The female fetus, which begins its life path with 6 million primordial follicles in the womb, has 600 thousand follicles at birth, 300 thousand at menarche and approximately 10,000 at menopause. Menopause is the permanent complete cessation of menstrual bleeding as a result of this ovarian failure. The climatic phase, on the other hand, is a period with many discomforts and symptoms that lasts between 2-6 years, expressing the transition of the woman from the reproductive period to the period in which she is not capable of reproduction. The average age of menopause is stated to be between 48-55 years in the world, and in industrialized countries this average is 51 years old. In Türkiye, the average age of menopause is 48.
The rate of menopausal women in society is increasing rapidly due to both the increase in life expectancy and the increasing number of hysterectomies with oophorectomy. Menopause is a physiological process, not a disease, and from an acupuncture perspective, menopausal symptoms are caused by a lack of kidney energy. The most frequently complained symptom is hot flashes, which are present in 85% of menopausal women and can last up to 5-10 years in 45% of patients. Hot flashes 85% vaginal dryness irritability headaches depression Concentration disorder irritability insomnia sweating weight gain Decreased libido urinary incontinence Accompanying symptoms are frequent urination at night. Although we say that menopause is not a disease, we must say that the symptoms are closely related to lifestyle. Emotional stress is an important cause of menopausal symptoms. Fear, anxiety, and guilt weaken the kidneys and trigger menopausal symptoms. Overwork, not enough rest, irregular nutrition and sadness are the most important and common causes of kidney energy failure (especially kidney failure). Having too many children also weakens the kidneys. Phlegm formation increases in those who consume a diet high in fat or dairy products, and hot flashes, insomnia and mental fatigue increase in menopause. People who cannot get enough protein in their diet will have blood or yin deficiency. There is a significant increase in hot flashes with excessive use of tea, coffee, alcohol and cigarettes. We conducted a study on such common menopausal symptoms between January 2013 and December 2015, including 72 patients aged 45-56. Only 2 of the patients applied solely for menopausal symptoms. 70 patients presented with other primary complaints, but in addition to these complaints, their existing menopausal symptoms were also monitored and treated. The treatment of the patients was carried out as 10 acupuncture sessions (on average 2 applications per week) over a 6-week period. At the end of this period, changes in menopausal symptoms were recorded with the patients' change information, considering the severity of the initial symptom as 10. None of the patients was given hormone replacement therapy or chemical support. Reasons for patients with menopausal symptoms to apply to our clinic 1-Obesity (38 patients) 2-Knee pathologies (9 patients) 3- Lumbar hernia, neck hernia, back pain (7 patients) 4-Smoking cessation (6 patients) 5-Depression (5 patients) 6-Cosmetic acupuncture (2 patients) 7-Menopausal complaints (2 patients) Total: 69 patients TABLExxx Menopausal symptoms are of great importance both as a common public health problem and because they greatly affect the individual's quality of life. After the demonstration of the cancer, heart attack, stroke and gallbladder pathologies enhancing properties of hormone replacement treatments, which we frequently used before, acupuncture treatments that do not have any side effects and are able to solve many problems of the patient at the same time are rapidly gaining importance. This needs to be well introduced to the society and raise social awareness.
