Treating Menopause with Naturopathic Medicine

I see women experiencing symptoms of Menopause and Perimenopause often in my NW Calgary Naturopathic Medicine practice and so today I wanted to write a blog post on the many options Naturopathic Medicine has to offer women experiencing these symptoms. The experience is different for every woman in terms of the symptoms she is experiencing, as well as the intensity and the duration of these symptoms.  Symptoms can include hot flashes and night sweats, heart palpitations, low libido, vaginal dryness, mood swings, insomnia, poor concentration, and so much more. This time of transition can affect a woman on many levels, including physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Keep reading to learn about the various treatment options I use with my patients.

Diet and Nutrition for Menopause

Diet and Nutrition is the basis of what I use with the majority of my patients regardless of their chief concern, because your diet can either nourish you or impede your overall health and vitality. A few of the major dietary impacts on symptoms, especially hot flashes and night sweats, include alcohol, spicy food, and (from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective) warming foods such as foods that are deep fried.

I frequently prescribe vitamins and supplements to my patients as well. The supplements I choose will depend on my patients overall symptom picture but usually work wonders when it comes to improving symptoms and overall quality of life.

Detoxification is something is also important, because hot flashes are a way of the body removing toxins via sweating. Detoxification can support the body in removing toxins.

Acupuncture for Menopause

This modality works wonders with my patients symptoms, especially for hot flashes and nightsweats, anxiety and depression, insomnia, and fatigue, and even decreased libido. Acupuncture has a multitude of benefits in addition to those a patient may experience during perimenopause and menopause, such as improved digestion, stress management, and immunity.  I will perform a Chinese Medicine tongue and pulse analysis on my patients and choose my acupuncture points based on this as well as their symptoms, and treatments are usually scheduled weekly.

Herbal Medicine for Menopause

Herbs are a very powerful method for treating hot flashes and nightsweats, anxiety, and sleep disturbances that often accompany this transition. They can also be used to have an impact on hormonal balancing.

Mesotherapy for Menopause

This is another very powerful method of treating hormonal imbalances and especially for hot flashes and nightsweats, and anxiety and nervousness. Injections are given containing homeopathics that can balance these symptoms, therefore improving quality of life significantly. For more information you can read my Mesotherapy blog here. 

Stress Management for Menopause

This is a very important area to address because many women will report that stress will aggravate their symptoms, especially their hot flashes. This is very unique to every woman, but yoga, meditation, acupuncture, deep breathing, and exercise are all commonly used, as well as any activity that brings a woman joy and relaxation.

As you can see, the treatment of Menopause and perimenopause with Naturopathic Medicine is broad and dependent on the patients symptoms. Some women like to try one treatment at a time, while other women choose to be more aggressive in their treatment of their symptoms. If you would like to know more about how I can help you improve your quality of life please don’t hesitate to contact me at my NW Calgary Naturopathic Medicine practice at 403-719-2594 or email me at DrRamona@NaturopathForCalgary.com. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you to achieve your health goals!

Dr. Ramona Charikar

Naturopathic Vitality Acupuncture and Wellness Clinic

205-5403 Crowchild Trail N.W. Calgary, AB

(403)719-2594