A Chinese medicine technique using a smooth-edged instrument to scrape or rub certain areas of the body may relieve troublesome symptoms women experience in the years leading up to menopause, according to a new study.
Perimenopause can begin eight to 10 years before menopause, as estrogen levels fluctuate and start declining but menstrual cycles continue. During this time, and for another year or more after menstruation stops, women may experience hot flashes, insomnia, tiredness, mood swings, forgetfulness, aches and pains, vaginal dryness and pain during sex.
It's estimated that 75 percent to 92 percent of women going through perimenopause have at least some of these symptoms, and about 40 percent find them problematic enough to seek help, the study authors write in the journal Menopause.
Gua sha therapy is one of the most commonly used techniques in Traditional Chinese Medicine, they add, and it's thought to work by enhancing surface circulation and producing an antinflammatory effect.
"Gua sha therapy has been widely applied in clinical practice in China," said coauthor Pei-bei Duan of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Nanjing.
Past studies have found it may prevent or treat many common and frequently-occurring conditions, such as acute or chronic pain, colds, flu, fever, heatstroke, asthma and emphysema, Duan told Reuters Health by email.
For the study, researchers recruited 80 women with perimenopausal symptoms from a clinic at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and divided them randomly into two groups.
One group received only conventional treatment, in this case drinking a liquid derived from traditional Chinese herbs called Qingxin Zishen Tang twice daily. The other group received the same conventional treatment plus weekly 15-minute Gua sha sessions, in which a therapist used a buffalo horn scraper and a skin lubricant to stimulate "acupoints" similar to those targeted by acupuncture focusing on the back, lower limbs and upper limbs for eight weeks.
Gua sha scraping causes red or purple marks on the skin which typically fade within seven days, the authors note.
After eight weeks, scores on a menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire had improved for both groups of women, but significantly more for the women in the Gua sha group. They also experienced greater reductions in hot flashes and sweating, insomnia, nervousness, melancholia, fatigue and headache than the comparison group receiving only conventional treatment.
The available studies on this topic are few and weak, said Dr. Francesco Cardini of the Health and Social Regional Agency in Emilia Romagna in Italy, who was not part of the new study.
"As with other traditional practices, Gua sha treatment, which creates superficial transitory skin lesions, may not be accepted by women with non Chinese culture," Cardini told Reuters Health by email.
"Gua sha therapy for perimenopausal symptoms was well tolerated by participants in our study," Duan said. "Only two transient and mild adverse events were reported and no serious adverse events occurred. Both were deemed unrelated to Gua sha. The two cases both had mild dizziness; one was caused by hypoglycemia because the patient did not eat breakfast, and another one was too nervous at the first treatment."
The long-term benefits of Gua sha therapy are not known, Duan said. Theoretically, women in China have access to this therapy, but only at large Traditional Chinese Medicine hospitals.
"Women who live in rural areas have to travel a long way to the cities to get the therapy, which is inconvenient," Duan said. "If women have the access to Gua sha therapy, they should try it."
In the U.S., some licensed massage therapists offer Gua sha therapy and it has been endorsed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow.
Have never used this technique myself. Instead I tried accupuncture. Hundreds of clinical studies on the benefits of acupuncture show that it successfully treats conditions ranging from problems like back pain, neck pain, and others to nausea, migraine headache, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infertility.Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations is said to bring the energy flow back into proper balance.Acupuncture can be beneficial in that:
ReplyDeletePerformed correctly, it is safe.
There are very few side effects.
It can be effectively combined with other treatments.
It can control some types of pain.
It may help patients for whom pain medications are not suitable.
After the needle is inserted, there is occasionally a dull ache at the base of the needle that then subsides. Acupuncture is usually relatively painless. Sometimes the needles are heated or stimulated with electricity after insertion. The needles will stay in place for between 5 and 30 minutes. The number of treatments needed depend on the individual. A person with a chronic condition may need one to two treatments a week over several months. An acute problem normally improves after 8 to 12 sessions.
I wouldn't relay much on accupuncture or anything of this kind. Better to use these well known tips:
DeleteTrack your basal body temperature (BBT) to assess if you're ovulating. Your BBT is your lowest body temperature and is measured when you're fully at rest. That temperate reading fluctuates throughout your cycle. The day after you ovulate, your BBT will rise 0.4 to 1.0 degree and will stay elevated until your next period. You should check and chart your BBT using a basal thermometer each morning before you get out of bed, ideally about the same time each day. Track it over a few months to assess when you're ovulating, and then have sex around the time of ovulation.
Track your cervical secretions to assess your fertility. Your cervical mucus changes in quantity and quality throughout your cycle. You have the most when you're about to ovulate and the least right after your period. You're most fertile when your mucus resembles egg whites, looking and feeling stretchy and clear. The more of this mucus you have, the higher your likelihood of getting pregnant. Ovulation is done when the mucus has thickened.
Ensuring that you're not underweight or overweight will keep your reproductive cycle in balance. Check your BMI (body mass index) score; a ranking of 19 to 24 indicates a healthy weight. Anything above that range should be discussed with your health care provider.
Unhealthy food intake, whether too much or too little, has been recognized as a contributing factor to infertility because it can make your reproductive cycle irregular. And that causes you to ovulate occasionally or not at all. Switch protein sources, replacing some of the beef, pork or chicken you eat—animal protein—with vegetable protein sources, such as cooked dried beans and nuts. When 5 percent of total calories eaten come from vegetable protein instead of animal, the risk of ovulatory infertility drops by more than 50 percent. Add high-fat dairy because the more low-fat dairy products you eat, the greater your risk of ovulatory infertility. Try replacing one low-fat dairy serving per day with one high-fat serving, such as a glass of whole milk.
There are really a plenty of others!! To me, no need to waste money on the techniques mentioned.
Here are some others healthywomen.org talks about:
DeleteStay hydrated.
Your cervical fluid—which helps the sperm find the target egg—gets sluggish when you don't drink enough water. Consume plenty of water so that your urine is light yellow.
Cut caffeine.
High caffeine intake interferes with conception. Consider eliminating or avoiding caffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks (decaf is fine). Does the thought of losing that morning pick-me-up make you break into a cold sweat? You can stick to one to two 8-ounce cups a day.
Meet with your ob-gyn.
Your health care provider can speak with you about the overall status of your health and suggest any lifestyle changes you need to make that can help you get pregnant. Since some fertility issues may be hereditary, it's also a good idea to meet with a doctor if you have a family history of infertility.
See the dentist.
Gum disease is linked to underweight and premature babies. And the health of your mouth and teeth can change once you're pregnant. To ensure that your mouth is in tip-top shape, visit your dentist.
Manage stress.
Trying to get pregnant can be stressful. Do your best to manage and reduce tension and anxiety. Try relaxation techniques like meditation, acupuncture or yoga.
Exercise within reason.
It's fine to get in some moderate activity. But engaging in strenuous, vigorous and extreme exercise might impact your menstrual cycle, leading to infertility. So, pass on the marathon when you're trying to get pregnant.
Inspect your medicine cabinet.
Some prescription medications may be unsafe during pregnancy or make it more difficult to get pregnant. Review the medications you're taking with your health care provider.
Ditch the lube.
Some lubricants can make sperm more likely to die before they reach the egg. If you need some lubrication to make you more comfortable during intercourse, try a lubricant that's sperm-friendly or use canola oil.
Stop drinking.
Yes, there's no evidence that drinking an occasional glass of wine factors into your fertility. But consider passing on alcohol when you're trying to conceive to be on the safe side.
Quit smoking.
You and your partner should both ditch this habit for the sake of your health, your fertility and a healthy baby. Smoking makes you prone to ectopic pregnancies (when an embryo implants somewhere other than the uterus, such as in one of the fallopian tubes), lowers the number and quality of sperm and is linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
Load up on vitamins.
Ask your ob-gyn which over-the-counter prenatal vitamin you need or if you should take a prescription prenatal vitamin. She may also suggest that you take folic acid or a prenatal vitamin with folic acid. Folic acid will help reduce the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects in babies. Food sources of folic acid include beans, orange juice, spinach and strawberries.
We've got our daughter through surrogacy in Ukraine, BioTexCom. Our surro told us all those things were clearly explained by the clinic's staff even before the pregnancy. Good job of them!
It might sound like new age nonsense.. but worrying about not falling pregnant could actually be part of the problem. Stress could be impacting on your fertility. Mother nature is pretty smart. so our bodies aren’t really designed to get pregnant during times of stress. It can happen of course, but it is less likely. In days gone by, stress would have come in the form of predators or food shortages. These days these are job worries, emotional upset or simply the stress of trying to conceive. When you want something straight away, it can be frustrating having to wait. Especially when you then have a two week wait to find out if you’ve been successful. If you haven’t, it will probably be a couple of weeks before you can try again. It’s an exhausting cycle. and one that can very quickly zap any of the fun out of your sex life. It’s not always easy to stay positive, especially when faced with yet another negative pregnancy test. but positive thinking has an important role to play here. Of course this is not the same way for everyone. For some this is not the only ''key'' to the problem solving..
ReplyDeleteAcupuncture is now, without a doubt, one of the best ways to enhance your success rates. It will reduce your stress, enhance your ovarian function, and increase blood supply to your reproductive organs.
ReplyDeleteOther therapies such as reflexology, hypnotherapy, yoga, or massage can also help. Alos the feel-good factor and endorphin buzz produced by regular sexual intercourse can really help to alleviate stress.
Take a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement which contains vitamins A, B, E and C complex, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iron and Co-enzyme Q10. which play a vital role in the fertilisation and implantation process. Essential fatty acids are vitally important. Wheat Grass to keep your FSH in check and Royal Jelly to nourish your egg quality. And folic acid as well.
I really wonder if it helps. Well it might bring some relief I guess. But how all this can help to cope with menopause? Really can't make my mind..I've tried acupuncture twice. Both times preparing for IUI procedures. Unfortunately it brought no actual result for me except mood improval. But cases differ. Who knows maybe this very method will find its support among many women soon..
ReplyDeleteWell I won't say much here. As I really do not imagine what the outcome of the procedure might be. And whether it helps to boost fertility or not. From what I've tried are fertility herbs and acupuncture. The practice involves stimulating the body’s chi with tiny needle injections, in different areas of the body depending on the particular issue and treatment goals. An appointment usually lasts around one hour. It involves a thorough consultation before comfortably resting with the small needles inserted for 20-30 minutes. In most fertility cases, the needles are focused around the legs, lower back or lower abdomen. Acupuncture may be undertaken when trying to conceive, immediately before beginning fertility treatment, or during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Practitioners suggest it may also be beneficial undertaken by women after several unsuccessful months or years of trying to become pregnant, with or without fertility assistance. If you are trying to conceive naturally, it is recommended by acupuncturists to undergo weekly treatment for around 12 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThe aim of treatment while trying to increase fertility is to improve blood flow to the ovaries and endometrium. This may encourage the ovaries to function at their peak and may help to increase the lining thickness of the uterus. Acupuncture is also often undertaken by women with PCOS, with a specific aim to induce ovulation and regulate hormones. When undertaking IVF, some acupuncturists suggest a short treatment prior to and immediately after an embryo transfer with a hope to increase the chances of implantation. This is because acupuncture may serve to relax the uterus at the time of transfer if undertaken at the correct time.
Because IVF treatments can be a stressful and emotional time for women and couples, acupuncture may assist in alleviating stress and allow your body to function at its best possible health.
Our final successful DE ivf cycle held at Biotexcom clinic and one of the things I could do to boost my chances was doing acupuncture. I don't know what actual benefits this procedure was making on me but currently I'm 9.5 weeks pregnant with my sweet little one)
Yep, that's it. Was saying the same in my previous comment. I'm sure people should better count on experts/clinic they are in but not chinese stones/acupuncture/whatever to waste time and money. Though it's said it might be beneficial. You know in case with acupuncture adding moe needles to your daily routine is just dreadful. So what's the point?! People, seek good medical help, not fairytale secrets - lol.
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard and it is frustrating not being able to turn your thoughts off. I was in this exact spot not too long ago. Unfortunately I was 30 when our fourth IUI failed. My husband and I agreed that we would move on after that. However, since insurance didn't cover any part of IVF and money doesn't grow on trees, to say we were beyond stressed. We didn't know how to take on IVF at the time is an understatement. I hate thinking back on those months of not knowing what we were going to do! Thankfully we found all those positive reviews on BTC on boards. Could finally choose the package suitable for our pocket. Passed treatments successfully.
ReplyDeleteThat's just what I thought about! I'm pleased to see others with similar opinion. The intensity and waiting involved with IVF (screenings, testing, and procedures) is almost more than most can bear. Some couples have already waited months and even years to get pregnant. Then, they are immediately disappointed to find that the IVF process involves a lengthy time commitment. As you focus on staying patient during this time, an important IVF success tip is to relax and stay busy. Make plans to stay active with friends and family. Discover a hobby or a new activity that is relaxing and fun. Try to keep your mind off of any worries or potential setbacks during the IVF journey. And, most importantly, have hope that your doctors will do all they can to help you get pregnant and have a healthy baby. Make sure you're in the right fertility place. Talk openly to med staff. Feel free to ask as many questions as needed if it does help keep you sane. I believe this brings much more benefits rather than using those Chinese stones.. If only this was that easy! We're blessed to have applied for help in Biotexcom clinic. Guys know what they do!
ReplyDelete