Postmenopausal Women
Postmenopausal women who experience hot flashes may cut there suffering in half by practicing deep breathing exercises, a Detroit researcher told a meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. This treatment can be especially helpful for those patients for whom estrogen replacement therapy is contraindicated, said the Wayne State University expert. He studied 33 postmenopausal women randomly assigned to eight-hour sessions of slow, deep abdominal breathing, muscle relaxation techniques or a placebo drug. The women who practiced deep breathing experienced 50% fewer hot flashes than any of the others, he said.