Autumn weather, pain, menopause
Dramatic floral image, meant to illustrate the beauty of the change from summer to fall
Why Fall Can Stir Up Inflammatory Pain and Menopause Symptoms, too
As temps drop and air turns drier, many people notice shifts in both pain, and perhaps surprisingly, menopausal symptoms. Large studies show menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats) vary by season, with clear monthly/seasonal patterns across the menopause transition; reviews also note that environmental temperature and seasonality may modulate these symptoms. Dry air, too, can irritate airways and mucosa which can worsen throat/skin dryness and disturb sleep, compounding hot-flash fatigue.
For pain, weather matters. This is not an old wives tale (don’t let me get started on medical misogyny, however). Ask anyone with a chronic condition involving pain and they can tell you in their own words how colder conditions and other meteorologic shifts are associated with symptom increases (as indicated in many, though not all, studies). Experimental work also suggests that repeated cold exposure can amplify inflammatory pain pathways (e.g., pain signals at the joint and immune cell activation), offering a plausible mechanism for why fall/winter flares are common. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), analysis and treatment for cold exposure damage, as well as other weather patterns, is as old as time. Check out the foundational text Shanghan Lun (The Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders). I should say, nearly as old as time, as this was written around 200 CE/AD.
What then are some solutions to support autumn related discomforts?
Of course, keep tissues warm and hydrated (layering clothes, gentle movement, warm fluids), add moisture indoors (humidifier to ~40–50% RH), and prioritize steady sleep/breath practices. If you’re in perimenopause or post-menopause and notice a seasonal uptick in symptoms, Hundred Grasses Acupuncture can tailor acupuncture and herbal medicine, breathwork, and food-therapy strategies to your pattern and the week’s weather. For example, we change the way we needle during different times of the year, and choose points specific to dampness, cold, dry, heat along with the base treatment for your presenting complaint. Bring your suffering to us, and lets transform your health problems together.
Interested in learning more about autumn and TCM? Check out my most recent newsletter
Don’t forget that herbs should be cross checked for safety with ones’ medications or allergies.
Here to help!
Pay heed to the tales of old wives. It may well be they alone keep in memory what it was once needful for the wise to know. JRR Tolkien
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Pay heed to the tales of old wives. It may well be they alone keep in memory what it was once needful for the wise to know. JRR Tolkien 〰️
Thank you for reading my densely linked post. If you would like to consider TCM to support your own health, give us a shout, however you like to communicate.
Interested in a couple of fall recipes with some info on the TCM nutritional principles? Check out the fall newsletter here. There is a chance to get a 50% discount on a nanoneedling or microneedling treatment, just look for the part about heavy metal singing…
