Think you know everything about your menstrual cycle? Take a look from another perspective. A leading acupuncturist and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) explains the map of the monthly cycle according to this Eastern science.
The Western perspective on the monthly cycle is the one most of us are familiar with, but it’s not the only one. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its own take on menstruation and motherhood. Read this week-by-week description of the reproductive cycle according to TCM:
Week One: Menstruation
Estrogen and progesterone levels fall, which signals the hypothalamus to release a hormone that triggers the uterus to shed its lining. Bleeding begins.
The TCM perspective:
Yin and yang are opposing forces in the body that need to be in balance for good health. All things contain these two forces. While difficult to describe, yin is considered nourishing, moistening, and cooling, while yang is energizing, motivating, and warming, At its most extreme, yin can transform to yang or vice versa.
Day one of the menstrual cycle is the point when the luteal phase (the second half of the menstrual cycle, following ovulation) which is yang, changes to menstruation, which is yin. In other words, it’s the point when yang transforms to yin.
In Chinese medicine, the quantity and quality of blood flow during menstruation is an important indicator of reproductive health. For instance, blood clots can indicate a disruption in the flow of “qi” (energy), which may indicate a barrier to fertility. Cramps, not usually a concern in the West, are a sign in Chinese medicine that blood flow is obstructed.
TCM practitioner may suggest:
- Acupuncture to influence hormonal pathways and balance the endocrine system, stimulating blood flow to ease cramps, prevent clots, build qi, and aid follicle development.
- An herb such as Dang Gui to smooth the flow of blood.
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Week Two: Preparing to Ovulate
The endometrial lining thickens as follicles develop in the ovaries. By day 10, one of the follicles will have become dominant, producing a ripened egg. When estrogen levels peak around day 12, the body gets the message to produce luteinizing hormone (LH). This hormone will signal the lead follicle to rupture and release an egg.
The TCM perspective:
As a woman nears ovulation, her cycle, which has been dominated by nourishing yin energy, becomes more yang. In patients with a long follicular phase, a practitioner will decide if this is due to lack of yin slowing down the production of follicles, or lack of yang, meaning that ovulation is delayed. The quality of yin is thought to have an effect on the quality of the egg.
TCM practitioner may suggest:
- Herbs called a “yin tonic,” because in Chinese medicine the process of building follicles needs yin and blood.
- An over-the-counter herbal remedy called Liu Wei Di Huang Wan to supplement yin and encourage follicle growth.
- Other herbal remedies can increase vaginal mucus and regulate hormones.
- An acupuncture treatment as close to ovulation as possible if the slow transformation (of yin to yang) is due to qi not flowing smoothly. Acupuncture can facilitate the smooth release of an egg.
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