Overview

Have you been experiencing hot flashes or night flashes? Or changes to your mood and insomnia, along with 12 months of missed periods? A menopause diagnosis with us might be just what you need for overall wellness. Here's what to know about the benefits of functional medicine for patients with menopause.

What is Menopause?

Menopause can be defined as the period of time after a patient stops menstruating for 12 consecutive months. The time leading up to it is known as perimenopause, where patients experience changes such as irregular periods, hot flashes, changes to their mood, and more.

While aging leads to menopause due to a gradual decrease in hormones—estrogen and progesterone—produced by the ovaries, earlier menopause can often occur in patients that have surgery to remove their ovaries, cancer, or other illnesses.

What Are the Symptoms of Menopause?

While some patients may experience no symptoms of menopause, for others, the following are common:

• change in menstrual cycle, often irregular periods
• loss of hair
• vaginal dryness
• changes to mood, increase in irritability
• difficulty concentrating
• changes to skin
• urinary incontinence
• night sweats and hot flashes
• osteoporosis
• atherosclerosis

What Are the Benefits of Menopause Treatments?

There are multiple benefits to using integrative approaches to treating the symptoms of menopause. As menopause affects every patient differently, using an individualized approach works best to manage symptoms and enhance overall wellness. Recent studies have shown that regular treatments of acupuncture and homeopathy have improved quality of life as well as led to a reduction in hot flashes in patients experiencing those menopausal symptoms.

Other integrative treatments for menopause include:

• Osteopathic manipulation
• Massage
• Hypnosis
• Yoga
• Meditation and deep breathing exercises
• Changes to diet and lifestyle

What to Expect During Menopause Treatment Sessions

If you've never had a menopause treatment session before, you might be wondering what to expect during your first appointment. A trained physician at reNu Medical & Injury Center will begin by asking a comprehensive set of questions to determine your current health status, including the symptoms of menopause you may be experiencing. From there, a series of lab tests to determine your hormone levels and thyroid function may also be carried out.

Depending on your symptoms and results, your physician may prescribe one or several forms of treatment, including acupuncture, osteopathic sessions, yoga, tai chi, as well as naturopathy, or homeopathy.

For more information about menopause contact reNu Medical & Injury Center at (302) 368-0124.

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Source:

• https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause
• https://medlineplus.gov/menopause.html
• https://www.uclahealth.org/obgyn/menopause
• https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/files/...