Women can still experience abdominal pain with amenorrhoea
Amenorrhoea is when there is an absence of a menstrual period and this gynecology condition is divided into two types. Primary amenorrhoea, which is when no period has arrived by 16 -18 years of age and secondary amenorrhoea, which is when there has been no period for more than 3 months. In general speaking terms according to Chinese medical theory, there are two basic imbalances that contribute to all diseases and imbalances causing ill health. These are an excess of energy and a deficiency of energy. Either of these can cause the period to stop and Chinese herbs and acupuncture for amenorrhoea can be used to rectify this.
In some instances, there may be a complicated combined energy pattern imbalance with both deficient and excess at the same time.
Emotions can be a contributing factor causing amenorrhoea.
Irritability, Worry and Anxiety can cause Amenorrhoea
Frustration, anger and irritability tend to accumulate and block the liver energy and as you know, the liver is an organ full of blood which then causes the blood to get stuck and stop the period.
Worry and anxiety can deplete reserves of energy causing deficiency which leads to an inability to make blood hence causing amenorrhoea.
Excess Work and Exercise and Irregular Diet can cause Amenorrhoea
Over work or excessive exercise training is another factor that can deplete reserves of energy and blood.
Diet may also be a contributing factor. For example, the excess eating of greasy and dairy foods can lead someone to becoming overweight which causes a condition known in Chinese medicine terms as “phlegm damp obstruction“. There are a number of women who are overweight and have amenorrhoea.
The Contraceptive Pill and over Breastfeeding can cause Amenorrhoea
The contraceptive pill when ceased being taken can also cause amenorrhoea. Chinese medicine views that the contraceptive pill has a cold and damp nature which then leads to obstruction of energy.
Severe disease, over breastfeeding and a history repeated miscarriages are also contributing factors and need to be taken into account when the patient is being consulted to formulate a diagnosis. All these situations deplete the blood.
Acupuncture for amenorrhoea can help regulate the menstrual cycle again especially in cases where the cause of the problem is from stuck energy and blood. Chinese herbs are more appropriate in the chronic deficient cases because literally the woman has run out of blood and herbs like dang gui (angelica root) can tonify the blood. A cause of treatment may be six months and in some cases up to a year to bring the period back.
There is a famous acupuncture point prescription dating back to 1601 from the book, “Great Compendium of Acupuncture” which is still used and referred to in modern times. Two of the acupuncture points used in the prescription to treat amenorrhoea, hegu (Large Intestine 4) and sanyinjiao (Spleen 6) are also used to induce labour.
