CHAPTER 4

Complementary Medicine

SURGICAL MENOPAUSE BROUGHT ME a plethora of symptoms. At first, I wanted BHRT to fix everything. Dr. Bloch responded to my complaints and we continuously raised my level of hormones, to no avail. That’s when I was forced to be more creative. I also took responsibility for what areas and symptoms I could positively impact.

The following list of tools includes modalities that I turned to before, during, and after surgery and menopause. These alternative forms of medicine are nontraditional in the sense that they are treatment approaches and practices that are not generally taught in medical school or available in hospitals. They may or may not be covered by insurance. They are, however, rooted in ancient beliefs and healing practices. These complementary medicines view the mind and body as a connected system and can help you to achieve more balance in your life and overall wellness. As I used complementary medicine and made changes to my lifestyle and mindset, I found a smaller dose of BHRT worked wonders. Fortunately, my doctor was open to this solution as well.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a medical protocol for balancing energy in the body and has been known to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease, as well as to improve general health.

I discovered the benefits of acupuncture over five years before surgical menopause. From my earliest appointments, my local practitioner, Carolyn Rabiner, L.Ac., Dipl. C.H., spoke to me about balance. My lifestyle had a lot of yang (active/masculine) energy. Yin (receptive/feminine), not so much. I have a feeling I’m not alone. If you are a work hard/play hard personality, your energy constitution is most likely the same. I’ve heard other women say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” We push and push, staying up late, getting up early. We don’t rest. We work hard. We work harder. And when our schedule overflows, it is the yin activities, like yoga and meditation, that get dropped. Slowly, the accumulative effects of stress start to manifest in illness, anger, and frustration. We find ourselves burned out, overwhelmed, fatigued, and screaming at our kids, partners, loved ones, coworkers, employees, and friends. And then, a life event like surgical menopause pushes us beyond our limits.

Before we get to this point, however, we have options. Things we can do to restore our balance. Balance was something that Dr. Rabiner guided me to seek. Yes, I could be an elite athlete, and I also needed to listen to my body and seek harmony through counterbalancing activities, such as yoga, quiet walks, meditation, and qigong. When I mentioned that my symptoms decreased when I spent time writing, her advice was to keep writing. After long absences from writing on my part, I would show up on her table, feeling desperate and overwhelmed, claiming that my body didn’t know how to heal or rebalance itself. She would gently remind me that it did.

Acupuncture aims to treat and address problems at their root cause. According to Dr. Rabiner: “Among other benefits, acupuncture has a major effect on the dynamics of blood circulation, assists the body in the process of the elimination of toxins, helps to greatly reduce stress levels, has an anti-inflammatory effect, and helps to restore normal function to the hormonal system. This can help women recover more quickly from the problems associated with surgical menopause.”

Acupuncture can assist women with natural or surgical menopause. It can help to:

~ Lessen the side effects of surgery, anesthesia, and pain medications.

~ Reduce pain.

~ Decrease reliance on opioids prescribed after surgery.

~ Reduce anxiety, depression, migraines, fatigue, and gynecologic disorders.

~ Promote overall well-being.

~ Treat the post-traumatic stress that can arise from surgery or during sudden surgical menopause.

~ Control chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

~ Reduce the frequency of symptoms that occur during menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats.

 

Herbalism

According to the American Herbalists Guild, herbal medicine is both an art and a science, one that uses herbs not only to promote health but also to treat and prevent illness. This is not a new practice; it has a 5,000-year-old history. Furthermore, pharmaceuticals were originally derived from plants. Today, you’ll find herbalists, acupuncturists, naturopaths, midwives and everyday people using herbs for wellness. It is common in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Ayurveda (the indigenous medical system of India and Nepal), and naturopathic medicine. Herbs are safest when used by a trained herbalist.

My first recollection of herbal medicine was with St. John’s wort. While I didn’t take it myself, I heard a coworker describe taking it for its antidepressant qualities. It also has potent anti-inflammatory properties, which is key to healing after surgery.

Years later, I was introduced to a nutritional cleansing program that quickly became a staple in my daily diet. One supplement I take daily for its combination of adaptogens (plants that can help your body adapt to physical, chemical, and environmental stress, and balance normal body functions), antioxidants, and nutrients. I have been known to chase away a case of the moody blues with an extra shot of Ionix^® Supreme. This daily elixir has ingredients such as rhodiola rosea, ashwagandha, eleuthero, schisandra, maca, and more.

Andrew Weil, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert in integrative medicine, a field that approaches healing the body, mind, and spirit. According to his website, www.drweil.com:

~ Rhodiola can help increase energy, lower cortisol, fight depression, improve brain function (focus and memory), and burn belly fat.

~ Ashwagandha can relieve anxiety, depression, and stress, increase stamina, alertness, and endurance, and stabilize blood sugar.

~ Eleuthero or “Siberian ginseng” has been found to reduce lethargy, fatigue, and low stamina.

~ Schisandra is used with cases of spontaneous sweating and to promote strength and stamina.

~ Maca root is used to treat depression and low libido.

~ Arnica can be used to treat physical trauma.

~ Black cohosh is used for relief of hot flashes

~ Dong quai or “female ginseng” has been used for low vitality, fatigue, and inflammation.

 

Massage Therapy

Massage may not be your first thought for managing your menopausal symptoms, but it has a multitude of benefits, including the release of feel-good endorphins, which help in alleviating headaches, reducing stress, regulating the body’s fluid balance, and balancing hormone levels.

According to Michelle Renar, LMT, CEIM, massage therapist and owner of Hudson Valley Body Works in Kingston, New York: “Menopause can be an extremely tumultuous time in a woman’s life. This can be especially true for women who are going through premature, medically induced menopause. Massage therapy with a skilled practitioner in conjunction with therapeutic essential oils can be an enormous help with the transition. Safe touch has a power no pharmaceutical company can ever reproduce.”

 

Counseling

Surgical menopause is a life-changing event, one that can cause the desire to heal past hurt, examine present frustrations, and reveal future dreams. This can cause feelings of anxiety, depression, or uncertainty. The right psychological counselor can provide tools to help process these strong emotions before and after surgery. Psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and social workers are all trained to do individual therapeutic counseling sessions. Also, most insurance plans cover the cost if you find a counselor within your specific plan.

Six months after surgery, a therapist asked me how it felt when I knew I had survived the surgery. I remember screaming at him in frustration, “I haven’t survived it.” He gently reminded me that I had. I survived because I woke up after surgery. I was alive and mobile and highly functioning. What I required was to uncouple—to disconnect and release—the surgery from the symptoms in my mind, as well as my emotions.

Another counselor showed me how truly powerful words are. We can speak words that build up and empower, or we can speak words that tear down and destroy. This applies to ourselves and everyone around us. For years I told myself that I was not a good verbal communicator. I believed it, especially during surgical menopause when I tried to explain what I was going through. In one session, I mentioned this. I even apologized to my counselor for not being clear in my speech. Shari smiled and said, “My dear. You are a great verbal communicator. I understand exactly what you say.”

And I believed her.

In one moment, speaking positive words changed a belief I had about myself. In his book The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz talks about the power each of us has: “Each human is a magician and we can either put a spell on someone with our word or we can release someone from a spell.”³ I believe that is why Shari’s words were so powerful over me. Her spoken words released me from lies I had told myself that simply were not true.

 

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care is not just for the back or neck. Proper alignment can help the entire body function better by helping to balance the nerves that help the body relax. When the body is relaxed, we experience better sleep, clearer thoughts and improved vitality, all beneficial outcomes when dealing with menopause, both surgical and natural. Chiropractic care can even lower elevated levels of cortisol and other inflammatory hormones, helping to further balance hormones and promote healing.

Chiropractic adjustments can be a safe, non-pharmaceutical alternative in treating menopause. There are areas of the lumbar spine and sacrum that directly affect the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which oversee hormonal regulation and can further assist during menopause. I have certainly experienced less hormonal headaches from chiropractic care, and other women have shared with me their benefits of less bloating, cravings, and cramping after their visits with their chiropractors.

 

How a Day at the Beach Provides Relief

On our first vacation together, Jim introduced me to the beach. Sure, I had grown up around boats, lakes, and canals. But as an adult, I hadn’t gone to the beach to relax. At first, I wasn’t sure I could do it. I usually seek adventure and love to play. But all it took was one day next to the ocean and I was hooked.

The summer after my surgery, my friend Susan and I snuck away for a day at the Jersey Shore. It provided relief from all that I had been feeling. A day by the tide left me relaxed and refreshed.

I’ve come to realize this doesn’t just happen by the ocean. It happens in nature and near water in general. I decided to do some research to find out why. It is all about negative ions and their positive effect on our health. Here is the science behind how a day at the beach provides relief for our menopausal symptoms. If you don’t love science, then skip the next paragraph. Better yet, head to the beach. For us science geeks, read on. And then, head to the beach.

Ions are invisibly charged molecules made up of an unequal number of electrons and protons. This gives a molecule a negative or positive charge. Ironically, positive ions can be harmful to our health, whereas negative ions are beneficial. Our environment is filled with those harmful positive ions in polluted cities, confined spaces, and technologically exposed environment. Negative ions are abundant in less developed areas and can improve our moods, immune systems, and sexual drives. They can provide relief from allergies and help us feel less drowsy and more alert and focused. I found that when I exposed myself to more negative ions through nature, my menopausal symptoms were less noticeable. That was reason enough for me to head outdoors.

In my quest to understand negative ions, I discovered another option: Himalayan salt lamps. These lamps, comprised of a large piece of pure, pink Himalayan salt with a lightbulb inside, can be placed in the home to help neutralize the positive ions created by electronic devices. While I can’t get to the beach every day, I can benefit from the negative ions of a salt lamp in my home and office.