Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine is a Toronto naturopathic clinic dedicated to providing safe and effective treatment of a wide variety of health conditions using natural therapies and the principles of naturopathic medicine.
Menopause is well treated using naturopathic medicine. Menopause, or the permanent end of menstruation and fertility, is a natural biological process, not a medical illness. It usually occurs in a womans’ late-40s. The hormonal changes associated with menopause can disrupt your sleep, affect your energy and possibly trigger feelings of sadness and loss. Menopause is associated with osteoporosis, heart disease and weight gain. It is important to consult a healthcare professional during both perimenopause (the period beginning when the first symptoms of menopause occur) and post-menopause (the period following one year without a menstrual period) for preventive healthcare as well as care of medical conditions that may occur with aging. Always seek medical advice if you have vaginal bleeding after menopause.
Symptoms of menopause
Possible symptoms of menopause include:
- Hair loss
- Decreased breast fullness
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Vaginal dryness
- Increased abdominal fat
- Hot flashes
- Disturbed sleep
Menopause treatment at Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine, the goals of menopause treatment are to reduce or eliminate menopause symptoms, increase levels of depleted hormones naturally and prevent conditions associated with menopause (e.g., osteoporosis, heart disease, weight gain).
Conventional treatment for menopause may include a variety of medications, including hormone therapies, selective estrogen receptor modulators, antidepressants, gabapentin, clonidine and bisphonates which may have short- or long-term side effects. For this reason, you may choose to try natural treatment to possibly avoid use of conventional medications, or together with conventional medications in order to decrease dosages of conventional medications required to manage your menopause symptoms.
Naturopathic treatment of any chronic health concern must be recognized as a process that involves identifying specific treatment goals, a thorough understanding by your naturopathic doctor of all factors affecting your health, including physical, psychological, emotional and lifestyle factors, development of a comprehensive treatment plan and execution of that plan through periodic monitoring and adjustment.
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine a typical approach to treating menopause is to first identify and address underlying factors in your lifestyle (e.g., stress, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, disrupted sleep, smoking). Where appropriate, a number of therapeutic options are available, to be used alone, or more often in a complementary fashion, including:
- Botanical (herbal) medicines
- Nutritional supplements
- Homeopathic medicines
- Cleansing protocols
- Relaxation techniques
- Exercise prescription
- Hydrotherapy
- Lifestyle counseling
Reference
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Menopause [Online]. [cited 2009 Feb 18]; Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menopause/DS00119