Menstrual and cycle complaints

Menstrual and cycle complaints can present in various ways. Some women mainly have pain around menstruation, while others experience mood swings, irregular bleeding, a long or short cycle, or complaints around ovulation. Sometimes a clear condition has been diagnosed, such as endometriosis or PCOS, but complaints can also occur without a specific medical cause being found.

A menstrual cycle does not have to run exactly the same every month. When complaints return regularly, are severe or affect work, sleep, mood or daily activities, however, it can be worthwhile to look further into possible causes.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are used for various menstrual and cycle complaints. The treatment is tailored to your complaints, the course of your cycle and your personal situation. You can read more about this on the individual complaint pages.

Common menstrual and cycle complaints

Complaints can occur before, during or after menstruation and can sometimes be present for a larger part of the cycle. Common complaints are:

Complaints such as headache, fatigue, tender breasts, bloating, changes in bowel movements and sleep problems can also occur at certain points in the cycle.

On the individual complaint pages you can read in more detail about the possible causes and treatment of specific menstrual and cycle complaints. If a wish to conceive or a question about fertility plays a role, you will find more information there.

Western conditions

Menstrual and cycle complaints can occur without an underlying condition being diagnosed. Sometimes, however, the complaints are part of a medical condition or are related to hormonal changes. Examples are:

A diagnosis can provide important information about the possible cause of the complaints. Even so, two women with the same diagnosis can experience very different complaints. That is why a treatment also looks at the course of the cycle, the menstruation itself and any other physical and mental complaints.

The individual pages on, among others, PMS, menstrual pain, endometriosis and PCOS go into this in more detail.

Possible causes

Menstrual and cycle complaints can have various causes. Hormonal changes play an important role, but complaints can also be related to conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, adenomyosis, fibroids or a thyroid condition.

Age, stopping or starting hormonal contraception, pregnancy and the period leading up to the menopause can also affect the cycle. In addition, stress, changes in body weight, intensive physical exertion, insufficient nutrition and sleep can influence the menstrual pattern.

Which factors are relevant differs per complaint. That is why we look not only at the menstruation itself, but also at the course of the whole cycle and any other health complaints.

What can acupuncture do?

The acupuncture treatment is tailored to the specific complaint, the point in the cycle at which it occurs and your personal situation. Menstrual pain, for example, calls for a different approach than an irregular cycle or premenstrual mood complaints.

Depending on the complaint, a treatment can focus on:

Chinese medicine also looks at the underlying TCM pattern and at changes during the different phases of the cycle.

Which treatment principles are relevant differs greatly per complaint. On the individual pages on, for example, PMS, menstrual pain, endometriosis and PCOS you can read in more detail how acupuncture can be applied.

What can Chinese herbal medicine do?

Chinese herbal medicine is regularly used for menstrual and cycle complaints, sometimes in combination with acupuncture. The herbs are tailored to the specific complaints, the course of the cycle and the underlying TCM pattern.

Depending on the pattern, a herbal treatment can focus on:

Because herbs are taken daily, they can be used throughout the whole cycle. Sometimes a formula stays the same throughout the cycle, while in other situations the treatment is adjusted to the different phases.

Which treatment principles are relevant for a specific complaint is described in more detail on the individual complaint pages.

How does Chinese medicine view menstrual and cycle complaints?

Western medicine looks among other things at hormones, the ovaries, the uterus and any underlying conditions. Chinese medicine also looks at the course of the entire cycle and the combination of complaints that occurs alongside it.

Important information is, for example, the length and regularity of the cycle, the quantity and colour of the menstrual blood, the presence of clots, pain and the moment at which complaints arise. Changes in mood, energy, sleep, digestion and other physical complaints are also taken into account.

In Chinese medicine, Qi and Blood in particular play an important role. Qi describes various functional activities of the body and, in this view, provides among other things movement and regulation. Blood has a nourishing function and naturally plays an important role in menstruation.

In addition, various TCM organ systems can be involved. These are not anatomical organs as in Western medicine, but collections of bodily functions. The Liver is associated among other things with the free flow of Qi and the regulation of Blood. The Spleen plays a role in the formation and holding of Blood, while the Kidneys are associated with development, reproduction and the menstrual cycle.

When these functions become unbalanced, various combinations of complaints can arise. An obstructed flow can go together with pain and premenstrual tension, while insufficient Qi or Blood may rather go together with fatigue, light bleeding or delayed recovery.

Such a recognisable combination of complaints and symptoms is called a TCM pattern. As a result, two women with the same Western diagnosis can nevertheless be treated differently within Chinese medicine.

Only a few common patterns are described below. Other patterns are possible and several patterns can occur at the same time. Not everyone with the same pattern has all of the symptoms mentioned. Which pattern is present is established on the basis of the overall picture of complaints and the course of the cycle. On the individual complaint pages you can read in more detail which patterns occur with specific menstrual and cycle complaints.

Common TCM patterns

Liver Qi stagnation

In Chinese medicine the Liver is associated among other things with the free flow of Qi. When this flow is obstructed, complaints can increase especially before menstruation. Emotional tension and stress can influence this pattern.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: PMS, PMDD, menstrual pain and functional cycle complaints.

Blood stagnation

When the flow of Blood is obstructed, according to Chinese medicine clear and localised pain can arise. This pattern plays a role particularly when menstrual pain and changes in the menstrual blood are prominent.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: menstrual pain, endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids.

Qi and Blood deficiency

When insufficient Qi and Blood are available, according to Chinese medicine the body can support the cycle and menstruation less well. This pattern can arise after prolonged strain, illness or heavy blood loss.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: scanty menstrual bleeding, irregular menstruation and fatigue complaints around menstruation.

Kidney Yin deficiency

In Chinese medicine the Kidneys are associated with development, reproduction and the basis of the menstrual cycle. With a shortage of Yin, especially the nourishing and cooling side of this function can be insufficient.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: cycle changes around the perimenopause, some forms of irregular menstruation and complaints in which hormonal changes play a role.

Kidney Yang deficiency

When especially the warming and activating function of the Kidneys is weakened, according to Chinese medicine cold, fatigue and a delayed cycle can be prominent.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: some forms of irregular menstruation, menstrual pain and cycle problems in which menstruation comes late or irregularly.

These patterns give a general picture of how menstrual and cycle complaints can be distinguished within Chinese medicine. With PMS, different patterns may be central than with menstrual pain, endometriosis or PCOS. That is why this is described in more detail on the individual complaint pages.

Prognosis

How a course of treatment develops depends on the specific complaint, the underlying cause, the severity, how long the complaints have been present and your personal situation. Relatively recent or mild cycle complaints can follow a different course than long-standing complaints or conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS.

Because changes in menstrual and cycle complaints are often assessed over several cycles, the course of treatment looks at how the complaints and the cycle develop. The treatment frequency can be adjusted accordingly.

On the individual complaint pages you can read in more detail what you can expect from a course of treatment for a specific menstrual or cycle complaint.

Contact

Do you suffer from menstrual or cycle complaints and would you like to know whether acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine can mean something for you? During a first consultation we discuss your complaints, medical history, the course of your menstrual cycle and any other health complaints in detail. On that basis a treatment plan is drawn up that suits your personal situation. You can book an appointment online right away or get in touch for more information.

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