Menopause is a natural phenomenon in a woman's life, usually occurring between the ages of 40 and 50. The word menopause is derived from the Greek meno (month or menses) and pausis (pause). This refers to the cessation of menses or the periodic discharge of uterine tissue in women (Lindsay, 1999). The actual changes preceding and following this time occur over several years. This paper will compare the Western perspective to the Traditional Chinese (TCM) understanding of the same event.
Prior to menopause, much of a woman's estrogen is made in the ovaries. Skin, fatty tissue and the adrenal glands also make and release small amounts of estrogen. At the onset of menopause, estrogen production from the ovaries decreases (Lindsay, 1999). Most signs and symptoms of menopause are due to the decrease in circulating estrogen. Some of the more common signs and symptoms include vasomotor irritability, vaginal dryness and irritation, a decrease in size of the breasts and uterus, and pain and stiffness in the joints. Most, but not all, women have vasomotor and vaginal symptoms. These phenomena can cause a variety of emotional upsets including anxiety, depression, reduced libido, and insomnia.
Natural medicine therapies have a long tradition of use in the United States and in other countries to provide support for menopausal women. In the past five to ten years that there has been an increased awareness and respect for these alternative approaches during menopause. Many American women take nutritional products on their own with various degrees of success. The more popular alternative approaches include stress management, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, acupuncture, nutritional supplementation, exercise, botanical therapy, natural hormone preparations, and lifestyle changes.
