Evidence was insufficient to show whether exercise is an effective treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
One small study suggested that HT is more effective than exercise .
Evidence was insufficient to show the relative effectiveness of exercise when compared with HT or yoga
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that many perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women will experience menopausal symptoms ; hot flushes are the most common .
Symptoms caused by fluctuating levels of oestrogen may be alleviated by hormone therapy ( HT ) , but a marked global decline in its use has result ed from concerns about the risks and benefits of HT .
Consequently , many women are seeking alternatives .
As large numbers of women are choosing not to take HT , it is increasingly important to identify evidence -based lifestyle modifications that have the potential to reduce vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of any type of exercise intervention in the management of vasomotor symptoms in symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .
A comparison of acupuncture and oral estradiol treatment of vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women
Objective To compare the effects of electro-acupuncture with oral estradiol and superficial needle insertion on hot flushes in postmenopausal women . Material and methods Forty-five postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms were r and omized to electro-acupuncture , superficial needle insertion or oral estradiol treatment during 12 weeks , with 6 months ' follow-up . The number and severity of flushes were registered daily and the Kupperman index and a general estimate of climacteric symptoms were completed before , during and after therapy . Results In the electro-acupuncture group , the mean number of flushes/24 h decreased from 7.3 to 3.5 ( ANOVA , p < 0.001 ) . Eleven of the 15 women had at least a 50 % decrease in number of flushes ( with a mean decrease of 82 % ) . Superficial needle insertion decreased the number of flushes/24 h from 8.1 to 3.8 ( p < 0.001 ) . In seven out of 13 women , the number of flushes decreased by at least 50 % ( mean decrease 83 % ) . In the estrogen group , the number of flushes decreased from 8.4 to 0.8 ( p < 0.001 ) . The decrease in number of flushes persisted during the 24-week follow-up period in all treatment groups . The Kupperman index and the general climacteric symptom score decreased , and remained unchanged 24 weeks after treatment in all groups ( p < 0.001 ) . Electro-acupuncture decreased the number of flushes/24 h significantly over time , but not to the same extent as the estrogen treatment . No significant difference in effect was found between electro-acupuncture and the superficial needle insertion . Conclusion We suggest that acupuncture is a viable alternative treatment of vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women and can not recommend superficial needle insertion as an inactive control treatment
Evidence was insufficient to show whether exercise is an effective treatment for vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
One small study suggested that HT is more effective than exercise .
Evidence was insufficient to show the relative effectiveness of exercise when compared with HT or yoga
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that many perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women will experience menopausal symptoms ; hot flushes are the most common .
Symptoms caused by fluctuating levels of oestrogen may be alleviated by hormone therapy ( HT ) , but a marked global decline in its use has result ed from concerns about the risks and benefits of HT .
Consequently , many women are seeking alternatives .
As large numbers of women are choosing not to take HT , it is increasingly important to identify evidence -based lifestyle modifications that have the potential to reduce vasomotor menopausal symptoms .
OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of any type of exercise intervention in the management of vasomotor symptoms in symptomatic perimenopausal and postmenopausal women .