Many women suffer from painful periods, however the good news is that Traditional Chinese acupuncture offers a lot to remedy this complaint. Acupuncture is very good at treating gynaecological problems and painful periods are no exception.

Within the theory of Chinese medicine, the menstrual cycle consists of an ever-changing flow of Yin and Yang energies. There are times during the cycle when Yang is increasing and Yin decreasing, and there are times when Yin is increasing and Yang is decreasing. A smooth trouble-free menstrual cycle occurs when there is a smooth cyclic rise and fall of Yin and Yang during each month.

Leading up to the period there is an increase in Yang energy that is necessary to start the menstrual flow. Pain can occur if this Yang energy (movement) becomes blocked or if there is not enough Yang energy to start the menstrual flow (cold in the uterus).

Acupuncture treatment is aimed at moving this Yang energy and encouraging the flow of menses. Depending on how severe the stagnation of Yang energy is, it may take several months to restore balance, but you should expect to see an improvement each month.

As a general rule of thumb, for all problems relating to the menstrual cycle you need to receive treatment on a weekly basis for a minimum of three months. This is the sort of commitment you need to give in order for acupuncture to be effective. Acupuncture has an accumulative effect and all stages of the menstrual cycle need to be treated in order to restore the proper movement of Yin and Yang. Of course you may (and probably will) get results sooner than three months, and in other cases it will take longer. I will get a good idea of how much treatment you will need when you have your initial consultation and I will advise you accordingly.

Case History One - Girl Aged 12 (August 2002)

This patient used to suffer from very bad period pain over the whole lower abdomen. It was worse during days 1 to 3 of her period. Her periods were dark red with blood clots. Her cycle had always been irregular. As we chatted it was clear that there was a lot of tension at home and she was always arguing with everyone.
Girls often suffer from period problems at this time of life as they are going through big changes. In is case all the tension and constant arguing was disrupting the flow of energy in the uterus and the natural flow of Yin and Yang energies.

Treatment was aimed at reharmonizing the menstrual cycle by moving qi (energy). It was also very important for her to stop arguing with people, and to avoid going into situations that led into arguments.

After two months her period pains were considerably better and relations with her family improved. She no longer argued constantly with her mother, and so her mother felt less stressed, and her daughter was rewarded for good behaviour.

This is an example of how acupuncture can affect not only the person coming for treatment, but those surrounding them too.

Case History Two - Lady age 48 (August 2002)

This lady originally came to see me for neck and shoulder pain. She works with children and so is constantly bending down and working with her head downwards. She was taking HRT due to problems with her periods and hot sweats during the night. She felt better on HRT but was still getting blood clots in her period, and abdominal pain.
Her neck pain had been going on for some time and it took several months of treatment to really progress. No doubt treatment was slightly hindered by the nature of her work.

After a while of treating her neck (and improving), we discussed how acupuncture could help with her periods, and the menopause. I explained that she would need treatment for a minimum of three months (weekly sessions) to start regulating her periods. She was happy to give this a go.
This patient responded very quickly with acupuncture treatment. She often felt ‘weird’ sensations in her body when the acupuncture needles were in place. After one month her period was better. It was less painful and fewer blood clots. Pain that she got mid-cycle (ovulation) disappeared. There were further improvements the following month, i.e., reduced pain & blood clots.
To date she is having treatment fortnightly and she is continuing to improve. Her night sweats have reduced and all together she is in much better health.

It is not unusual for a patient to be treated for one problem initially, and then continue treatment for something entirely different that they may not have been aware could be helped with acupuncture.