Menopause
The natural decline in reproductive hormones when a woman reaches her 40s or 50s.
Historical context
Viewed in holistic traditions as a second 'spring' or transition phase, requiring constitutional support to re-balance the endocrine and nervous systems.
Common symptoms
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood changes
- Sleep disruption
- Metabolic shifts
Mechanisms
Decline in estrogen and progesterone. Holistic pathways target the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to smooth the transition.
Associated modalities
- homeopathy
- reiki
Clinical studies
- Management of distress during climacteric years by homeopathic therapy — Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
- Homeopathy service in a National Health Service community menopause clinic: audit of clinical outcomes — Journal of the British Menopause Society
Interesting facts
- Cherokee herbalists used Black Cohosh as a 'woman's tonic' to balance the endocrine system and smooth hormonal transitions.