07787 508 378 • laurie@easternhealingarts.co.uk • www.easternhealingarts.co.uk

Laurie Ayres – Herbalist, Acupuncturist, Tui Na Practitioner Lic OHM, Lic Ac, Lic Tui Na, BSc (hons), MRCHM, MBAcC

Chinese Medicine & Painful Periods

Painful periods (aka dysmenorrhoea) have become an accepted part of many women’s lives, accepting that for anything from a few days to over a week of every month you either have to take painkillers or just get on with it and suffer. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way, many women with period pains gain great benefits through Chinese medical treatment.

The cause of painful periods can be roughly divided into two categories:

Primary Dysmenorrhoea is the occurrence of pain without any other underlying medical condition causing it. At the time of the period the womb contracts to help the shedding of its lining, creating the menstrual bleed, many believe that primary dysmenorrhoea occurs when these contractions become too strong.

Secondary Dysmenorrhoea is the occurrence of pain due to another cause such as endometriosis, fibroids, cysts on the ovaries etc. Fortunately most period pain falls under the former category, but it is always worth getting it checked if it is persistent.

Period Pain in Chinese MedicineThere can be many causes of period pain from a Chinese medical perspective, and everyone is assessed and treated on an individual basis, but the two most common are ‘qi stagnation’ and ‘blood stasis’.

Qi stagnation involves a disruption to the smooth flow of qi (energy) through the body, this is very common and often results from emotional causes like stress. Qi stagnation will often manifest as dull aching or cramping pains can be accompanied by other symptoms such as irregular periods, irritability, tearfulness, and breast tenderness and distension around the time of the period.

Blood stasis occurs when the flow of blood becomes unsmooth, resulting in sharp stabbing, boring pains, often with clotting in the menstrual blood, this is very common in conditions like endometriosis.

Often qi stagnation and blood stasis will occur at the same time.

Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Period PainChinese medicine has been used in the treatment of period pain for thousands of years. In fact the first book on Chinese medical gynaecology was written two thousand years ago and contained extensive information on the treatment of painful periods.

Chinese medicine uses herbs and acupuncture to encourage the smooth circulation of qi and blood, removing obstructions and ensuring the muscles and tissues are properly nourished, thereby reducing pain and discomfort. Other symptoms that result from these causes such as irregular periods, heavy bleeding, mid-cycle bleeding, and fatigue after the periods can also be addressed with Chinese medicine.

A Case of Debilitating Period PainTwo years ago D came to my clinic complaining of severe period pain due to endometriosis, which she was diagnosed with at 17yrs of age, she was now 30 yrs old.D would have heavy periods with severe pain that she rated at 9-10 out of 10, the pain would cause her to vomit. The only way she could manage was to take the pill to stop her periods and only have one every two months, then she would take the Friday and Monday off work and spend a long weekend in bed, completely debilitated with the pain.At the first treatment D said she wanted to come once every two months just before her period to help her relax and reduce the pain a bit. But I explained to her that if she was willing to commit to weekly acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment then we could expect to see much more profound and lasting results. D decided to make the commitment to weekly treatment.After a month of treatment she had her period, during which she noticed a great reduction in pain, only having pain before the period and not during. The pain also did not cause her to vomit.After this obvious improvement she decided not to stop her period every other month but have monthly periods. The next month her pain was again reduced in intensity and only lasted for few hours before her

07787 508 378 • laurie@easternhealingarts.co.uk • www.easternhealingarts.co.uk

Laurie Ayres – Herbalist, Acupuncturist, Tui Na Practitioner Lic OHM, Lic Ac, Lic Tui Na, BSc (hons), MRCHM, MBAcC

period. This improvement was seen again at her next period. At this point she expressed a wish to come off the pill altogether and work towards having a natural menstrual cycle with the treatment.Unfortunately shortly after this D changed jobs and had to move out of the area, but this case does illustrate the profound effect period pain can have on a persons life, and how effective Chinese medicine can be.

ResearchBelow is a summary of three studies into the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in the treatment of period pain of various causes:

Herbal Medicine Better than Drugs for Period PainIn a review of 39 studies involving a total of 3475 women Chinese herbal medicine was found to be more effective than pharmaceutical drugs in terms of improvements in pain relief, overall symptoms and use of additional medication. There were also no indications that Chinese herbal medicine causes any adverse effects. Chinese herbal medicine for primary dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD005288

Acupuncture for Painkiller-Resistant Period PainIn a study involving 15 women with period pain that was resistant to non-steroidal antiinflammatorypainkillers (NSAID’s), eight weekly acupuncture treatments were given and the women were allowed to continue using painkillers as they deemed necessary. A substantial reduction in pain, both its intensity and duration, and painkiller use was observed in 87% of patients. Seven of the women stopped using painkillers altogether, and still had no symptoms six months after the study ended. Acupuncture Treatment of Dysmenorrhea Resistant to Conventional Medical Treatment. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008 Jun;5(2):227-230.

Herbal Medicine for DysmenorrhoeaIn a study involving 17 women with period pain of various causes including endometriosis, two herbal prescriptions where given throughout the menstrual cycle. Within 3 months of treatment all patients obtained complete relief of pain, with one patient who had a history of 10 spontaneous miscarriages becoming pregnant and carrying her baby to full term. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2003;30(2-3):95-8

About the AuthorLaurie Ayres is a practicing Chinese herbalist and acupuncturist, and a member of both the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM) and British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). He practices at the Self Centre in Bury St Edmunds, and in north London. Laurie can be contacted for appointments and enquiries by phone on 07787 508 378, email at laurie@easternhealingarts.co.uk, and his website can be viewed at www.easternhealingarts.co.uk. Enquiries can also be made via Self Centre reception.