Menopause is not a disease or disorder. It is a natural life process.
Menopause occurs as the ovaries prevent the production of estrogen hormone, causing the reproductive system gradually shut down.
This usually happens after the age of 45. The symptoms that accompany with menopause are often uncomfortable and debilitating.
Some disorders like night sweats, hot flashes, and mood swings can make your life hell for several months or years. Hence, it takes the body to shift from reproductive state to post-menopause.
Conventional therapy for menopause includes estrogen replacement therapy. Most often the side effects of this therapy are worsen than the symptoms of menopause.
The other option is alternative treatment that can help to reduce the symptoms that make the months leading up to menopause uncomfortable for you.
Alternative treatment helps you to relieve from the discomfort during the transitional years of menopause. It helps to get most favorable health during menopause and into your later years of life.
The main focus of alternative treatment is on strengthening your body by encouraging it to balance, regulate, and normalize itself during the transition to menopause.
Dietary, nutritional and supplement changes are accomplished by alternative treatment therapies. Those are acupuncture, herbs, and homeopathic remedies.
Some of the alternative treatment therapies for menopause include:
Acupuncture:
Acupuncture is used to treat menopause symptoms and they give excellent results in easing these symptoms without any side effects. This alternative treatment helps to strengthen your body and re-establish a harmonious state of the body. This therapy regulates unbalanced hormone levels during menopause.
Herbal medicines:
You can find a number herbal extracts that can be used in treating the symptoms of menopause. Among these herbal medicines the most effective is black cohosh.
It is considered as the most effective and alternative treatment and it is a safe and best substitute for estrogen replacement therapy.
In menopause, this herb effectively treats hot flashes, sleep problems and mood swings. Some other herbs that may be used as alternative treatment and can help to reduce the menopause symptoms include evening primrose oil, dong quai, red clover, wild yam, licorice root and saw palmetto.
You need to be careful while using herbal remedies, because they are associated with significant side effects. Speak with your health care provider before using this alternative treatment.
Massage and relaxation techniques:
Meditation and relaxation help in reducing stress and pain. Both are effective in treating the symptoms of menopause.
Nutrition based therapy:
It is an effective and most useful alternative treatment for menopause. Soy based food contains isoflavones. They are similar to estrogen.
Phytoestrogens help to reduce hot flashes, improve cholesterol levels, and also reduce bone loss. It is better to include soy food in your diet rather than soy supplements.
Flaxseed also contains phytoestrogens and omega-3 fatty acid. They help to reduce the symptoms of menopause as well as help to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
You must include al least 1000 milligrams of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily in your diet. It prevents bone loss. Vitamin K, magnesium, and boron are also very helpful in reducing the symptoms of menopause.
Make sure that all herbal therapies and nutritional therapies should be discussed with your health care provider to avoid drug interactions.
