Remember when you felt like a normal human?

Remember when you were smart, and calm and not sweating profusely? Your brain didn't feel like mush, you were flexible about ambient temperatures and not feeling ragey?

That was probably before MENOPAUSE. Or even years ago before you started peri-menopause. I know many people live by the belief that Mother Nature does all things for a reason. But I can't help wondering if mother nature had a career, teenage kids, aging parents and a saggy belly when she dreamed this one up. The timing feels......rude.

I hear constant stories from friends and patients about how much they are struggling. Everyone has a different experience too. Some are suddenly overcome with anxiety, seemingly out of nowhere. Some are up all night changing their pajamas every hour. Some are desperately trying to manage their irritability when everything feels like sandpaper.

What I also hear a lot is that these women don't know what to do about it. They see their gynecologists who offer anti depressants, anxiety meds or hormonal creams. A lot of women are concerned about hormone replacement therapy because of their health histories or family histories.

So....this is how I started focusing on this aspect of women's health. I'm not going to point any fingers but studies show that women's health complaints often get minimized and blown off by their medical providers. I also know, from being a woman, that we often put our health needs last. And I know, from being an acupuncturist, that sometimes all western medicie has to offer is a band aid. I'm not bashing western medicine by any means. It is amazing for a lot of things. You're certainly not going to get acupuncture for a trauma injury or in place of a surgical intervention. But acupuncture can play a really valuable role during menopause.

The basic foundation of Chinese Medicine (which incorporates acupuncture and Chinese herbs) is to find the ROOT of the problem. This is what drew me to study this medicine. Menopause is a great example of a condition that benefits from acupucture because our pracitioners looks past the symptoms (which of course they aim to alleviate) and balance the root issue in your body. Everyone has a slightly different internal ecology, which is why menopause shows up differently from one person to the next. So a one-size-fits all bandaid doesn't always help.

Enter....The Menopause Clinic at Odenton Acupuncture. This had been an idea in the back of my head for a while. I kept hearing the frustration from friends and patients about finding solutions to their suffering. When I met Dr. Zhou this summer I knew that the universe was paving the way for my idea. Through acupuncture and Chinese herbs we have amazing ways to help women feel better in their bodies during this time. Dr. Zhou has spent 30 years researching this exact thing.

I'm so excited to launch this. I think menopausal women are an underserved population who are suffering quietly. It's ridiculous. There are ways to feel better!

Stay tuned....I'll dig in deeper in the next entry.