Menopause published a study conducted by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center North Carolina. The study followed 209 women aged 45-60 who had not had a period for at least three months and who were having, on average, at least four hot flashes or night sweats per 24-hour period in the previous two weeks.
One group (the treatment group) received acupuncture treatment for the first six months and was followed for another six months. The other group (the comparison group) did not receive acupuncture in the first six months but received it in the second six months. Thus, each participant could receive up to 20 treatments within their 6-month slot.
After the first six months, the treatment group reported 36.7% fewer hot flashes per day. In contrast, the comparison group reported an increase of 6%.
After one year, the treatment group reported having 29.4% fewer hot flashes than before treatment, showing benefits continuing for six months after treatment ceased. The comparison group reported a similar reduction, 31% fewer hot flashes after receiving their treatment in the second 6 months.
The authors also noted that, unlike the comparison group, the treatment group reported lasting improvements in many of the quality of life measures.
A University of Southern Denmark study published in the British Medical Journal Open reported that five weeks of acupuncture treatment in women with menopausal symptoms reduced hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, and emotional problems.
The study looked at 70 women with moderate-to-severe menopause symptoms were in two groups in the study. The control group did not receive acupuncture until the sixth week. At weeks three and six symptoms were evaluated. 80% of the women stated that they felt acupuncture had helped.
There’s also promising research on acupuncture benefitting women experiencing hot flashes as a result of cancer treatment. You can read more about it by reading Acupuncture Helps Breast Cancer Patients.