Alternative Answers to Menopause

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Good Morning!

 

Alternative Answers to Menopause

 

Our lives are filled with transitions. From birth to death, women tend to go

through a major transition cycle every seven years, with men it is every eight

years. So looking at our lives in cycles helps us to map out in our mind or

better understand our transitions and how to approach them.

 

For women, the seventh cycle in her life is related to menopause. Menopause is

the progression and natural change a women's body goes through when she is

reaching the end of her child-bearing cycle. This change signals a decrease in

the production of estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries. Often, women are

aware that they are nearing menopause once their menstrual periods start

changing. The cessation of the menstrual cycle for a period of one full year is

considered the medical diagnosis of menopause. There is menopause that occurs

naturally and there is also menopause that may be induced by surgery. This

medical " diagnosis " is not considered a disease but simply an upgrade from

reproductive to non-reproductive years. It is simply a name given to this

passing phase. This reduction in ovary function, follicles, hormonal changes and

blood circulation does not happen overnight. This process or change often takes

place over a span of 3-6 years prior to a diagnosis of menopause. This is

considered peri-menopause.

 

Although the median age for women reaching menopause is age 50, worldwide,

remaining unchanged for centuries, variations in this process occur based on

constitutional factors and lifestyle. Constitutional factors are considered

situations we are born out of based on family traits, genes and heredity.

Lifestyle factors include situations that occur during our lifetime based on our

choices, such as smoking, chemical dependency, obesity, type 2 diabetes and

dietary choices. Of course it is never just one factor that is an indicator of

this change, but a host of factors accumulating over a lifetime.

 

The severities of problems or symptoms, which can occur during peri-menopause or

menopause, are the culmination of several factors brought together over time.

For some women, no outward physiological symptoms are experienced. But on the

other hand, many women will experience one or several of such symptoms as hot

flashes, sweating, vaginal dryness, headaches, irritability, insomnia, anxiety,

depression, fatigue or lack of concentration.

 

A Look At Hormones

 

Progesterone and estrogen hormone levels are the driving force during the

reproductive years. These hormones then start fluctuating during menopause.

Estrogen is the dominant hormone during the 3rd-13th day of the cycle.

Progesterone is the dominant hormone in the 14th-28th day of the cycle. During

the onset of menopause, a woman's body will not produce sufficient amounts of

estrogen and progesterone during the cycle, which causes symptoms of menopause.

 

The endocrine system is the least understood of the body's physiological

processes. When the brain is called the " greatest sex organ in the body " it is

for good reason. The master controller of all processes is the

pituitary-hypothalamus-axis. This is the cross roads of a complex series of

feedback interactions and influences within the hypothalamus, the pituitary

gland and the adrenal glands. The ovaries are the main source of estrogen during

the reproductive years. This form of estrogen is known as estrodiol. During the

course of perimenopause, women can begin having less than regular menstruation.

Estrogen may be high (dominant) at the beginning of perimenopause or estrogen

may cease to produce. This can often explain why women in their 40's experience

symptoms and then the symptoms stop. Indicators of perimenopause can begin

manifesting as symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles, with scanty

infrequent bleeding, heavy bleeding and/or clotting or skipped periods. These

indicators are the body showing it's hormonal imbalances. These symptoms can

also be indicators of other disorders; therefore the past history can

differentiate.

 

As a great regulator, the pituitary-hypothalamus-axis helps to control hormones.

As a woman's body starts entering here seventh life cycle, the kidneys (her

constitution source of life) and better yet, the adrenal glands start producing

more of the hormone, androstenedione. This hormone starts converting into an

estrogen called estrone. Estrone becomes the dominant estrogen instead of

estrodial, after menopause. The conversion of androstenedione to estrone is most

prevalent in women due to the amount of adipose (fat) tissue she may have.

Therefore, a woman who is overweight to obese will convert a much larger

percentage of androstenedione to estrone (between 5-7%) were a thinner woman may

only convert a smaller percentage (between 1-2%). Again, this shows how

lifestyle can play a major part in how a woman experiences menopause.

 

 

The Symptoms of Menopause

 

Woman may not experience any symptoms during this transition or may only have

one or more of the following. Many woman, on the other hand can experience:

 

-hot flashes

-night sweats

-depression

-anxiety

-insomnia

-poor memory

-poor concentration

-vaginal dryness and/or atrophy

 

During menopause, women are at higher risk for:

 

-coronary artery disease

-artheriosclerosis

-osteoperosis

-thinning skin

-slow healing

-itching

-vaginal dryness

-atrophy

 

 

The Holistic Approach In Treating Menopause

 

The Eastern approach to treating menopause as a holistic therapy is connecting

the relationship between the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual outlook.

The Eastern medicine paradigm treats the whole person, as the belief is that

nothing works independent of each other, but in conjunction with one another.

This paradigm also sees symptoms as a differential factor. As an example; hot

flashes and night sweats are one diagnosis where as, hot flashes, night sweats

with cold hands and feet is a completely different diagnosis. The Eastern

approach also looks at lifestyle concerns, environmental issues and diet,

nutritional choices and exercise as a complete effort in treating menopause.

 

With this said, a holistic approach must have a course of action. A holistic

therapy needs to address all of the above aspects (mental, emotional, physical

and spiritual) in order to be " whole " . I have many women come into my practice

to tell me how they have begun dabbling in alternative medicine for their

situation. I do think it is wonderful that more and more patient are becoming

empowered and willing to take responsibility for their health and health care.

What I would love to see more of is addressing all aspects of their whole

selves.

 

For example, I had a new patient come to me for hot flashes that are worse in

the morning, with fatigue, loose stool and frequent urination. Here stress

levels were extremely high and she was constantly complaining about gas and

bloating. Her solution was to take Vitex (chasteberry) to address hot flashes

and DHEA, because she read somewhere this could help. She was taking an over the

counter remedy for here loose stool and a prescription from her doctor for the

frequent urination. She did nothing to address her stress levels and was eating

whatever she wanted because she was so stressed and called herself an " emotional

eater " . This was here holistic approach.

 

Unfortunately, not only was she taking an inappropriate combination of

medications and herbal supplements, she was not taking the correct doses. She

was not addressing the root of her problem (menopause agitated by stress) and

was sabotaging herself with what she was putting in her mouth. She was simply

addressing " symptoms " , which is no better than a Western approach. Of course,

symptoms must be address, but the root of the problem will continue to remain

and rebound back into her life the minute her remedies for the symptoms wear

off. By reaching down to the root of the problem and " rebuilding and fortifying "

the foundation, she can affectively resolve so much more of her imbalances.

 

A holistic course of action takes into account the mental, emotional, physical

and spiritual balance achieved throughout life. It is the accumulation of the

whole based on our constitutional health (what we are born with/into) and the

lifestyles choices we make during our stay here. Following a holistic lifestyle

should be one of continuous education, exploration and self-discovery. So many,

many people give their lives and bodies away to the trust of. advertisers,

doctors, friends and family members.

 

Learn to listen to your body and your intuition. Trust only your body, as it

will do its best to take care of itself. And when it does not, a health

professional is a good place to get an idea as to what is happening. But… no

matter who you see for your health, I encourage you to get a second and even

third opinion. All health care professionals will give you their opinion, based

on their expertise, signs, symptoms, physical findings or tests. Again, I stress

the word opinion, as this is exactly what it is. An opinion is based on a

culmination of information originating from everything including hearsay to

practical means. Some practitioner's scope is broad and far reaching. While

other practitioner's scope of practice is not so amassed or open. Regardless,

listen and learn. The more responsibility you take for your health the greater

your knowledge grows. This goes for what you read in books and on the Internet

as well. Everyone with an opinion has a belief or set of beliefs that formulate

that opinion. Sometimes, the formulation of these beliefs into an opinion may

not always be the most altruistic. Discern information you receive carefully.

Crosscheck this information and do more research before giving yourself and your

body over freely. Formulate your opinion or belief system based on your own

research as well. Be a well-informed patient, first.

 

A holistic course of action for peri-menopause and menopause needs to address

the change in the body's physical characteristics. The mental and emotional side

of menopause is often an even larger hurdle to overcome, as our attitudes and

beliefs create our mind/body structure. Elements that are seldom looked at

during this seventh cycle of life include sleep patterns, bowel movements,

urination, digestion and the assimilation of food in the body, body temperature

in general, body temperature in specific areas, movement and exercise, food

choices, situations that bring us stress and joy and mental attitudes that

contribute to our spiritual growth.

 

In Eastern medicine the kidneys are looked at as an entire system, not just an

anatomical object. The " energy " of the kidney system encompasses not only the

physical traits of regulating blood, waste products and water metabolism, but

dominates reproduction growth and development. The kidney system is the producer

of marrow (or essence), dominates water metabolism working in conjunction with

the urinary bladder and the lungs. The kidney " system " in Eastern medicine is

the dominant force in our life vitality. They share a corresponding emotional

connection (fear), tissues (the ears), sensory organ (bones) and element

(water). As we age, the energy of the kidneys decline. Since the kidneys are

associated with our essence, they are the main organs treated during menopause.

Kidney disorders are generally of a cold and or deficient nature. Therefore,

tonifying and moistening the kidneys is the primary approach.

 

The bladders along with the kidneys form an important pair. As they are

anatomically connected through the ureters, the bladder not only excretes waste

material but also is a temporary receptacle for vital fluid retention and

transformation. The bladder functions largely at its optimum when the kidneys

are normal, strong and healthy. Therefore, water is metabolized properly and the

storage and excretion of waste through the bladder, is related to the general

function of the kidneys.

 

 

-Tomorrow: Part 2 of a 3 part series: Alternatives to Hormone Replacement

Therapy

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/menopause.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit