title: Traditional Chinese medicine valuably augments therapeutic options in the treatment of climacteric syndrome.
abstract: Climacteric syndrome refers to recurring symptoms such as hot flashes, chills, headache, irritability and depression. This is usually experienced by menopausal women and can be related to a hormonal reorganization in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, originating 1000s of years ago, above-mentioned symptoms can be interpreted on the basis of the philosophic diagnostic concepts, such as the imbalance of Yin and Yang, the Zang-Fu and Basic substances (e.g. Qi, Blood and Essence). These concepts postulate balance and harmonization as the principle aim of a treatment. In this context, it is not astounding that one of the most prominent ancient textbooks dating back to 500-200 BC, Huang di Neijing: The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine gives already first instructions for diagnosis and therapy of climacteric symptoms. For therapy, traditional Chinese medicine comprises five treatment principles: Chinese herbal medicine, TuiNa (a Chinese form of manual therapy), nutrition, activity (e.g. QiGong) and acupuncture (being the most widespread form of treatment used in Europe). This review provides an easy access to the concepts of traditional Chinese medicine particularly regarding to climacteric syndrome and also focuses on current scientific evidence.
authors.affiliation: Department of TCM/Acupuncture, Institute of Complementary Medicine (IKOM), University Bern, Personalhaus 4 Inselspital, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.|University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eisenhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of TCM/Acupuncture, Institute of Complementary Medicine (IKOM), University Bern, Personalhaus 4 Inselspital, 3010, Bern, Switzerland. johannes.fleckenstein@ikom.unibe.ch.|Department of Sports Medicine, Institute of Sports Sciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany. johannes.fleckenstein@ikom.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fleckenstein
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D002979:Climacteric / Q000208:ethnology; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000628:therapy; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008593:Menopause / Q000208:ethnology; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019413:Qi; D013542:Sweat; D013577:Syndrome; D016709:Yin-Yang
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Acupuncture; Chinese herbal medicine (CHM); Heat flush; Hormone therapy; Integrative medicine; Menopause; Physiologic mechanism; Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)