Abstract
Abstract
Background:
Hot flashes occur in 68%–82% of women during menopause, and are significant side-effects of estrogen antagonist therapies for breast cancer and antiandrogen therapies for prostate cancer. Acupuncture clinical trials for hot flash treatment demonstrate that acupuncture produces clinically significant reductions in the frequency and severity of hot flashes without significant side-effects.
Objectives:
The goals of this article are: (1) to review current concepts regarding the pathophysiology of hot flashes and acupuncture neurophysiology; (2) to discuss potential mechanisms of acupuncture's beneficial clinical effects for treating hot flashes; and (3) to provide a standardized acupuncture protocol for treating hot flashes that integrates allopathic and TCM knowledge bases.
Methods:
Acupuncture and hot-flash physiologies were compared to examine for common mechanisms as well as their relationship to traditional hot flash physiologic concepts.
Main Outcome Measures:
This review examines neuroendocrinologic and neurophysiologic overlaps of hot-flash and acupuncture mechanisms, and provides literature-based evidence of acupuncture efficacy for treating hot flashes.
Results:
Hot-flash pathophysiology involves central nervous system endogenous opioid, noradrenergic, and serotonergic pathways that acupuncture has been demonstrated to modulate. Kidney, Spleen, Lung, and Heart points the that literature recommends for treating hot flashes can be understood to have neurophysiologic correspondence to these mechanisms.
Conclusions:
Combining Eastern and Western concepts of hot-flash pathogenesis can lead to safer, evidence-based interventions to improve quality of life for patients who are experiencing hot flashes.
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