Relief for Painful Periods with Chinese Medicine
Relief for Painful Periods with Chinese Medicine
Many women experience menstrual irregularities or painful periods (dysmenorrhea) that can significantly impact their quality of life. While common, these issues are not something you simply have to "put up with." Chinese Medicine has a long history of treating women’s health conditions with great success and does not have a belief of suck it up, it’s just part of being a woman. Gynecology is one of the leading departments and a main reason women in East Asia go to their acupuncturist or TCM doctor. Putting up with these conditions simply just doesn’t have to be a part of 30 years of your life.
My Experience
Well as a male practitioner my experience is obviously limited to the accounts of others, but luckily there are many records from modern and historical physicians that outline the many reasons these problems arise and how to treat them. Using acupuncture and herbs I’ve found tremendous success with painful periods whether cramping, stabbing, debilitating, or simply irregular. The beauty of Chinese Medicine is its ability to address each patient’s individual needs. Hearing the number of women’s struggles and seeing how TCM has worked to address it, it’s shocking to me comparing Western Medicine’s reductive approach. It seems the only options for women is birth control (hormones) which come with long term risk, pain management with ibuprofen, or surgical procedures like D&C until a hysterectomy is ordered.
Understanding Menstrual Imbalance in TCM
In TCM, menstruation is closely linked to the health of the Liver, Spleen (pancreas), and Kidney systems, as well as the smooth flow of blood and all the factors within it. Irregular or painful periods are often signs that one or more of these systems is out of balance.
Some common TCM patterns associated with menstrual issues include:
- Liver Qi Stagnation: emotional stress leads to an excess release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into the blood stream. The liver is responsible for filtering these hormones out of the blood stream, as they can be dangerous if not taken out of circulation. The problem is the liver is made of organic tissue and filtering out these factors affects how the blood flows through the liver leading to narrowing blood vessels and slower filtration. This backs up into the abdomen leading to cramps, irritability, constipation, and a feeling of being squeezed when stressed. It is generally a root cause for many menstrual cases.
- Blood Stasis: Characterized by sharp, stabbing period pain and dark or clotted menstrual blood. This is prolonged stagnation of blood flow that coagulates and builds up in the abdomen, leading to more severe pain and the body shedding harder and darker looking matter during menses.
- Damp and Phlegm Accumulation: Excess fluid and mucus will coagulate and build up in the lower abdomen. Poor movement of circulation and the lymphatic drainage allows nodules and cysts to form as this thicker mucus and phlegm combine with the static blood flow. Cysts, polyps, abnormal discharge all fall under this pattern and can lead to very painful or disrupted cycles.
- Qi and Blood Deficiency: May result in light periods, fatigue, dizziness, and pale complexion. Similar to anemia in western diagnosis, this is the insufficiency of nutritive factors in the blood to keep the system operating optimally. Either from over dieting or exercise, a period of heavy blood loss, or being sick in bed for a long stretch can all lead to deficiency problems. The lack of healthy flowing blood means periods will be irregular and light and may even have spotting between cycles as the system is too weak to normally coagulate the blood.
- Kidney Deficiency: Often linked to long-standing menstrual irregularities, low back pain, or hormonal imbalances. This translates more as adrenal deficiency in modern terms and is generally when there are extreme imbalances in hormones. In these cases, Chinese Medicine works better in conjunction with western med since they can order extensive endocrine tests and try to stabilize the levels, and TCM can help mitigate the extreme symptoms like hot flashes or menses pain.
How TCM Can Help
TCM uses a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and lifestyle adjustments to address the root cause of menstrual problems—not just the symptoms.
Acupuncture
- Stimulates the body to regulate the hormonal system
- Reduces inflammation and pain by directly stimulating the nervous system
- Enhances blood flow to the uterus and reproductive organs so they can function normally
- Calms the nervous system to manage stress
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Customized formulas are prescribed based on your individual pattern to:
- Promote smooth and healthy flow of your blood
- Nourish the organs involved in reproduction
- Eliminate pain by removing obstructions in the circulation, relaxing cramping muscles, and shrinking any larger formations.
Lifestyle Tips from TCM
- Keep warm, especially the lower abdomen and feet
- Manage stress with breathing exercises or gentle movement like Tai Chi or Qi Gong
- Track your cycle and notice changes—these give valuable clues for treatment
You Don't Have to Suffer Each Month
A tailored TCM treatment plan can be made for you and your specific issues. We want the symptoms to start improving within the first month/cycle. Then as we continue treatment, a movement towards having normal cycles that every woman should have.
If you or someone you know struggles with their cycle, share with them that Chinese Medicine can help and to book a consultation today!
