How does Chinese Medicine treat period pain?
Period pain or dysmenorrhoea affects so many of us and can range from being uncomfortable to totally debilitating. It can accompany many conditions, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome just to name a few. Reaching a medical diagnosis for the pain is often a huge journey in itself that many people have to take, and when they get to the end of that journey they still may not have many options for pain management. Apart from some surgeries which can reduce symptoms, the other choice for most people is simple analgesia – ibuprofen, paracetamol and a hot water bottle.
Many people now choose Chinese medicine to help manage painful periods. Regardless of Western Medicine labels for your pain, Chinese Medicine sees the pain as a type of stagnation. A good way to think of menstruation is to think of a river. When you are bleeding, the blood needs to have an unobstructed flow, like a free flowing river. When something has happened on one part of the river such as a dam wall, this can impede the free flow of water in the whole river system. It is the same with menstruation - blockage in one part of the body can impact the whole system, leading to pain. There are many reasons why this blockage might have happened, and a skilled Chinese Medicine practitioner will use tongue and pulse diagnosis, as well as taking a full history (even asking about the colour, texture and amount of menstrual blood) to understand the underlying cause.
The beautiful part of Chinese medicine is that it sees each person as unique, and so each person will have a slightly different underlying cause to this problem. It could be that there is cold in the uterus, freezing the river. It could be that there is not enough blood, so the river bed is too empty and cannot flow. Or it could be that the Qi, or energy, in the body is stuck and not able to push the blood out of the body. No matter the cause, the practitioner can then use herbal medicine and acupuncture to help correct this imbalance. That might include using moxibustion which involves burning a herb, called mugwort, on the abdomen and using herbs such as cinnamon and ginger to warm the uterus and unfreeze the river. Or it could be providing nourishment to the body so that it can build more blood and fill the river banks properly. In most cases it takes about 3 full menstrual cycles or 3 months to correct the underlying imbalances. Chinese Medicine is slow medicine. But after this time, the underlying cause of your pain should be corrected and you will be on the path to maintaining pain free periods with spaced out treatments and home advice.
Many people express relief at finding this system that can help to ease a pain they have suffered with since they were a teenager. It is empowering to find that you can do more at home to help ease your period pain that taking pain killers and staying in bed. Here are my top five tips for moving towards a pain free period at home in between your regular acupuncture visits:
1. Drink warm water.
This is one of the single biggest changes you can make to help with painful periods. Introducing cold into your system regularly with the water you drink can take a big toll on your internal fire, or Yang. Your Yang is very important to keep your uterus warm. If you switch cold water and drinks out for warm, you’ll likely feel a difference not only with your period pain but also with your digestion, as your stomach won’t need to warm up the water every time you drink!
2. Keep your feet, abdomen and lower back warm, especially when menstruating.
These areas are where the Kidney meridian runs and it is the most important meridian for menstruation. When we are bleeding, the meridians are open and this can allow cold to penetrate more deeply than at other times of the month. Therefore, when you are menstruating, take extra care to keep these vulnerable areas warm.
3. Avoid swimming during menstruation.
As I said above, when you are menstruating your meridians are open, and swimming during your period will allow the cold to penetrate deeply and freeze your uterus. Leave swimming to next week and do some gentle yoga or stretching instead.
4. Eat warm, cooked foods, and avoid cold and raw foods like salads, smoothies and ice cream.
As with water, the temperature of the food you eat can be really damaging on your inner fire. Eating as much warm food as you can will support your Yang and leave more fire to warm up the uterus.
Tip: if you’re desperate for something like a smoothie, then let it warm up to room temperature before you drink it.
5. Practice meditation or other stress relieving activities.
Let’s face it, our modern lives are stressful. When we are stressed, our Qi gets stuck as we grip our body tightly to protect against danger. One of the main reasons many people get period pain is because their Qi is not moving. The movement of this Qi is really important for pushing blood smoothly for our menstruation. Therefore, if we’ve had a stressful month, it’s more than likely that you’ll have a more painful period because the blood is more stagnated. Mindfulness, breathing and meditation all act directly on the Qi, helping it to move more smoothly and relieving stagnation – when you flow, your period flows.
This advice is very general and addresses the main reasons why you might be having a painful period. It is important that you consult a Chinese Medicine doctor for a proper assessment and to receive individualized treatment. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to book in for a free ten minute phone call with me to learn more about how I might be able to help you!
Yours in health,
Rachael
