I’ve talked about exercise, healthy eating, and the incorporation of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness methods to help alleviate menopausal symptoms and assist in adapting to an overall healthier lifestyle.

But perhaps none of the above are your cup of tea.

If that’s the case, have no fear – complementary and alternative treatments are here!

Okay, so I know that was a bit … shall we say, trite, but stick with me, I’m going somewhere.

In this edition of Reassessing with Dr. Renata (because I kind of like it now) I’m going to introduce some complementary and alternative (or, CAM) treatments you can try, in conjunction with other holistic methods, for menopausal relief.

Perhaps you’ve never heard of CAM.  In brief, complementary therapy refers to treatments used alongside traditional medical approaches to treating symptoms.  Alternative therapy is used in place of traditional medical approaches. 

CAM treatments, or therapies, are a great combination with other menopausal symptom relief because they help to target specific issues related to symptoms, such as stress, anxiety, pain, bloating, and hot flashes.

Sidebar …

When first embarking upon this blogging journey and how it is my goal to help encourage and inspire all women, everywhere, to take the bull of menopause by the horns and tame the beast that it is, I wondered how I’d truly get my message across.  I pondered the case studies and research for my book, “It’s Time for a PAUSE” and all the women I had the pleasure of meeting, befriending, and walking with along their journey’s.  I considered how medical information, suggestions, and even “expertise” is now at the fingertips of any and everyone with a smart phone equipped with Google or any other search engine.  I wondered if women I hadn’t yet met personally; had the opportunity to engage and connect with, build a community around, or touch by way of compassion in some way shape form or fashion would even listen to what I had to say …

Then I realized I had a million questions, worries, fears, and everything in-between, but wouldn’t have any answers until I at least tried – kind of like the time I walked into the yoga studio for my first session.

And that’s when the proverbial lightbulb went off, because for me that’s what it’s all about – not the fears and frustrations, but the ability to push past it all and … try.  Because I don’t want to just feed you information and tell you about the things I’ve done.  I want to encourage you to take a leap for yourself.

As I always say, we have but one body, we might as well take care of it to the best of our abilities.

With that being said …

Thank you for tuning into this very important message, now back to our regular scheduled programming – CAM.

There are three specific CAM therapies I mention in my book – chakra healing, Reiki, and essential oil healing.  I’ve tried all three and include aspects of each into my own daily routine, which has eliminated my menopausal symptoms altogether.

How’s that for a homerun?!

A synopsis of the above-mentioned therapies is outlined below:

Chakras provide “spiritual energy” for our bodies, which helps to optimize the function of our organs as well as our minds.

The practice of Reiki is recognized by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) as biofield energy therapy.  Biofield energy consists of magnetic and electrical fields formed through living organisms, such as the human body.  Every cell in the human body produces electrical currents to function. In Reiki, energy is transferred through the light touch of the practitioner’s hands, which stimulates all the energy systems in the body.  Not only does reiki offer healing, but it also helps calm the mind and thought patterns.

Essential Oils healing, or aromatherapy, uses scents released from essential oils to activate the part of the brain that influences hormones; smell affects mood, metabolism, and stress level. My favorite essentials oils are peppermint and lavender. I love to use them on a regular basis to make me feel good all around.

While some of the methods I’ve outlined here or in previous posts may seem far-fetched or even strange, and you’re wondering if any would even work at all, I encourage you to test some out and even combine one or more of the CAM methods to assist in your own relief of menopausal symptoms because, as I used to tell me kids …

You never know what you like, or what will work, until you try.

 ~Dr. Renata