would result in constipation.

Her tongue showed a white thin coat tip with a reddish color. She manifested a pulse that was weaker on the left side particularly on the side of the kidney’s position, and was rapid and wiry on the right.

Diagnosis: Liver and Kidney deficiency and some signs of Rising Liver Yang that may be due to the deficiency of the Liver Yin. The deficiency in Kidney Yin deficiency was evident in the lessening of her periods, as well as the hot flashes, constipation, and night sweats. The deficiency of Liver Yin manifested in her erratic periods, dizziness and irritability. The ascendancy of Liver Yang showed in relation to the headaches she was beginning to experience as well as the bitter taste in her mouth.

Treatment Recommendation: Tonify the Liver Blood and Kidney Yin; certain points to regulate the Liver and remove some Heat in order to inhibit the Liver Yang, but only secondary in importance to Tonifying.

Acupuncture Points: RN 4, SP 6, LR 3, BL 18, LI 4, BL 20, KD 6, BL 23, KD 3, LR 8,

Herbal Remedies: Zhi Mu, Six Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan), reinforced with Di Gu Pi.

Treatment for a month showed the woman feeling a lot better. Her dizziness, insomnia and night sweats had all been treated although she still experienced the occasional hot flash. No longer was she experiencing headaches, and she had a much better mood as well.

Dominic Sembello is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist and the clinical director of Health Source Acupuncture in Linwood, NJ.