Find Relief from Painful Periods with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Let's talk about something that affects a lot of us women but often doesn't get the attention it deserves: dysmenorrhea. If you've ever experienced those debilitating cramps that make you want to curl up in a ball and hide from the world, you're not alone. Dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, is a common issue that many women face every month. Whether you're dealing with it yourself or supporting someone who is, understanding more about this condition can make a big difference. So, grab a cup of tea, get comfy, and let's dive into what dysmenorrhea is all about, why it happens, and how we can manage it better with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Understanding Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea is the fancy name for painful menstruation.There are two types of dysmenorrhea; primary and secondary.
Primary Dysmenorrhea: This is pain with your menstrual cycle that is not caused by an underlying condition. The pain typically begins a day or two before your cycle and subsides within two to three days after your period starts. The pain can be mild to severe and is commonly in the lower abdomen, back, or upper legs.
Secondary Dysmenorrhea: This is pain with your menstrual cycle that generally begins earlier and lasts longer and is associated with another medical condition, such as endometriosis, PCOS, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
The most common symptoms of dysmenorrhea include:
Cramping and pain in the lower abdomen, low back, or legs
Nausea
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Dizziness
Headaches
Conventional treatment for dysmenorrhea include NSAIDs or other anti-inflammatory medications, birth control or other hormonal therapies, and supplements. While these options can help decrease the pain, they often aren’t treating the root imbalance in the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine has a different approach that digs deeper to find the individual cause in each person.
How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help
The goal of TCM is to find the root cause of a condition in order to provide lasting relief. Dysmenorrhea can present as both excess and deficient patterns and can sometimes be a bit more challenging to diagnose since most patients only experience symptoms for one week out of their cycle. Luckily, the body can still tell us a lot about the underlying pattern even when you are not currently experiencing period pain.
Diagnosing Dysmenorrhea
There are four main patterns that are commonly associated with dysmenorrhea. I’ll provide a brief overview of each pattern, but please note, there is much more to it than just this. You can have more than one pattern as well as additional patterns that aren’t mentioned.
Qi and Blood Stagnation: When Qi stagnates, it can cause sluggish blood circulation which in turn leads to blood stasis. Qi stagnation is often a result of stress, worrying, overthinking, and poor diet. The pain associated with this pattern typically occurs before and during the cycle and is accompanied by bloating, breast tenderness, and irritability.
Qi and Blood Deficiency: A deficiency of both Qi and Blood is most often seen in people who have experienced chronic illness or who were born with a weak constitution. If there isn’t enough Qi or Blood, then movement will be slow resulting in blood stasis. The pain associated with this pattern usually begins towards the end of the menstrual cycle or even after it has finished and is relieved by pressure. It is likely to be accompanied by fatigue, pale complexion, and dizziness.
Damp Cold Stagnation: Frequent exposure to cold environmentally or internally is the cause of damp cold stagnation. This could be a diet consisting of mostly raw or cold foods, such as smoothies, iced beverages, and salads, and/or exposure to cold water, such as swimming pools or cold plunges, or cold air, such as wearing crop tops in cold weather. When cold accumulates in the body, it causes blood stasis. The pain associated with this pattern is often very sharp and stabbing in nature and is relieved by a heat pack.
Damp Heat Stagnation: Frequent consumption of rich, fatty, sweet foods can lead to the development of damp heat stagnation. The pain associated with this pattern is usually stabbing and accompanied by a feeling of heaviness possibly with odorous vaginal discharge. The pain will often feel worse with pressure or a heat pack.
TCM Treatments for Dysmenorrhea
Herbal Medicine
In TCM, we use herbal medicine to improve Qi and Blood flow and balance the body. In order to treat the root cause, most people will take an herbal formula all month long to balance the cycle and alleviate symptoms during the menstrual cycle. This can take some time so we also have options for formulas that can be added during the menstrual cycle to alleviate more acute cramping and other symptoms.
A few of the common herbs in these formulas include ginger, safflower, fennel, and dong quai. Remember that each person has a different pattern and some herbs may not be appropriate for your pattern. It is important to seek help from a licensed practitioner rather than experimenting with herbs on your own.
Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Acupuncture is incredibly effective for balancing the body and alleviating pain. Points in the ear and along the inner side of the lower legs are especially effective for calming down menstrual cramps quickly. In addition to acupuncture, moxibustion can be really helpful, depending on the pattern, for invigorating and warming Qi and Blood in the lower abdomen.
Not only can acupuncture help with menstrual cramps, but it can also help balance your hormones and regulate your cycles! How does it do all this? Well, acupuncture releases endorphins which can reduce pain signals in the brain and boost the mood. It increases circulation allowing blood to flow freely and it relaxes muscles and eases tension.
Lifestyle and Dietary Advice
As with any condition, your lifestyle and dietary habits are going to play a big role in your overall health and well being. This is especially true for menstruating women. There is a big movement right now encouraging women to get to know their bodies and syncing their cycle with their workouts, food choices, activities, et cetera. I am all for this!
One of my favorite ways to regulate the menstrual cycle is with seed cycling. It’s super easy to do and amazingly effective. You will consume pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds in a rotation according to your cycle. Each cycle is a little different, so you will need to track yours to know the length of your cycle.
Day 1 of your period until ovulation (roughly day 13), you will consume 1 tablespoon each of pumpkin and flax seeds. Then from ovulation through the last day of your cycle (roughly day 14-28), you will consume 1 tablespoon each of sunflower and sesame seeds. That’s it! You can eat the seeds plain, sprinkle them on your soup, oatmeal, or other meals, or make cycle energy balls (my personal favorite!).
Stay tuned for the next blog post all about cycle syncing for additional information regarding dietary and lifestyle advice!
Final Words
If you are suffering with painful periods or other uncomfortable symptoms associated with your menstrual cycle, look into Traditional Chinese Medicine. As TCM providers, we have tons of tools in our toolbox to help get you back into balance and feeling great without harsh pharmaceuticals or birth control. If you are local to Northern Colorado, I would love to meet with you to discuss how we can work together. Schedule your free consultation today.
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