Acupuncture for climacteric syndrome

This paper reviews and analyzes 50 articles concerning the treatment of climacteric syndrome by acupuncture and moxibustion therapries. The therapies were single acupuncture, acupuncture combining other methods, auricular-plaster therapy, and some other therapies. Clear diagnostic criteria were found in 39 articles, and the most common-used criteria wereCombination of TCM and Western Medicine Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Kupperman Index Scoring andCriterion of Diagnosis and Treatment Effect of TCM Diseases and Syndrome. All together 2946 cases were treated, and the therapeutic effect rates ranged from 58.1% to 100%. There were control group in 16 articles. The syndromes have been classified as 27 types in 15 articles, including type of yin-deficiency of the liver and the kidney, yang-deficiency of the spleen and the kidney, yang-deficiency of the kidney, yin-deficiency of the kidney, disharmony between the heart and the kidney, and the liver stagnation, etc. Some effects have been got in treating female climacteric syndrome with acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, however, there were fewer strict randomized controlled trials (RCT). Author: CUI Xue-jun (19750), male, Master Translator: XIAO Yuan-chun