Moxibustion for treating menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Women's Health
• Menopause Research

Background:

• Hot flashes are a prevalent symptom for approximately 75% of women during menopause.
• Many women seek complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies for relief from menopausal symptoms.
• Moxibustion is a CAM therapy explored for managing hot flashes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of moxibustion in alleviating hot flashes among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
• To assess the impact of moxibustion on the frequency and severity of hot flashes.
• To investigate the effect of moxibustion on quality of life in menopausal women.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 51 participants assigned to two moxibustion groups and a waiting list control group.
• Participants received 14 moxibustion sessions over 4 weeks at specific acupuncture points.
• Primary outcomes included the frequency and severity of hot flashes; secondary outcomes measured quality of life using validated scales.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant reduction in both the frequency and severity of hot flashes was observed in the moxibustion groups compared to the control group by week 4.
• Treatment group 2 demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in Menopausal-Specific Quality of Life Scale scores compared to other groups.
• The study included 51 women, with follow-up for an additional 2 weeks post-treatment.

Conclusions:

• Moxibustion demonstrates effectiveness in reducing the frequency and severity of menopausal hot flashes.
• The findings suggest moxibustion as a viable complementary therapy for managing menopausal symptoms.
• Further research with larger sample sizes and placebo controls is recommended to strengthen these findings.