Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Management of Menopause and Perimenopause: Integrative Medicine in Support of Wellness

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Essentials of Menopause Management

  • 1085 Accesses

Abstract

Since antiquity, menopause has been a marker of transition in a woman’s life. Despite all of the changes that have occurred in modernity, the age that menopause occurs has shifted very little. The median age at menopause among women from industrialized countries ranges between 50 and 52 years [27], and while there is slight evidence of increasing age at menopause over time and global variations [17], our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers generally hit menopause at this same time in their lives. What is different today, however, is that women are often living another 30 years (greater than one-third of their lives) after they transition to menopause. While it is well known that there are many bothersome symptoms that women may experience during the perimenopausal and menopausal stages of their lives, this time can also be an enormous opportunity and invitation to wellness for women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abdali K, Khajehei M, Tabatabaee HR. Effect of St. John’s wort on severity, frequency, and duration of hot flashes in premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Menopause. 2010;17(2):326–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Avis NE, Legault C, Coeytaux RR, Pian-Smith M, Shifren JL, Chen W, Valaskatgis P. A randomized, controlled pilot study of acupuncture treatment for menopausal hot flashes. Menopause. 2008;15(6):1070–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ayers B, Smith M, Hellier J, Mann E, Hunter MS. Effectiveness of group and self-help cognitive behavior therapy in reducing problematic menopausal hot flushes and night sweats (MENOS 2): a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2012;19(7):1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Borud EK, Alraek T, White A, Fonnebo V, Eggen AE, Hammar M, Astrand LL, Theodorsson E, Grimsgaard S. The Acupuncture on Hot Flushes among Menopausal Women (ACUFLASH) study, a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2009;16(3):484–93.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Caraci F, Crupi R, Drago F, Spina E. Metabolic drug interactions between antidepressants and anticancer drugs: focus on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and hypericum extract. Curr Drug Metab. 2011;12(6):570–7.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Carmody JF, Crawford S, Salmoirago-Blotcher E, Leung K, Churchill L, Olendzki N. Mindfulness training for coping with hot flashes: results of a randomized trial. Menopause. 2011;18(6):611–20.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Chattha R, Raghuram N, Venkatram P, Hongasandra NR. Treating the climacteric symptoms in Indian women with an integrated approach to yoga therapy: a randomized control study. Menopause. 2008;15(5):862–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chiu H-Y, Pan C-H, Shyu Y-K, Han B-C, Tsai P-S. Effects of acupuncture on menopause-related symptoms and quality of life in natural menopause: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2014;22(2):234–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Cramer H, Lauche R, Langhorst J, Dobos G. Effectiveness of yoga for menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Evid Based CAM. 2012. doi:10.1155/2012/863905.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Desmarais JE, Looper KJ. Managing menopausal symptoms and depression in tamoxifen users: implications of drug and medicinal interactions. Maturitas. 2010;67(4):296–308. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2010.08.005.

  11. Eichling P, Sahni J. Menopause related sleep disorders. J Clin Sleep Med. 2005;1(3):291–300.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Elkins GR, Fisher WI, Johnson AK, Carpenter JS, Keith TZ. Clinical hypnosis in the treatment of postmenopausal hot flashes: a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2012;20(3):291–8.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Elkins G, Marcus J, Stearns V, Perfect M, Rajab MH, Ruud C, Palamara L, Keith T. Randomized trial of a hypnosis intervention for treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26:5022–6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Freedman RR, Woodward S. Behavioral treatment of menopausal hot flushes: evaluation by ambulatory monitoring. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1992;167:436–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Gaudet T, Spencer P. Consciously female: how to listen to your body and your soul for a lifetime of healthier living. New York: Bantam Books; 2005. p. 369–90.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Gibbons R, Hur K, Brown H, Mann J. Gabapentin and suicide attempts. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2010;19(12):1241–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Gold EB, Sternfeld B, Brown C, Kelsey JL, Brown C, Mouton C, Reame N, Salamone L, Stellato R. The relation of demographic and lifestyle variables to symptoms in a multi-racial/ethnic population of women aged 40–55 years. Am J Epidemiol. 2000;152:463–73.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Harlow SD, Gass M, Hall JE, Lobo R, Maki P, Rebar RW, Sherman S, Sluss PM, de Villiers TJ. Executive summary of the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop +10: addressing the unfinished agenda of staging reproductive aging. Climacteric. 2012;15(2):105–14.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Heger M, Ventskovskiy BM, Borzenko I, Kneis KC, Rettenberger R, Kaszkin-Bettag M, Heger PW. Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (Err 731) in perimenopausal women with climacteric complaints: a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Menopause. 2006;13(5):744–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. http://www.imconsortium.org/about/about-us.cfm. Accessed 27 Oct 2015.

  21. http://www.obgyn.net/menopause/managing-menopause-part-1-vasomotor-symptoms. Accessed 22 May 2015.

  22. Irvin JH, Domar AD, Clark C, Zuttermeister PC, Friedman R. The effects of relaxation response training on menopausal symptoms. J Psychosom Obstet Gynecol. 1996;17:202–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Joshi S, Khandwe R, Bapat D, Deshmukh U. Effect of yoga on menopausal symptoms. Menopause Int. 2011;17:78–81.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Jung C. Collected Works 9i, 523 and 620; cf. Sharp (1991), 67.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Krause MS, Nakajima ST. Hormonal and nonhormonal treatment of vasomotor symptoms. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2015;42:163–79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. McCabe R, Soares S, Green S. The cognitive behavioral workbook for menopause: a step-by-step program for overcoming hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms. New Harbinger Publications; Oakland, CA. 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  27. McKinlay SM, Brambilla DJ, Posner JG. The normal menopause transition. Maturitas. 1992;14:103–15.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Miller H, Li R. Measuring hot flashes: summary of a National Institutes of Health workshop. Mayo Clin Proc. 2004;79:777–81.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Newton KA, Reed SD, LaCroix AZ, Grothaus LC, Ehrlich K, Guilinan J. Treatment of vasomotor symptoms of menopause with black cohosh, multibotanicals, soy, hormone therapy, or placebo. Ann Intern Med. 2006;145:869–79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Pachamn DR, Jones JM, Loprinzi CL. Management of menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms: current treatment options, challenges & future directions. Int J Womens Health. 2012;2:123–35.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Paramsothy P, Harlow SD, Elliott MR, Yosef M, Lisabeth LD, Greendale GA, Gold EB, Crawford SL, Randolph JF. Influence of race/ethnicity, body mass index, and proximity of menopause on menstrual cycle patterns in the menopausal transition: the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. Menopause: J North Am Menopause Soc. 2015;22(2):159–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Rada G, Capurro D, Pantoja T, Corbalán J, Moreno G, Letelier LM, Vera C. Non-hormonal interventions for reducing hot flushes in women with a history of breast cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;(8):CD004923.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Reddy SY, Warner H, Guttuso T, Messing S, DiGrazio W, Thornburg L, Guzick DS. Gabapentin, estrogen, and placebo for treating hot flushes: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2006;108(1):41–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Shams T, Firwana B, Habib F, Alshahrani A, AlNouh B, Murad MH, Ferwana M. SSRIs for hot flashes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. J Gen Intern Med. 2014;29(1):204–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Swartzman LC, Edelberg R, Kemmann E. Impact of stress on objectively recorded menopausal hot flushes and on flush report bias. Health Pscyhol. 1990;9(5):529–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Tella SH, Gallagher JC. Efficacy of desvenlafaxine succinate for menopausal hot flashes. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2014;15(16):2407–18.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Katherine Gergen Barnett MD

  2. Department of OB/GYN, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Marcia Klein-Patel MD, PhD

  3. Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Judith Balk MD, MPH

  4. Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Judith Balk MD, MPH

Authors
  1. Katherine Gergen Barnett MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marcia Klein-Patel MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Judith Balk MD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katherine Gergen Barnett MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Lubna Pal

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Raja A. Sayegh

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Barnett, K.G., Klein-Patel, M., Balk, J. (2017). Management of Menopause and Perimenopause: Integrative Medicine in Support of Wellness. In: Pal, L., Sayegh, R. (eds) Essentials of Menopause Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42451-4_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42451-4_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-42449-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-42451-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation