Acupuncture therapy for menopausal and perimenopausal syndrome

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the clinical practice and mechanistic exploration of acupuncture therapy for menopausal and perimenopausal syndrome. Accumulating clinic data suggest that acupuncture is an effective and economical therapy for menopausal and perimenopausal syndrome. The mechanistic research has developed the idea that acupuncture signals initiated at the acupoints are transferred to the brain through the nervous pathway, and thus, modulate multiple neurotransmitter systems. Subsequently, the output signaling cascades may correct the dysfunctions of the hypothalamicpituitary-ovarian axis (HPOA) through neural regulation. On the other hand, acupuncture is observed to activate the endocrine secretion, hormonal, dielectric, and other pathways. There is also evidence showing that the mechanisms of acupuncture are related to the regulation of gene expression and intracellular signal transduction. Taken together, acupuncture is considered to induce an integrated and complex effect on HPOA through the regulation of multiple systems in the body. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.