As we age, our bodies change. For women, significant physical and psychological changes happen sometime between 40 and 60 years old during a phase called menopause. Menopause symptoms range from mild to severe. Alternative and natural health practitioners can help women navigate menopause and menopause symptoms. An Osteopath can manipulate your musculoskeletal system to help calm your mind and body so menopausal symptoms are less severe.
Keep reading to learn about how Osteopathic treatments and holistic support can provide comfort during menopause.
Symptoms of menopause
Menopause typically begins in a woman’s 40s or 50s and can last several years or more. It marks the end of a woman’s childbearing years. It will occur naturally but can start early if:
- You’ve had surgery to remove your ovaries
- You’ve gone through chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Your ovaries make fewer than usual hormones (usually due to gene changes or an autoimmune disease)
Menopause doesn’t manifest overnight or on any anticipated schedule (hence the wide expected age range). The transition period into menopause is called perimenopause. Then a woman goes through her menopausal years (usually 2-8 years), then enters their post-menopausal stage:
- Perimenopause: This is the phase before menopause when your hormones begin to fluctuate. It’s recognized by irregular periods, the beginning of hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.
- Menopause: The absence of a period for 12 months signals the beginning of menopause. You may notice increased hormonal changes, including hot flashes, sweats, weight fluctuations, and mood changes.
- Post-Menopause: As your body gets used to the hormonal changes, you enter post-menopause. Your menopausal symptoms will likely ease, but you may notice new symptoms, including joint pain and stiffness.
The symptoms and severity of menopause are unique for everyone, and many women choose to seek treatments to help relieve their symptoms.
How osteopathy helps you navigate menopause symptoms
Navigating menopause can feel neverending or overwhelming. Osteopathy can help you find comfort during menopause and minimize the adverse effects of this life stage on your daily life.
Here are the benefits of seeing an osteopath when you’re suffering through menopause:
Manage joint and muscle pain
As your hormones transition in and out of menopause, you will likely experience increased muscle and joint tension. This can make maintaining a daily, active lifestyle difficult.
An Osteopath can help relax tense muscles and promote blood and lymph flow throughout the body. This reduces inflammation and pain in the joints and muscles so you can move more freely.
Promote general well-being and graceful aging
As your hormones transition in and out of it, you will likely experience increased muscle and joint tension. This can make maintaining a daily, active lifestyle difficult.
An Osteopath can help relax tense muscles and promote blood and lymph flow throughout the body. Increased flow reduces inflammation and pain in joints and muscles so you can move more freely.
Help you sleep better
It’s perhaps one of the most well-known symptoms of perimenopause and menopause: night sweats! It’s uncomfortable and can prevent you from getting good quality sleep (or any sleep at all).
Osteopathy can help promote physical and mental relaxation, which can make it easier to fall and stay asleep. Osteopaths may also recommend other ways to help keep your body cool at night, such as setting the thermostat lower before bed, avoiding warm foods and beverages in the evening, or not exercising too close to bedtime.
Helping you “keep your cool” during hot flashes
Body temperature regulation can be a struggle with your changing hormones during menopause. “Hot flashes” and heart palpitations can induce feelings of anxiety and stress in a menopausal woman.
Managing these hot flashes may involve balancing your nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic), a bodily system that Osteopathy treats. Osteopathy can help calm your mind and body, helping you more efficiently regulate your body temperature and the severity of hot flashes during menopause.
Reduce stress, anxiety, and tension
Between the ages of 40 and 60, many women go through two key “events” that elevate emotional stress: perimenopause/menopause and the so-called “mid-life crisis.” The onset of these life events often reminds women that they’re getting older, which can be stressful and uncertain for many.
Both can trigger excess stress, anxiety, and emotional tension in our bodies. No matter where these stresses come from, Osteopathic techniques can help you calm your mind and body, so you’re mentally better prepared to deal with the emotional, hormonal, and physical changes happening to your body.
Your Osteopath can perform treatments to calm your physical and mental body and reduce stress and tension. They may also recommend complementary therapies (like RMT massage, acupuncture, or acupressure) or calming exercises or apps to help you regain control of your life by reintroducing calm and routine.
Is there a “standard” approach to Osteopathy for menopause?
Every woman experiences it differently. Some sail through with only mildly perceived changes, while others experience side effects that severely impact their day-to-day life. Due to these differences, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to Osteopathic treatments for women in menopause.
An Osteopath will listen to your explanation of symptoms and discuss your personal and familial medical history to determine where they can best support your health and wellbeing. They can help address your healthcare concerns as you go through this stage of life, whether related to physical changes, discomfort, or emotional stress and tension.
If you’re looking for relief from side effects, Thuja Wellness is here to help. I support a wide range of women’s health issues, from fertility and conception, healthy pregnancy and postpartum, and through menopause and beyond.
View my availability and book your first appointment at Thuja today.
