Menopause isn't something that arrives one day, like our periods: announcing itself in an abrupt, colourful way. It creeps up on you. A build up of symptoms over time that you go about trying to treat, with trips to the doctor to get to the bottom of a pain or itch, or anxiety that you rationalise with other events going on in your life.
For me, the first indicator was increased anxiety, which I put down to life just being more full on. The middle-life squeeze of young kids and aging parents, juggling work with domestic drudgery and trying to maintain a marriage - with no time to breath. And then there was the change in periods - some were shorter, some longer with differing durations between. Again, I put this down to stress. Even when I had night sweats and hot flushes, I put it down to alcohol and cut down on what I drank.
It was only when I connected the dots and acknowledged my age - 47 at the time - that I realised I was way into perimenopause and near, if not at, menopause. My stress levels were high. And when I started looking into the affect of stress on the body and how that exacerbates menopause symptoms, I realised how easing stress is key to reducing and alleviating those core symptoms. In fact, menopause seems better written as Me No Pause. As if the symptoms were my body's way of telling me to stop, take a break and start practicing self care to reduce my body's response to stress.
Stress amplifies menopause symptoms
Our ovaries and adrenal glands produce the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which, when in balance, give us menstrual harmony. However, stress has a direct impact on hormone production. When we experience stress, our adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol instead of our reproductive hormones, leading to reduced levels of progesterone (with symptoms of hot flashes, headaches, anxiety, depression, low libido and brain fog), and/or oestrogen (leading to symptoms of tender breasts, vaginal dryness, night sweats, irregular periods and irritability). Once we hit menopause, our ovaries no longer produce oestrogen and progesterone, and we rely solely on the adrenal glands for their production. Stress then leaves us in a deficit of reproductive hormones and with amplified menopause symptoms.
How massage eases stress and, consequently, menopause symptoms
Tactile contact is naturally soothing. We all know how calming a hug is. Massage soothes and relaxes a stressed nervous system through muscular and fascial stimulation and pressure on the vagal nerve, promoting chemical release of endorphins by the autonomous nervous system – this can switch the body from fight and flight to rest and digest. In a state of rest and digest, energy is conserved and the body's systems are regulated - and menopause symptoms are reduced.
A study in 2020 confirmed that just 10 minutes of massage - light or firm - can increase Heart Rate Variability (HRV), which shows that the parasympathetic nervous system (the calming part of our ANS) has been activated and we're relaxed.
But it's not just the physiological response to massage that relaxes us. It's the time on the massage couch that is a pause from our lives. Time to stop and let the mind switch off from the never-ending to-do list. Time to let your mind drift off to relaxing treatment music. Time for yourself.
It's the headspace and nurturing nature of massage that also aids mental well-being during menopause.
Regular massage was shown to reduce anxiety, depression and insomnia in menopausal women, in a study in 2011. The study participants received a 60-minute massage, twice a week for four months, with results showing a significant improvement in anxiety and depression and with the ladies finding they fell asleep more rapidly. And these results weren't just experienced during the study. A year after the trial - and without receiving any further treatments - a number of the women reported that they had continued to experience reduced symptoms, if any at all.
For me, I found that my own menopause symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and night sweats considerably calmed when I had a massage, and so I tried to book one every four weeks It's also important to note that the reduction in menopause symptoms was combination with limited alcohol and healthier eating. What I noticed too was that the act of making time for self care increased my awareness of myself and what was working and not working for me.
Ultimately, the menopause is a journey that can be a bumpy ride. If the effects of it are impacting your daily life, it's worth giving massage a try. I offer a Menopause Manager package, which offers four full body treatments at a reduced rate, to be taken as regularly as you wish (be it once a week, fortnight or month).
Vicky King is a massage therapist focused on helping women alleviate the symptoms of PMS and menopause. Click here to book a treatment.