Integrative Health
Find your care
We offer a range of treatments designed to relieve menopause symptoms and increase your quality of life. Call to learn more about the Comprehensive Menopause Program.
Integrative Health and Menopause
The practice of Integrative Medicine blends conventional care with evidence-based traditional and complementary approaches to support whole-person health and wellness. Integrative medicine encompasses mind-body-spirit approaches such a yoga, tai chi, and mindfulness as well as acupuncture and natural/botanical supplements.
Integrative medicine has a unique role in supporting a person’s mind-body-spirit as they transition through menopause. Yoga, tai chi, and mindfulness have been shown to improve symptoms in menopause including hot flashes and mood disturbances. Incorporating integrative mind-body-spirit practices into a treatment plan can also be incredibly helpful in coping with stress and supporting healthy sleep. There is also emerging data to support other integrative approaches including hypnotherapy and acupuncture which can be helpful in managing difficult to control symptoms during menopause.
Natural products and dietary supplements remain a popular approach for people seeking symptom relief during menopause, but the data supporting use of these products is limited and inconclusive. There can also be a significant risk of harm from these products due to adverse side effects and/or interactions with medications. Finding reliable information about the safe and careful use of supplements remains a challenge for many persons experiencing menopausal symptoms. Using an integrative approach, patients can discuss the use of these products with their healthcare team to determine a risk and benefit assessment of using these products that is tailored to their individual health goals. Ultimately, the use of integrative medicine within the UCLA Menopause Program supports a personalized approach to care that can support a person going through perimenopause or in menopause.
The UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Program also partners with The UCLA Center for East-West Medicine (CEWM) to offer a unique integrative health model which blends conventional biomedicine, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and integrative medicine approaches and therapies. TCM offers an alternative perspective on the origins and risk factors contributing to menopausal symptoms. During a consultation with an East-West provider, one can expect counseling on lifestyle, diet and nutrition, stress management, sleep optimization, dietary herbs and supplements, and herbal teas. In certain cases, therapies such as acupuncture may be recommended. Certain providers are also able to consult on the use of traditional Chinese medicine herbal formulas as well. The physicians at CEWM are all trained and board-certified in internal medicine, family medicine, or medicine-pediatrics. Many of the physicians are also board certified in integrative medicine and/or oriental medicine and are trained in TCM. The clinical team applies a patient-centered approach to develop individualized treatment plans for each person. The East-West model, with its emphasis on energy, restoring the whole person, and rebalance the entire system, may be beneficial not only for menopausal symptom but also for other chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disease, and mental health illness.
Integrative Health Specialty Providers
Resources
Acupuncturist Locations at UCLA Health
Breathwork
Sudarshan Kriya and accompanying breathing practices, referred to collectively as SKT and taught through the Art of Living Foundation worldwide, have been found to enhance brain, hormone, immune and cardiovascular system function. Published research shows that SKY significantly reduces stress, depression, anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and significantly increases well-being both mentally and physically. Research also demonstrates that the effects of SKY reach all the way down to the molecular level, to our DNA. Over 100 independent studies conducted on four continents and published in peer reviewed journals, have demonstrated a comprehensive range of benefits from SKY practice.
Lifestyle Medicine
Mindfulness / Relaxation
The mission of the Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) is to foster mindful awareness across the lifespan through education and research to promote well-being and a more compassionate society. Mindful awareness (mindfulness) can be defined as paying attention to present-moment experiences with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is. Mindfulness can be trained systematically, and it can be implemented more fully in daily life by people of any age, profession, or background. MARC offers classes, programs, trainings, and events to UCLA, the Los Angeles community, and to a wider global community through virtual and in-person learning, web resources, and our free app with guided meditations, "UCLA Mindful"
- offered for free 2x/week,
Yoga
. Meets every Tuesday and Thursday at Noon. Register .