Probably most women feel at least a slight trepidation at the thought of menopause. They fear an intensive physical decline in the future with a loss of their physical attractiveness and strength. In addition, there is the emotional strain that women over 50 often experience in our society due to a lack of professional and private appreciation. Too little recognition is given to female maturity and wisdom, which can only be formed with long life experience. The feeling of a life crisis is intensified by the appearance of menopausal complaints such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances or depressive mood swings.
In this situation, Western orthodox medicine offers to halt the aging process by substituting female hormones. Many studies have shown that this concept also works: numerous diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases or even Mb. Alzheimer’s disease can be postponed.
Chinese medicine for menopause
In order to understand the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), one must first explain what the Yin-Yang theory is all about. Here, the human body is an organic whole whose meaning lies in the opposing relationship of Yin and Yang, the two aspects that explain the relationship of things to each other. This theory can be found again in the saying that “all things have two sides” or also in the saying that “there is nothing so bad that it is not good for something”.
In terms of the human body, this theory means that all biological processes within us take place healthily when yin and yang exist in harmony, that is, in mutual balance. In terms of temperature in the body, yin represents cold and yang represents heat; in terms of time of day, night is yin and yang is day. Yin means rest, yang means movement, yin is the material aspect and yang is the functional aspect of all things.
During menopause, this system temporarily goes into disarray
From the TCM perspective, there is a general decrease in Yin energies. When the Yang energy is maintained but the balancing Yin is absent, there is a relative Yang surplus. In terms of temperature, the so-called “yin deficiency-heat” is formed. The situation can be well compared with the decrease of oil and water in the engine, which then overheats very easily. It is precisely this “overheating” that is expressed in women by a wide variety of complaints. The most common and well-known are repeated hot flashes, feeling of heat, excessive sweating, especially at night, palpitations, nervousness, irritability, hypersensitivity, dry mouth, insomnia with awakening at night and wild dreams. In addition to the physiological, or normal, decrease in Yin, there may be an additional pathological (pathological) loss of Yin due to various factors. These include chronic overwork, regular lack of sleep, frequent emotional stress or long-standing worry, and physical exhaustion from poor diet or after numerous births. Ultimately, how severe the symptoms are also depends on how strong the original yin energy was.
The decrease of the Yin energy can be equated in the western sense approximately with the decrease of the female hormones. However, in addition to the loss of Yin, there can also be a loss of Yang, and depending on the weighting of the energy ratios, the symptoms will then be different. Both heat and cold symptoms can occur in the same patient.
The second factor in the climacteric is the diminishing of the Qi of the center, which reduces the production and storage of essence, i.e. there is no longer a surplus that must bleed off monthly. The climacteric with sistieren of the bleeding is thus an important regulation process around valuable Essenz and juices to save and the energies. Instead, according to Chinese conception, the essence is led upwards to the heart in order to nourish the Shen, the spirit.
Western medicine uses estrogens to treat menopausal symptoms. From the point of view of Chinese medicine, this treatment tricks the body into thinking that ovulation is still taking place, but does not nourish or strengthen the essence. It is therefore a purely symptomatic therapy and not a causally strengthening treatment, which the woman’s organism would actually need at this time. The hormones are supposed to set the engine to a higher temperature, so to speak, so that it does not overheat so easily. However, they do not replenish the engine with oil or water, so that “dryness and heat” continue to dominate in women because of the lack of Yin essence. It fits in with this that most women, after stopping hormones at an older age, find that they have only put off the hot flash phase and the other typical symptoms, and have by no means spared themselves.
Herbal formulations
Traditional Chinese medicine tries to treat the symptoms causally. Traditionally, herbal formulas are used, which mainly nourish the Yin energies, but always support Yang energies to regain a harmonious balance. In addition, depending on the TCM diagnosis, other disease patterns can be treated if necessary, for example, by draining phlegm, moving Qi, invigorating blood, and so on.
Acupuncture
Treatment with acupuncture supports the effect of Chinese herbs by releasing blockages and supporting the harmonious flow of Yin and Yang energy. Hot flushes are favorably affected, sleep becomes more restful, joy of life and general drive increase.
Also read: 2022 Best Chinese Medicine Guide
Nutrition
Therapies of any kind, whether according to Western or Far Eastern teachings, can have an optimal effect especially if a healthy diet, adapted to the phase of life, is practiced at the same time, which supports health. The body needs less nourishment during menopause and usually stubbornly holds on to the existing weight. Losing weight therefore becomes more and more difficult with increasing age. Those who continue to eat as much as before during menopause will inevitably gain weight – on average just under one kilo per year. Digestion becomes more sensitive with age, and many things are no longer tolerated as well as they were when we were younger. In particular, many women notice a higher intolerance to sugar, dairy products, yeast, and sometimes grains. Bloating, flatulence, constipation, a hardened tense upper abdomen after eating or immediately following nausea after eating are typical symptoms of this.
A well-functioning center is the prerequisite for not unnecessarily reducing energies. So the first thing to do is to take care of your center. In addition, the diet should ensure that the juices can flow well, i.e. be low in waste products and not slimy.
Furthermore, special foods that support the Yin energies play a role. We can discuss your dietary habits and consider optimizations during the TCM anamnesis.
Many women who feel that they need to make their diet healthier than before switch to a vegetarian diet. However, from a Chinese perspective, there are problems that can contribute to the disorders during the menopause. A lot of raw food cools down the Yang too much. This also applies to milk and dairy products as well as tofu. If fish and shrimp, as strong yang supporters, are also omitted, there is a lack of adequate support for the digestive fire. This especially affects women who tend to be overweight. They have constitutionally or acquired a too weak Yang.
Sport
Climacteric disturbances can often be improved just by doing sports and thus activating the flow of energy and juices without substantial Yin support. So this is a therapy that initially does not require herbs. Qi flow can be set in motion by Qi Gong, for example. However, most women need more vigorous physical exertion beyond that to get their own juices flowing. This can be compared to a river with tributaries and dead arms, which are only flushed properly during high water. Thus, physical exertion also gets stagnant juices in the periphery moving. When sweat escapes through the skin, this is a given and sweating is no longer left to hot flashes alone. The ideal is to sweat for at least 15-20 minutes every day as part of moderate physical exertion. However, the sport must not lead to permanent exhaustion, then in any case also a substantial nourishment of the Yin through herbal therapy is necessary.
