Menopause, Reflexology, Hormone Replacement Osteoporosis, Alternative Medicine, natural alternatives to HRT

Alternative Medicine for Menopause

Reflexology

Reflexology involves the manual stimulation of reflex points on the ears, hands, and feet. It is similar to shiatsu and acupressure. Thumb pressure is applied to specific points that correspond somatopically to specific areas or organs of the body.

To relieve the menopausal discomfort, reflexology treatment may be aimed at the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands, the solar plexus and reproduction organ reflexes.

A controlled clinical study of thirty-eight women with premenstrual syndrome examined the effects of a thirty-minute reflexology treatment weekly for eight weeks. Those receiving the treatment were treated by ear, hand, and foot reflexology. Those in the control group were given placebo or sham reflexology. Based on a daily diary that monitored the severity of thirty eight premenstrual symptoms, the treated group had a 46% reduction, which was a significantly greater reduction than the 19% reduction of the controlled group.

Unlike the hormone treatment or antidepressant medications that is normally used for the treatment of PMS that results in severe side reactions, the treatment by reflexology produced no side effects. The researchers suggested that reflexology might work by softening adrenocortical reactivity to stress, which is known to exacerbate symptoms in PMS.

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