Association between consultations with complementary/alternative medicine practitioners and menopause-related symptoms: a cross-sectional study

This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 10,011 Australian women aged 59-64 years to examine how different menopausal symptoms are associated with consultations with complementary and alternative medicine practitioners. Investigators categorized participants into three groups: women with oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries), hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), and natural menopause. The survey examined consultations with acupuncturists, massage therapists, naturopaths/herbalists, and chiropractors/osteopaths, correlating them with symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, low back pain, anxiety, and depression. Results revealed that massage therapists and chiropractors/osteopaths were the most consulted complementary practitioners, with 25-26% of women seeing massage therapists and 18-19% seeing chiropractors/osteopaths, regardless of the type of menopause.

Specific patterns emerged for different symptoms: women with hysterectomy who experienced night sweats were more likely to consult acupuncturists, but curiously less likely to consult acupuncturists for hot flushes. For low back pain, which proved to be the symptom most consistently associated with seeking complementary therapies, chiropractors/osteopaths were sought by women across all types of menopause. Acupuncturists were also significantly more sought for low back pain, especially by women with oophorectomy. Anxiety showed interesting associations: women with hysterectomy and natural menopause who had anxiety were more likely to seek massage therapists and acupuncturists.

Naturopaths/herbalists showed limited associations, being significantly sought only by women with oophorectomy who experienced urinary incontinence. The investigators adjusted their statistical models for multiple confounders, including demographic characteristics, hormone therapy use, other health conditions, and use of conventional health services. This rigorous statistical control strengthens the reliability of the findings. The clinical implications are significant: the study suggests that conventional health professionals should be aware of patterns of complementary therapy use by their menopausal patients.

The high prevalence of consultations—especially for massage and chiropractic/osteopathy—indicates that these modalities are an integral part of menopause care for many women. The differentiation between hot flushes and night sweats is particularly interesting, suggesting that these symptoms, although related, may lead to different therapeutic choices. The study also highlights the importance of low back pain as a symptom driving the search for complementary therapies, possibly reflecting the perceived or proven efficacy of modalities such as acupuncture and chiropractic for musculoskeletal pain. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, which prevents causal inferences, and reliance on self-reported data.

In addition, the study included only four types of complementary practitioners, possibly underestimating overall use of complementary medicine. The principal strength lies in the large nationally representative sample and the rigorous statistical control.