A multicentre randomised controlled study has concluded that acupuncture in addition to standard care, is associated with significant improvements in menopausal hot flushes and other menopause-related symptoms.
A total of 175 women were randomised to receive either twelve acupuncture treatments over four weeks in addition to usual care, or to usual care alone. In the acupuncture group, the average reduction in the 24 hour hot flush score was 17, compared to only 7 in the control group. The acupuncture group also showed significant improvements in other areas such as psychological and urogenital, compared to the control group.
(Effects of Acupuncture on Hot Flashes in Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women – A Multicentre Randomised Clinical Trial. Menopause, March 2010.)