Periods - Painful
Painful Periods
Diagnosis of Painful Periods
- Primary period pain will generally start with one of the first periods of a womans life. A possible cause according to western diagnosis is due to excessive prostaglandin production. It is often associated with nausea, vomiting, and faintness.
- Secondary period pain will occur some other time during a womens life. Painful periods may begin after a birth, around menopause, after extreme stress, life style changes, trauma, ...
Painful periods may be caused by many different western diagnosis. Examples are: pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, fibroids, IUD (intrauterine device) complication ... Generally painful periods will have discomfort and pain beginning before the period and lasting into the first few days of menstruation. Although this is common pain may also begin during or even just at the end of a womens period.
Chinese Medicine Differentiation and Treatment
Qi and Blood stagnation
The period pain associated with Qi and Blood stagnation is probably the most painful. This type of pain will occur with and during the period, be aggravated by any type of pressure and accompanied with many PMS signs and symptoms. The period blood will be darker in color, contain large clots and be possibly thick in consistency. There will also be other signs and symptoms of Qi and Blood Stagnation.
Principle of Treatment: regulate Qi, promote circulation of blood, remove Stasis
Common Acupuncture Points - spleen 8, spleen 10, liver 3, gallbladder 34, stomach 29, ...
Common Herbal Formula - Tao Hong Si Wu Tong or Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan
Damp-Cold stagnation
This type of period pain will generally occur before and during the period. The period pain will be alleviated by application of a heat pad but aggravated by pressure. The period blood will be normal fresh red to pale red mixed with dampness. There will also be other signs and symptoms of dampness and cold.
Principle of Treatment: disperse Cold, eliminate Damp, warm Jing
Acupuncture points - Ren, foot Taiyin, Ren 3 and ST 28
Herbal Formula - Wen Jing Tang modified
Liver Qi Stagnation with Lower Burner Dampness and Heat
this type of period pain will be accompanied by many PMS signs and occur before and during the period. There may be small clots and the period blood will also have some thick mucus mixed in with it. There may be an unpleasant odour as well present with the period blood. There will also be other signs and symptoms of damp heat and liver Qi stagnation.
Principle of Treatment: clear Heat and Damp, regulate Liver Qi
Acupuncture points- foot Taiyin, Jueyin, LR 3 and SP 6, Ren 3 and BL 32 - Low abdominal burning- LR 8 - Fire- LR 2 (more large clots)
Herbal Formula - Modified Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Qi and Blood deficiency
in this type of period pain the pain will generally occur during and after the period. This type of pain will feel better with pressure and the bleed will most likley have a pale color and be in small amounts. There will also be other signs and symptoms of qi and blood deficiency.
Treatment Principle - supplement Qi, Nourish Blood, stop period pain
Acupuncture points- Ren, foot Taiyin, Ren 6, BL 20, SP 6, ST 36, Zi Gong - deficient Cold- Ren 4, ST 30, Moxa
Herbal Formula - modified Ba Zhen Tang
Alternative Treatment Methods
auricular acupuncture- internal reproductive organs, sympathetic, KI, LR, SP
7 star needle - medium stimulation, lower abdominal area
injection- Dang Gui 0.5ml, Hong Hua 0.1ml
