The transition into menopause, known as perimenopause, is a natural process that all women go through as we age. The average age for menopause is 51, but it can start anytime between your 40s and 50s. During this transition, women experience changes in hormone levels that often lead to symptoms like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, and emotional changes.
While menopause is inevitable, managing symptoms is key for your comfort, health and quality of life. Hormone therapy can provide relief by replacing the hormones - like estrogen and progesterone - that decline during menopause. When paired with a healthy lifestyle, hormone therapy helps women feel their best in midlife and beyond.
The experts at Vitality Balance Clinic specialize in individualized care to help women smoothly transition into menopause. Our compassionate menopause specialists in Davie offer advanced testing and both bioidentical and FDA-approved hormone therapy options to target your symptoms. We also provide nutritional advice, fitness guidance and emotional support for complete menopausal care.
The first step is getting properly diagnosed. At Vitality Balance Clinic, we offer blood tests to measure your hormone levels - like estradiol, FSH and AMH - to determine if you are peri or postmenopausal. Blood tests help us create customized treatment plans based on your hormones' current state. We also carefully review your symptoms and health history.
Our dedicated medical team takes time to listen and understand what you’re going through. We know every woman’s experience is unique and treatments need to be tailored to your needs for optimal relief. That’s why an accurate, individual diagnosis is crucial.
While hormone therapy is very effective, making certain lifestyle adjustments can also ease menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, trouble sleeping and emotional changes. Our clinicians provide science-based advice on lifestyle tactics that research shows can help, including:
Nutrition: We recommend limiting spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol and foods that trigger hot flashes. Eating phytoestrogen-rich foods like tofu, beans and flax can mildly mimic estrogen to help symptoms too. Staying hydrated is also key.
Fitness: Regular exercise is linked to reducing hot flashes and emotional health. We suggest slowly incorporating both cardio and strength training based on your fitness level. Yoga and pilates are excellent options as well.
Stress relief: Menopause can be an emotionally turbulent time. From talk therapy to meditation, we offer holistic stress-busting techniques. Getting quality sleep is also paramount for mental health and night sweats relief.
Healthy habits: Smoking can worsen hot flashes and its other health impacts are well-known. We encourage patients to reduce smoking and give tips to help. We also recommend limiting alcohol which can disrupt sleep and hormones. Developing healthy habits can profoundly influence menopausal comfort.
At Vitality Balance Clinic, we customize lifestyle suggestions based on your needs and preferences to help you feel balanced entering this new phase of life. Our clinicians have extensive training to guide you through evidence-based lifestyle changes for menopause relief.
Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as the hormones your body produces. Derived from plant compounds, these hormones are tailored to match your individual hormone levels, genetics and symptom profile. Vitality Balance Clinic specializes in finely tuned bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) to help replenish estrogen, progesterone and testosterone at optimal levels.
Bioidentical hormones are created by compounding pharmacies in the exact strength your body needs. We prescribe estrogen and often progesterone to be administered via skin creams, gels, pellets or patches. Our experienced BHRT specialists adjust dosages based on follow-up bloodwork and symptom monitoring until hormone saturation is ideal for you.
Restoring hormones to optimal levels can provide immense relief from hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, trouble sleeping, weight gain, emotional changes and low libido. BHRT also has protective cardiovascular effects and aids cognition.
Every woman has unique needs. Some may only require estrogen while others need a balance of estrogen and progesterone. Factors like hormone levels, family history and symptom severity help our clinicians design individualized prescriptions. We carefully consider the right bioidentical hormones, combination, dose and delivery method for your body.
At Vitality Balance Clinic, no two BHRT recommendations are the same because no two women are the same. We recognize each patient deserves a protocol catered to their health and objectives. Our goal is for your bioidentical hormones to mimic what your body would normally produce at its optimal functioning state for full symptom relief.
Large-scale research proves hormone therapy is safe for most healthy women under 60, especially at lower doses. Bioidenticals also seem to have additional safety benefits. Made identically to your natural hormones, they are easily processed by the body with fewer risks.
However, hormone therapy does have some health considerations to weigh with your clinician. At Vitality Balance Clinic, we carefully screen patients to ensure those at risk of stroke, heart disease, cancers and other issues avoid hormones. For low-risk women, we rigorously monitor therapy for maximum safety. Catching any potential problems early is key.
Our experienced practitioners make sure hormone replacement sustains health instead of harming it. We teach patients to recognize warning signs to report back. Detailed follow-ups allow us to tweak protocols when necessary. Our goal is maintaining optimal hormone balance for wellbeing in mid and later life.
In addition to specialized bioidentical hormones, Vitality Balance Clinic offers traditional FDA-approved hormones including branded estrogen/progestin pills, skin patches and creams. These regulated therapies have well-established safety data and can also provide menopausal symptom relief.
Widely studied products like Premarin, Provera and Climara contain lab-made hormone compounds that mimic estrogen and progesterone. Known as systemic hormone replacement, these therapies raise overall levels of estrogen and progesterone throughout the body to counteract depletion during menopause.
Relieving hot flashes is often the initial goal. However, regulating mood, sleep and vaginal health may also be targeted depending on what symptoms bother you most. Not every woman needs progestin, so we thoughtfully prescribe estrogen alone or estrogen-progestin combination therapy based on your uterus status and needs.
There are advantages to both FDA-approved and compounded bioidentical hormones. Our practitioners explain the differences in detail so you understand all options. The hormones chemical makeup, ingredients, doses, delivery methods and cost vary between therapies.
We look holistically at your health, lifestyle, symptoms and preferences when advising on optimal traditional versus bioidentical regimens. There are no universally “better” hormones for all women. What matters most is choosing the right therapy for YOUR body and goals. Every treatment plan is individualized for safety and satisfaction.
Key Term: systemic hormone therapy - Traditional FDA-approved hormones like pills, patches and creams that raise estrogen/progesterone levels throughout the entire body.
Managing symptoms is just one aspect of navigating midlife changes. Embracing this transition fully also involves adjusting routines for self-care and enjoying Davie’s health-promoting amenities. Vitality Balance Clinic helps patients make lifestyle changes through holistic counseling and sharing local resources.
Healthy eating and regular exercise form the foundation for wellness during menopause and beyond. Consuming nutritious whole foods high in phytoestrogens while limiting triggers like caffeine, alcohol and sugar can help minimize symptoms. Gentle strength training, walking and yoga are particularly beneficial.
We teach women how to eat and move in ways that reduce menopausal discomforts while decreasing health risks long-term. Crafting sustainable lifestyle changes is key - fad diets don’t work! Small steps backed by science make the biggest impact. Our advice aligns with your preferences for success.
We also connect patients with Davie’s exceptional wellness resources like:
Menopause can be an emotionally challenging transition. Sudden mood swings, anxiety, sadness and trouble focusing are common due to shifting estrogen levels impacting mental health. Talk therapy along with stress reduction techniques help immensely.
Vitality Balance Clinic takes a compassionate approach to guide women through psychological aspects. Our providers offer counseling or refer patients to Davie’s exceptional mental health professionals. We also teach valuable stress management strategies like breathwork, meditation, journaling and more based on your personality.
Two exceptional local wellness studios that provide emotional healing include:
Between hot flashes interrupting sleep and night sweats drenching sheets, many women struggle getting adequate shuteye in menopause. Soaking in restorative recreation is vital for wellbeing too. Vitality Balance Clinic educates patients on improving sleep hygiene while connecting them with Davie’s best rejuvenation outlets.
Simple tweaks like keeping bedrooms cool, sticking to schedules and reducing alcohol/caffeine can work wonders for better nighttime habits. Herbal supplements like magnesium and melatonin also usher in healthy hormones for more restful slumber.
We also link patients with local treasures for self-care like:
As you navigate the changes leading up to and following menopause, Vitality Balance Clinic is here to guide your transition every step of the way. Contact us today to learn more about individualized symptom relief, nutritious habits for health and local wellness resources to make your 40s, 50s and beyond richly fulfilling. Our exceptional team of compassionate providers, dietitians, trainers and counselors help women thrive during this beautiful and dynamic life stage.
Acupuncture has shown promising results as an alternative therapy for reducing troublesome menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood disturbances. Small studies indicate acupuncture may help regulate hormones and calm the nervous system without the side effects sometimes associated with hormone therapy drugs.
