Acupuncture and Hot Flashes
Posted 5/15/2010
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I have written before about the possible valuable of acupuncture for controlling hot flashes. Since hot flashes are a common problem for women during/post breast cancer treatment, we are always looking for suggestions that may be helpful. The bottom line is that there is not a single treatment that will help all women, but acupuncture is one suggestion that is worth considering.
Unfortunately, few insurance policies will cover the cost of menopause, but there many be ways to reduce the expense. In the Boston area, for example, the New England School of Acupuncture provides lower cost treatments, provided by students under the supervision of more experienced practitioners.
Here is the abstract from a study of Kim and colleagues that was published in the journal Menopause:
Menopause:
March 2010 - Volume 17 - Issue 2 - pp 269-280
doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181bfac3b
Articles
Effects of acupuncture on hot flashes in
perimenopausal and postmenopausal women-a multicenter randomized clinical trial
Kim, Kun Hyung OMD, MS; Kang, Kyung Won MS; Kim, Dong Il OMD,
PhD; Kim, Hyung Jun OMD, PhD; Yoon, Hyun Min OMD, PhD; Lee,
Jin Moo OMD, PhD; Jeong, Jae Cheol OMD, MS; Lee, Myeong Soo
PhD; Jung, Hee Jung MS; Choi, Sun-Mi OMD, PhD
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture plus usual care for relief of hot flashes and menopause-related symptoms compared with usual care alone in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women.
Methods: A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial was conducted. Perimenopausal or postmenopausal women with average hot flash scores of 10 or higher during the week before the screening visit were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group received 12 sessions of acupuncture and maintained usual care for 4 weeks, whereas the control group underwent usual care alone. Hot flash scores were calculated by multiplying frequency by severity of hot flashes recorded in a daily diary. The
primary outcome was the mean change in the average 24-hour hot flash score at week 4 from baseline. The secondary outcome was the mean change in menopause-related symptoms as estimated by the Menopause Rating Scale questionnaire at week 4. Follow-up assessment at week 8 was conducted in the treatment group only.
Results: The mean change in the average 24-hour hot flash score was −16.57 in the treatment group (n = 116) and −6.93 in the control group (n = 59), a difference of 9.64 (P < 0.0001). The total Menopause Rating Scale score, as well as the subscale scores for the psychological, somatic, and urogenital dimensions of menopause, showed significant improvement in the acupuncture group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The mean change in the treatment group in the primary outcome was −17.58 at week 8.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that acupuncture in addition to usual care is associated with marked clinical improvement in hot flashes and menopause-related symptoms in perimenopausal or postmenopausal women.
©2010The North American Menopause Society
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