Integrative Health Blog

Menopause and Perimenopause:  An Integrative and Preventive Medicine Approach

Posted by on Thu, Jun 06, 2019

Menopause is defined as the permanent cessation of periods resulting from the loss of ovarian follicular activity. Menopause is 12 consecutive months with no period, and this is only known with certainty in retrospect.  Perimenopause is the two to eight years preceding menopause and one year following the final menses.

Interestingly, we women begin life with all the follicles we will ever have! Throughout our lives, through ovulation and apoptosis (the dying off of cells), we lose follicles. Women experience menopause when the follicles in their ovaries are exhausted. Think of it as the cycle of the ovaries- first they are asleep, then at birth they wake up, and once they have served their purpose, they go back to sleep again.

In industrialized nations, menopause usually occurs between ages 48-52, with the mean age in the U.S. at 51 years. Menopause occurring in a woman under the age of 40 is considered premature menopause. Factors that can affect when a woman goes into menopause are genetic factors, environment, lifestyle, and systemic diseases, and an integrative and preventive medicine approach takes these factors into consideration. Genetics plays a key role as a woman’s age at menopause is associated with her mother’s menopausal age.

Symptoms and Concerns of Perimenopause and Menopause

Read More

Tags: menopause, hormones, womens health

My Wake Up Call

Posted by on Mon, Jan 30, 2017

Just hearing the word “heart” conjures up different meanings for different people- some think of romantic love, others think of having a generous heart, and some are reminded that a healthy heart prevents disease.

A heart attack is the furthest thing from most of our minds. They usually happen to Type A personalities, the go-getters, the workaholics or the middle aged, overweight person who doesn't eat healthy foods, doesn't exercise and maybe even smokes. It remains however, the dreaded event for all of us and sadly, some people don’t survive.

I did. I had a heart attack three months ago.

Read More

Tags: heart disease, stress, womens health

Chinese Medicine For Women’s Health and Fertility

Posted by on Mon, Jun 18, 2012

Do you suffer from fatigue, cramping, nausea, migraines, anger, irritability, restlessness, mood swings, digestive disturbance, hot flashes and just plain feeling down in the dumps?  Do these symptoms seem to occur regularly or cyclically?

Perhaps worse than the symptoms are not knowing when they will occur, as your bodies’ rhythms are not quite as “cyclical” as they could be. 

Are you struggling with the “change of life” and the physical and emotional symptoms that seem to accompany this natural transition?

What could your symptoms mean?

Read More

Tags: fertility, chinese medicine, acupuncture, integrative health, womens health

A holistic doctor's thoughts on vaccination conference and gardasil

Posted by on Thu, Oct 15, 2009

 by Tracy Freeman MD

Read More

Tags: vaccinations, holistic doctor, womens health, gardasil