At Menopause Support we call these therapies ‘complementary’ rather than the often used ‘alternative therapy’ as they can all safely be used alongside HRT. We would advise that you consult with you GP prior to using complementary therapies. Also tell your complementary therapist if you are taking any prescribed medication.
We have found the most used therapies for the menopause to be Homeopathy, Herbs, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy Massage, Reflexology and Reiki or Healing.
In order to get the most out of your visit to a therapist we have put together ‘Questions to ask when looking for a Complementary Therapist’ and ‘How to get the most out of a Complementary Therapy session’.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is based on the principle that ‘like cures like’ and that remedies based on herbal, mineral or animal are given in minute dilutions known as potencies. The more dilute the preparation the higher the potency and stronger the effect. Homeopathic remedies have a number after them indicating their strength e.g. Pulsatilla 30c is more dilute and therefore more potent than Pulsatilla 6c.
The remedy produces the same symptom as the illness but, as it is given in very dilute form it is thought to work by evoking the body’s healing response. A remedy is chosen by reference to a person’s constitution made up of their traits, likes and dislikes, common symptoms, personality and emotional factors.
During a homeopathic consultation mental and emotional symptoms are taken into consideration, as are physical symptoms - including strange, rare and peculiar symptoms – e.g. whether the weather affects you, what foods you like to eat, or what type of dreams you have. These might give an indication of your remedy.
As the remedy takes effect the illness should move from more serious deeper seated organs to lesser organs, e.g. asthma should improve before eczema; in fact as the asthma does improve the eczema may get worse for a while before it too improves.
Symptoms disappear in the reverse order of their appearance, such as in Measles; the cough comes before the rash but disappears last. In chronic disease a patient may find a return of old, long-forgotten symptoms on their curative journey. This is good news as it shows the remedy is working and should not be stopped until all symptoms are gone.
There are several homeopathic remedies that are thought to be helpful during the menopause. We suggest that you visit a registered homeopath (see the List of Registering Bodies) to receive a full consultation and receive individual advice on the appropriate remedy to take. You may be able to access homeopathy treatment under the NHS.
Herbs
Herbal medicine is the oldest form of medicine. Nowadays a medical herbalist completes a 4 year B.Sc. degree and is trained in the same diagnostic skills as a medical doctor, plus the extensive knowledge of the therapeutic use of plants as medicines. As plants are also foods and we are not only what we eat but what we can digest and assimilate, a medical herbalist will ask about your diet and life-style, giving nutritional supplements and dietary advice.
A holistic approach to treatment is taken. Symptoms are seen as the body trying to restore harmony. The cause of the illness is looked for and treated rather than just the symptoms, e.g. you may have heartburn caused by anxiety and tension, therefore you treat the anxiety and tension rather than concentrating on relieving the heartburn.
Plants are complex substances. Each plant contains hundreds and sometimes thousands of chemical constituents. A herb is considered to be any plant, or part of a plant, that is used in its complete state, without its active constituents having been extracted and given alone, for a medicinal or health-giving purpose. All parts of the plant may be used, depending on the plant and the effect required, e.g. roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, berries, bark and husks.
The medicine can be given as a tea, a decoction (herbal essence extracted by boiling with water), a tincture, or dried and powdered in capsules or tablets. External applications can also be given such as baths, lotions, oils, ointments and creams.
Herbalists believe herbs work to gently stimulate and encourage healing on all levels: (spiritual, emotional and physical) and a herbal prescription is formulated to take all aspects into account, combining herbs for their synergistic action, the sum of the formula being more than the individual parts. During the menopausal years herbs are used to assist women to adapt to the changes they experience bodily, strengthening the immune, nervous and endocrine systems.
When using herbs to allay menopausal symptoms and restore the body to health, the benefits of the whole plant are considered, not just because it contains phytoestrogens.
Supplements containing isoflavones (a type of phytoestrogen) extracted from soya and red clover are readily available although they are relatively new on the market. Some studies show that they may be helpful for hot flushes, while others show no positive improvement. Nobody knows the long-term effect of taking them although we do know that, when the active part of a herb is made into a pharmaceutical drug, it often produces unwanted side-effects, which are not experienced when taking the complete herb.
At Menopause Support we advise caution when taking any supplement containing phytoestrogen/isoflavones. We suggest you take them for a maximum of six months and, at the same time, make changes to your diet to include naturally occurring, non-concentrated phytoestrogens, such as fermented soya products like Tofu and Miso. We believe taking phytoestrogens in your diet in this form is much better and a lower risk way of helping yourself through your menopause.
Black Cohosh has been used by many women to reduce hot flushes with differing levels of success. This may be because of the varying qualities and quantities sold in over the counter preparations. Thus making it difficult to know what you are buying. Some women are helped, some are not and a few have a bad reaction to Black Cohosh.
Herbalists believe that it is a mixture of herbs that needs to be used for best relief of symptoms. If you try using different herbs as part of your self-help, we would stress that there is no magic herb that will work for all women. Those women taking orthodox medication should not take herbs without consulting a Medical Herbalist. See the List of Registering Bodies to find a registered Medical Herbalist.
Acupuncture
The aim of Chinese medicine is to expel pathogenic factors and toxins from the body; to increase the supply and flow of ‘qi’ or ‘chi’ (energy); and to balance the ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ energy and nutrients through the use of food (as a medicine), acupuncture, acupressure, massage and herbal medicines.
The qualities of the pulse and the appearance of the tongue are very important to the diagnosis. Both represent the energetic flow (qi or chi) and nourishment of the organs of the body. These in turn are viewed energetically as well as substantially and deemed to influence organs and bodily conditions elsewhere via the ‘meridians’ (energy channels).
At the menopause the yin energy reduces, as menstruation stops and the yang energy increases as a sense of ‘self and wholeness’ develops. During this transition, the balance of yin and yang energy is disturbed. How well the body can adapt to this transitional state depends on your constitution and how you live your life. Often the yin is unable to contain the yang (expanding) energy, allowing it to scatter, leading to typical menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations, low libido, anxiety and insomnia.
Acupuncture covers both the insertion of very fine needles and the application of ‘moxibustion’ (a type of heat treatment) at a precise point on the skin (acupoints) which form a complex grid across the body known as ‘meridians’. When the needles, or heat, stimulate the acupoint the qi, blood and fluids flow more easily through the body, which is thought to re-balance the body and promote self-healing. Through careful manipulation of qi within the meridian system, acupuncture assists in harmonizing the yin and yang energy, making the menopause a more manageable time.
Many women have found acupuncture to be helpful with the following symptoms during the menopause:
• Heavy periods
• Hot flushes
• Stress incontinence
• Persistent aches and pains
• Low mood
Find a registered Traditional Chinese Practitioner in the List of Registering Bodies.
Aromatherapy massage
An aromatherapy massage is a relaxing rather than a vigorous massage. The therapist uses stroking and pressing movements to relieve pain and tension in the muscles, speeding up circulation. It also stimulates the lymphatic system and improves the nourishment of the body’s tissues.
During a massage the Aromatherapist uses diluted plant-based essential oils, stimulating the highly developed sense of smell that we as humans have developed. Smells can be mood-enhancing. Think of the pleasure you get when you bury your nose into a bunch of scented flowers. Oils can also be used to treat bites and burns, soothe period pains and even clear headaches and nasal congestion. Even though the science behind these oils is unclear, they are generally accepted as beneficial and are used within the NHS for women giving birth, and also geriatric and cancer patients.
When you visit an Aromatherapist, bath or shower before your appointment so that the oils are better absorbed. You should be asked about your medical history, including any incidences of serious diseases, lifestyle, allergies, any medicines you are taking, if you are pregnant, have epilepsy, heart disease or cancer, as some oils are contra-indicated in certain circumstances.
Ask your therapist about the quality of the oils they are using. As the oils are volatile, they should be kept in dark glass bottles out of the sun and in a cool temperature. All should be diluted with a base-oil before massaging you.
See the List of Registering Bodies to find a registered Aromatherapist.
Reflexology
The theory behind reflexology is that the whole body is represented in a map on the feet (mainly on the soles). It can also be represented on the hands, but a reflexology massage is normally carried out on the feet as the reflex areas are larger and more sensitive.
The right foot represents the right hand side of the body and left foot the left hand side. The big toe, for example, represents the head and brain while the little toe the sinuses. It is thought that by massaging a specific ‘reflex point’ (the size of a pin head) on the foot, the circulation of blood is improved and the nervous tension reduced in that particular part of the body, thus helping the healing response of the body.
The practitioner will use their hands, particularly the thumb, to press firmly into the reflex point – the pressure is then released with the thumb being pulled back in a slight circular motion. If the area being worked on is out of balance, then tenderness may be felt. In some areas small crystalline granules are felt just under the skin, these are massaged away giving a relaxing effect. Both feet are fully treated ensuring the ‘whole body’ is covered and the treatment should last about 45 minutes, with no side-effects. Some people feel revitalised while others may feel very tired.
There is little scientific research to support reflexology, although anecdotal evidence shows that it can help with women during pregnancy, PMS, menopausal symptoms and also with endometriosis.
See the List of Registering Bodies to find a registered Aromatherapist.
Healing & Reiki
Healing is a therapy used all over the world and is common among most major religions. Healers believe that healing energy can be transferred to people who are ill (in mind, body or spirit) from either God (faith healing), or from the cosmos (spiritual healing), or as a universal life form energy (Reiki).
The treatment involves you sitting in a chair, or lying on a couch, and relaxing while the healer places his or her hands on or near your body. In some forms of healing, you do not even need to be present – the healer simply ‘sends’ healing thoughts to you – this is known as absent healing. The sessions can last for up to an hour, during which you may notice a tingling feeling or sensation of warmth. Some people feel nothing at all until maybe a day or two later. Even though it is a gentle therapy, it can have powerful results.
To find an experienced healer check with the List of Registering Bodies.
QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN LOOKING FOR A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIST
1. How long have you been in practice?
2. Where did you study your therapy and what are your qualifications?
3. Is your type of therapy registered and are you on the register? If not registered, why are you not registered?
4. Can your therapy help my condition and how will it help me?
5. How long will it be before I see benefits from this therapy?
6. Are there any side-effects to the therapy?
7. How many visits do you envisage I will need?
8. Should I tell my doctor that I’m using this therapy?
9. Will this therapy interact with my prescribed medication?
10. Are you insured?
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY SESSION
1. Give the therapist a full list of supplements and remedies you are taking at present.
2. After a complementary therapy session drink plenty of filtered, still water and eat light, easily digestible food.
3. Have plenty of rest – avoid vigorous exercise and busy, stressful situations.
4. Don’t start different complementary therapies at the same time – this would be too much for your body to adjust to and you will not know which therapy is working – give each therapy at least a month to work.
5. Give your body at least three days rest between any bodywork therapy; i.e. acupuncture, massage, shiatsu, reflexology.
6. Keep a diary (or use your menopause chart) to make a note of any changes of symptoms (better or worse), any new symptoms, emotions and feelings, in between sessions to inform therapist at next visit.