Far from the days when it was a taboo topic, menopause has never been more in the public spotlight. While the increased attention is welcome, many women still aren’t clear about how they can best help themselves navigating this often tricky time of transition.
Menopause – which marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years generally happens between the ages of 45 and 55. It’s a normal biological process, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t present challenges, with many women experiencing a range of uncomfortable symptoms during perimenopause and menopause.
While many of the symptoms caused by hormonal imbalances at this time of transition are well known (like hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood changes), others are less so. One of the under recognised is the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. This is despite it being estimated to impact 70% of women in midlife, which, largely caused by diminished reproductive hormones, may lead to loss of bone density and muscle mass, musculoskeletal and joint pain, and a progression of osteoarthritis.
The good news? Helping manage the timing and severity of these naturally and effectively is possible.
Here are our top 3 suggestions on how to do this.
#1 Manage your environment
Managing our environment is one of the most overlooked approaches to helping ease the symptoms of menopause.
Our modern world is full of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), which are chemicals that can interfere with our body’s natural hormone function. Exposure to EDCs can potentially lead to early menopause and intensify menopausal symptoms. This means it’s vital to minimise our exposure to EDCs, which mimic oestrogen in the body. These include:
• Bisphenol A (BPA), found in plastics
• Phthalates, found in cosmetics, food packaging & personal care products
• Some pesticides & herbicides
• Parabens in cosmetics & toiletries
• Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cleaning products, non-stick cookware & toiletries etc
#2 Support your adrenal glands
As the function of a woman’s ovaries decline during menopause, leading to a reduction in the production of oestrogen and progesterone, the body’s adrenal glands become increasingly important. During menopause, the adrenals need to be functioning well enough to produce lipid hormones to balance the remaining oestrogen. If the adrenals can’t do this – due to chronic stress, poor nutrition or other factors – it can exacerbate menopausal symptoms.
Managing your lifestyle to support your adrenal glands is, therefore, crucial at this time.
#3 Holistically address hormonal imbalances
Addressing menopause-related hormonal imbalances in a natural and holistic way is possible using functional kinesiology. There’s a growing body of evidence supporting the effectiveness of this healing modality, which has been in use for more than 50 years, in helping women decrease unpleasant menopausal symptoms.
Functional kinesiology works with the body’s natural hormone synthesis pathways, and practitioners focus on balancing female hormones in the sequence they’re naturally produced within the body.
It can help:
• Optimise cholesterol conversion to pregnenolone, which is naturally produced by the adrenal gland.
• Support pregnenolone pathways, so it can help produce progesterone.
• Facilitates balanced hormone conversion (oestrogens & androgens).
• Promote healthy hormone metabolism and elimination.
In functional kinesiology, muscle monitoring and in-depth balancing methods are the techniques used to support the body’s intrinsic hormonal regulation mechanisms during menopause.
To find out more about functional kinesiology, join us at our O’Neill Kinesiology College Open Day on Friday May 23 or at our Introduction to Kinesiology workshop on June 7 & 8.
We look forward to seeing you.
