Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms in Chinese women: a systematic review

Abstract

Menopause-related symptoms are common problems of middle-aged women that can seriously affect their quality of life. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for climacteric symptoms is the first choice recommended by the International Menopause Society and likewise by other societies and institutions covering this field. However, non-hormonal therapies can be an alternative effective option, especially for women who are not suitable for MHT. Acupuncture is one of the most important methods. With deepening experience of the use of traditional Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion in the improvement of menopause symptoms, more clinical evidence has been obtained to support the effectiveness and safety of this treatment concept that is very often used in China. This review summarizes the evidence for effective treatment of climacteric complaints by acupuncture in recent years, shares the clinical experience of the authors of this review, all of whom head or work in units with daily large numbers of outpatients, and includes, in particular, results from studies performed in the Department of Acupuncture–-Moxibustion of Tsinghua University Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, China. In addition, there is a summary about the safety of acupuncture treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.

摘要

绝经相关症状是困扰中年女性的常见问题, 严重影响女性的生活质量。绝经激素治疗是国际绝经学会及该领域其他类似学会和组织推荐的首选治疗方案。然而, 非激素疗法可作为有效的替代选择, 尤其对于不适合MHT的女性。针灸治疗是其中最重要的方式之一。随着中医针灸在女性绝经相关症状改善中的研究越来越深入, 也获得了更多的临床证据支持针灸治疗的有效性和安全性。本综述总结了近年针灸治疗更年期综合征有效性的证据, 分享本篇综述作者们的临床经验, 所有作者的门诊每天都有大量患者, 尤其包括来自于在清华大学附属垂杨柳医院针灸科进行的研究的结果。此外, 也对传统中医中针灸治疗的安全性进行了总结。

Keywords:

• Acupuncture
• moxibustion
• menopausal symptoms
• traditional Chinese medicine

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Ying Wang, a professional English–Chinese translator, for her modification of this manuscript in English. The authors especially thank Junhua Zhang of the Department of Acupuncture–Moxibustion of Tsinghua University Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, China, for her cooperation with the figures about acupuncture points in this article.

Potential conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Additional information

Funding

The first batch of Beijing maternal and child health specialist demonstration units ‘menopausal health specialist’ [2018/01-2020/12]; Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals’ Ascent Plan [code: DFL20181401]; Beijing TCM Science and Technology Development Fund [code: QN2018-10].