Women’s Wellness and Menstrual Care in TCM (Part 2): Common Period Issues from a TCM View

Your period is meant to follow a natural rhythm, but when that rhythm goes off, problems often show up — irregular cycles, cramps, or unusual flow. In TCM, these are not just local issues, but signs of imbalances in the whole body’s qi, blood, and organ function.

Irregular Periods

• Liver Qi Stagnation: Stress or emotional tension blocks qi flow, like a traffic jam. This may cause late cycles, breast tenderness, or chest discomfort.

• Qi & Blood Deficiency: A weak digestive system can’t produce enough qi and blood, leading to delayed or light periods, pale complexion, fatigue, and dizziness.

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Painful Periods (Dysmenorrhea)

• Cold & Blood Stasis: Cramps with cold sensation, dark clots, pain eased by warmth — like a river frozen by ice.

• Qi Stagnation & Blood Stasis: Abdominal bloating or sharp pain, better after passing clots — similar to traffic finally clearing.

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Abnormal Flow

• Heavy Flow: Often linked to weak spleen qi, which fails to hold blood — like a leaky tap.

• Light Flow: Often due to qi and blood deficiency or weak kidneys, leaving the uterus undernourished.

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A Real Case

A 30-year-old office worker often had PMS with mood swings, breast tenderness, dark clots, and cramps. Diagnosis: liver qi stagnation with blood stasis. With acupuncture and herbs to soothe liver qi and move blood, her mood and cramps improved within two months.

Conclusion

Menstrual issues are your body’s “SOS signals.” With TCM’s pattern-based approach, we can find the root causes and restore balance.

Translated from Dr. Jiao Sumin’s article, Registered TCM Physician in Singapore, Yong Kang TCM.