I have previously written about a source of distress for countless women around the world, menopausal hot flashes. My observation was that the combination of acupuncture and an herbal formula was the most effective way to treat menopausal symptoms including the hot flashes.

Imagine a door to resolving menopausal hot flashes. The door has two locks – acupuncture and TCM herbal medicines. However, to be able to open the door, you need to match the key. TCM differentiation of syndromes is the process of selecting the correct set of keys.

The latest issue of Menopause (peer-reviewed American journal) has published a new study comparing the effectiveness of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatment for the hot flashes.

The study concludes that acupuncture is effective, but fails to find the benefit of the herbal supplement. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they haven’t used differentiation of syndromes and used a single herb instead of a more common practice of prescribing a formula composed of a few herbs.

Differentiation of syndromes is very important in Chinese medicine.  In a recent study, researchers from the University of Adelaide found that differentiation of syndromes was essential to the effectiveness of herbal medicines for fertility.

Reference: Journal of Menopause (2013 May 13) Effects of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) on hot flashes and quality of life in postmenopausal women: results of a four-arm randomized controlled pilot trial.