Never mind the many women who breeze through menopause with little or no trouble. Let’s discuss the women who experience hot flashes that can become so intense and uncomfortable that they can trigger anxiety and panic attacks. Because there are some ladies who suffer such intense discomfort, the medical community has worked overtime to try and discover ways to effectively ease this common and rarely troublesome symptom. One of the newest remedies for the relief of hot flashes, believe it or not, is the use of a nerve block to the neck.
What is a Nerve Block to the Neck?
This procedure is accomplished through an injection of anesthetic close to a nerve bundle that is located in the neck. The medical term for the technique is called a stellate ganglion block. A more common treatment for pain, researchers in the medical field are examining it’s possibilities for relieving severe hot flashes in women who are either not candidates for, or hesitant to use standard hormone replacement therapies. This may become the new non hormonal alternative to treat hot flashes.
Current Research and Results
Although this is a new approach to the treatment of hot flashes, researchers have begun compiling data and initial results show that this method has been effective in decreasing the intensity and frequency of hot flashes in menopausal women. The procedure does involve pain, especially at the injection site, and must be administered by a certified anesthesiologist.
Who Would Benefit from this Treatment Method?
Women who either have had, or currently have breast and other cancers are not candidates for hormone replacement therapy. Certain other health conditions may also result in a health care provider warning against HRT. For these women, stellate ganglion block may become their best alternative form of treatment.
Why Nerve Block to Neck Treatment Works?
Researchers cannot explain exactly why this form of treatment is successful in alleviating hot flashes in menopausal women. Further studies must be conducted to find the linkages and correlations that can help to answer this question.
Expert Opposition to Stellate Ganglion Blocks
Not all experts feel that this is the best use of nerve block therapies. While it is generally agreed upon that it is beneficial that the hot flash symptom is relieved, not enough is known about the immediate benefits versus potential long term results.
Further Research is Needed
While the preliminary results of the research seem to be encouraging, it is not known how long that an individual treatment is effective, nor what the ideal dosage is for certain.
Other Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes
Stellar ganglion blocks are not the only alternative means of treating hot flashes in women. Natural remedies that do not carry the side effects nor long term health risks of standard hormone replacement therapies are available. Plants containing compounds known as phytoestrogens and isoflavones are used to obtain extract that act like estrogen in the body. This has been shown to be effective in alleviating most of the symptoms of menopause including hot flashes in many women. These compounds can be ingested as foods that contain high levels, supplements that are made of extracts and teas that are specially formulated from natural hormone balancing extracts.
Foods that Contain Phytoestrogens and Isoflavones
Soy beans and other soy product are rich in phytoestrogens. In addition, flax seeds, walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, cereals and bran are good choices. Black cohosh root and wild yam are also excellent sources of these helpful compounds.
Conclusion
Stellate ganglion blocks or nerve blocks to the neck show promise as a new alternative treatment for women experiencing hot flashes. Although preliminary studies show that this technique has been effective, research on the topic is still in its early stages and further clinical investigation is needed. Women who are not candidates for standard hormone replacement therapies may turn towards this treatment; however, there are other more natural remedies available that may bring a safer form of relief. By ingesting extracts from plants containing compounds that act like estrogen in the body, many women have experienced relief from hot flashes and other problematic symptoms of menopause.
