Finding natural ways to manage perimenopause symptoms can be beneficial. It offers women nonhormonal solutions to address the physical and emotional changes that accompany this stage of life. We explain what perimenopause is, what symptoms can occur and share some natural remedies that can help to alleviate these symptoms.
What is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the stage before menopause and can last several years before menopause officially occurs. Perimenopause is when a woman’s body begins to experience changes as it moves away from its reproductive years. This stage usually begins in a woman’s 40s, although it can start as early as the mid 30s. Throughout perimenopause, the ovaries slowly decrease their production of oestrogen, resulting in irregular menstrual cycles along with a range of physical and emotional symptoms.
What are the Symptoms for Perimenopause?
Perimenopause symptoms vary from woman to woman and can range from mild to severe. Some of the more common symptoms of perimenopause include:
- Irregular periods: Menstrual cycles varying in length and intensity, resulting in periods that may
be shorter, longer, heavier, or lighter than usual. - Hot flushes: Having sudden feelings of warmth or coolness in your face, neck, and chest, which
can lead to feelings of dizziness. - Night sweats: Experiencing hot flushes that occur at night and often disrupts sleep.
- Sleep disturbances: Struggling to fall or stay asleep.
- Mood swings: Having feelings of increased irritability, anxiety, or depression.
- Vaginal dryness: Experiencing reduced oestrogen that leads to dryness and discomfort during
sex. - Brain fog: Difficulty with focus, concentration and memory. This ties in with fluctuating levels of hormones.
- Joint and muscular pain: Exacerbation of existing problems, causing a broad and generalised pain pattern.
Natural Remedies for Perimenopause
Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractic adjustments would not directly address hormonal changes. However, they can relieve certain perimenopausal symptoms e.g. pain, restriction of range of motion and muscle function in exercise. This is achieved by focusing on the nervous system, spinal alignment, and overall musculoskeletal health.
During perimenopause, many women experience increased joint and muscle discomfort, largely due to hormonal shifts. Chiropractic adjustments can help realign the spine and improve mobility, potentially easing pain in the neck, back, and joints.
Additionally, chiropractic care may enhance sleep qualit by relieving discomfort and improving spinal function. This can be especially beneficial for those dealing with insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns.
Adjustments may also improve circulation, which could help soothe symptoms like hot flushes and headaches by ensuring that oxygen and nutrients are efficiently distributed throughout the body.
Diet for Perimenopause
Diet can be an important factor when it comes to helping with perimenopause symptoms. Including various food groups in your meals can help reduce some symptoms. Foods like soy, flaxseeds, and lentils are rich in phytoestrogens, which can help with hormone balance.
Healthy fats, particularly Omega-3 fatty acids from sources like fish and walnuts, can help stabilise mood, decrease inflammation, and enhance hormonal health.
It’s also important to ensure you get enough calcium and Vitamin D for bone health because oestrogen levels drop during perimenopause, which increases the risk of bone loss. Nutrition, in conjunction with weight bearing exercises like brisk walking and appropriate gym workouts can protect against early onset osteoporosis.
Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol is also suggested since they can exacerbate hot flushes, sleep disturbances, and mood swings.
Exercise and Perimenopause
Staying active through exercises such as walking, yoga, or swimming can greatly benefit those experiencing perimenopause. These activities not only enhance your mood and reduce stress but also assist in weight management. They contribute to improved sleep quality and can help ease joint pain.
Adding strength training to your routine can greatly benefit your bone health and muscle strength, particularly during this period when bone density may start to decline.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Engaging in mindfulness and meditation can be a great way to ease stress, anxiety, and mood swings that often accompany perimenopause. By soothing the mind, these techniques can lead to improved sleep quality and may even reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flushes. They also play a role in managing pain, enhancing focus, and improving mental clarity. This can make it easier to handle the various physical and emotional symptoms that arise during this time.
CBT for Perimenopause
Many people are showing great interest in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for managing perimenopause. CBT focuses on tackling key symptoms like hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings and brain fog. This empowers individuals to overcome the challenges of perimenopause and regain control of their lives.
Help with Perimenopause Symptoms
If you’re experiencing perimenopause symptoms such as joint pain, hot flushes, or trouble sleeping, then we may be able to help you. Our services include chiropractic care, remedial massage, nutritional advice, and counselling.
At Morley Chiropractic Clinic, we focus on personalised care to help ease your discomfort and restore balance to your body. Please get in touch with us to discover how our tailored treatments can benefit you.
