Treating Menopause Naturally

Menopause can be a difficult time for many women. Some of the possible symptoms they might experience include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood swings, headaches, anxiety or depression, fatigue, weight gain, loss of libido, joint and muscle discomfort, vaginal dryness, difficultly concentrating, and memory problems.

A woman’s reproductive cycle is controlled mostly by estrogen and progesterone. As menopause approaches, the production of these hormones by the ovaries declines greatly. The hormonal system is very finely balanced, with different hormones affecting the levels of other hormones, and the relatively sudden drop of estrogen can upset this balance.

The Role of Your Adrenal Glands

Your adrenal glands produce several important hormones for your body. The most well-known of these are adrenaline and cortisol, which are hormones produced as part of our stress response (fight or flight) and our sleep/wake cycle (circadian rhythm).

However, the adrenal glands are also a source of production for the reproductive hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone). Before menopause, the ovaries are the major source of these hormones and only a small amount is produced by the adrenals. However, as the ovaries begin to decrease their production of progesterone and estrogen, the adrenal glands respond by making a hormone that can be converted into estradiol, a form of estrogen. (Estradiol plays a role in bone health, heart health and neuroprotection after menopause.)

So when the ovaries have shut down after menopause, the adrenals are responsible for ensuring there is enough estrogen to properly maintain the body. And it is a similar story for progesterone. If your adrenal glands are not working well you may have low estrogen and progesterone levels after menopause, resulting in many of the typical menopause symptoms.

In some ways it is a little like your car engine getting enough petrol. The ovaries are like the accelerator, which increases the amount of petrol when more is needed. And the adrenal glands are like the idle, which puts a small amount of petrol in the engine to keep it ticking over properly when you are not using the accelerator. If your idle is not working well, your engine might cough and splutter all the time.

There are two ways your adrenals can be disrupted, and both can affect your hormones.

1. The adrenals require progesterone to produce cortisol – the ‘stress’ hormone. Chronic stress leads to high cortisol levels, resulting in low progesterone. Lower levels of progesterone in turn cause higher levels of estrogen, creating a state of estrogen dominance in the body.
2. However, if the stress is bad enough or for an extended period, the adrenals can eventually become run down, and both estrogen and progesterone levels can become too low.

How Your Thyroid is Affected

If chronic stress has caused estrogen dominance in your body, this can then affect your thyroid. Imbalanced estrogen levels can decrease the conversion of the inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to its active form (T3). Additionally, another stress hormone– adrenaline (also produced by the adrenals) – causes estrogens to be converted into another form that increases the adrenaline levels even more. High adrenaline will actually slow down the thyroid, adding to the problem. Symptoms of low thyroid can include fatigue, weight gain, muscle aches and weakness, memory problems, depression or anxiety, and brain fog (forgetfulness or difficulty concentrating). So some menopause symptoms may be due to the impact on the thyroid.

The Pituitary Gland

The pituitary gland is a pea-shaped organ at the base of your brain, in line with the top of your nose. It is often known as the ‘master gland’, as it produces the hormones which control the ovaries, adrenals, thyroid, etc.

The pituitary gland lives in a hollow in the sphenoid bone, which sits behind the bones of your face. If there is a misalignment of the sphenoid bone, it can create pressure on the pituitary gland, which may disrupt the hormone-producing glands it controls.

Free Assessment

As you can see, there is a lot of interaction between the reproductive, adrenal and thyroid hormones. Every woman will have different symptoms, so to treat these it is important to assess all of the glands involved, and the alignment of the sphenoid bone as well. Once the causes of the problem are identified, a tailored treatment plan can be created for that person.

We are currently offering a limited number of free Comprehensive Assessments. (Terms and conditions: the Assessment is a completely free service, with no obligations whatsoever.)

The Assessment helps to identify:

• What is going on in your body
• What is working properly, and what is not
• What is causing the problem
• The best way to sort it out

If you would like to book in for an Assessment, please give us a call on 3376 6911, or you can book online using the link at the top of the page.

Be well, and have a very happy life!