Acupuncture Improves Hot Flashes

Figure 1: Acupuncture Improves Hot Flashes. A new study shows that acupuncture rapidly and significantly improves menopause symptoms. Hot flashes were reduced to 2.4/6 in the treatment group over 6 weeks, a significant improvement compared to 3.8/6 in the control group. Symptoms were measured on a patient-reported scale of 0-6. 70 patients were randomly assigned to acupuncture or a control group. (95CI = -2.3 to -0.8, p < 0.0001)

A new study finds that acupuncture may be helpful in reducing the symptoms of menopause. 70 women were randomly selected to receive either weekly acupucture at the start of the study or a control group that did not receive acupuncture until the end of the study.

Women who received acupuncture in this study reported significant improvements in their menopause symptoms. One of the most significant improvements was seen in hot flashes.

Hot flashes are a common and uncomfortable symptom of menopause. Hot flashes include sudden feelings of heat accompanied by sweating and skin flushing.

On a scale of 0-6, patients who received acupuncture reported a 2.4/6 after 6 weeks compared to a 3.8 in the control group that did not receive acupuncture. This improvement was seen as early as 3 weeks into the study, showing that just 3 treatments may be enough to help many patients.

About Menopause Menopause typically occurs when a woman reaches her 40s and 50s. Symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep difficulty, mood changes, weight gain, menstrual changes, sexual changes, and vaginal dryness.

Randomized Controlled Trials Randomized Controlled Trials, such as this study, are considered the gold standard in medical research. In these studies, patients are randomized to either receive an intervention or a control. If performed correctly, the only difference between these groups should be the intervention itself. This minimizes bias and other potential sources of errors.

Source: Efficacy of a standardised acupuncture approach for women with bothersome menopausal symptoms: a pragmatic randomised study in primary care (the ACOM study)