Living in an assigned-female-at-birth (AFAB) body can be challenging. Already the world around us is changing so rapidly, and as if that weren’t already enough, then internally, our hormones are also always in flux. Understanding our cycles can help us to feel empowered in our bodies and find that what we thought was a weakness, is really a strength. This article will explore a new lens through which you can view your menstrual cycle: one that comes from ancient Chinese medicine and has been developed and refined thousands of years more than the conventional medical system and is still practice widely today.
The Monthly Cycle
Blood comes from combination of yin and yang. Yin & yang are broad concepts in Chinese philosophy, but in this context, yin can be understood in this context as the fluid substances of the menstrual blood and cervical mucus while yang is the mobilizing force behind them. Yin is always supported by yang underneath, without that nothing will be happening. Yang must be available at all times to transform Yin, and to warm the womb and the channels in order for menstruation to occur smoothly.
Imagine the menstrual cycle like a compass, over time the blood rises from south to the north, in its ascent through the east, there is ovulation, and during its descent through the west there are two paths, either discharging menstrual blood outside the circle, or completing it’s full circle transit back to the south with the creation of a pregnancy. Pregnancy or no pregnancy, there is still the storage of the essence (jing) from the period for the next cycle.
Adding Nuance
This cycle can be broken up and understood in many ways; however, and with the 5 elements and 6 stages overlaid, we can understand the menstrual cycle with a bit more nuance. For example, in the Jueyin stage, the liver and pericardium channels open, releasing the menstrual blood. This is a time to relieve any stagnation that has built up over the course of the cycle. Ultimately, the uterus is a place that, more than anything, likes to hold on to things; Chinese medicine practitioners use herbs and acupuncture to help these channels open and fully release.
Without pushing out the old, there’s no space for the new. In the world of Chinese medicine, there are many practitioners that view the cycle through a hyper-medicalized, binary lens that attempts to transpose Chinese thought over a biomedical model, at the expense of many of these nuances. It is wise to exercise discretion when choosing any practitioner, and to empower yourself with your own knowledge on the topic to assure that you get the best care possible.
Wait A Second, That’s Not Normal?
A Modern Day Debacle
Pain is not normal. A menstrual cycle that stops and starts is not normal. Clots are not normal. But, many people think it is! Pain around menstrual cycles is so common, that it has been wrongly normalized. What’s worse is that conditions which include pelvic pain, like endometriosis, are not only under-diagnosed but diagnosis is delayed, leaving people in pain for 4-11 years without a clear answer to what is causing them suffering.
The sedentary lifestyles and inflammatory diets many people have today are setting their bodies’ up for pain and disease, but even if you move regularly and eat so many fruits and vegetables you could say you eat the rainbow, there may still be other, more nuanced factors contributing to your body’s discomfort.
No matter where you live, there are increasing levels of environmental toxins in our atmosphere, our water, and our soil. There are insidious causes of mold and heavy metal burdens that are overwhelming bodies everywhere. Soils are also becoming increasingly depleted of nutrients, so the food we are getting is not as vitamin-and-mineral-rich as it once was, making supplementation ever-more important.
Yet another contributing factor begs the question, “how much movement is too much movement?” Even for the high-functioning individual, there is the danger of overwork and overexercising which can lead to menstrual changes like too little bleeding and exhaustion of blood and qi.
Eating disorders and mental health challenges are on the rise, making it challenging to have a healthy relationship with food, movement, and the body. Not to mention the overarching atmospheric river of stress that we are all immersed in on sociopolitical and economic levels.
Planting Seeds for Your Body and Your Planet
We are not separate from our environment, and we do not exist in isolation. We have to actively work to meet the demands of life while also taking time and care to tend to our bodies’ needs.
From a Chinese Medical standpoint, many of these stressors can create heat in the body, exhaust Jing, damage Yin, Yang, or Blood. It can be helpful to have an ally in the alternative, complementary, or conventional medical field to identify and support relief from the effects of these physiologic changes, in the increasingly pathology-promoting environment.
When we give to our bodies, we are also available to give more back to the earth, garden more, buy local food, and give more energy to sustainable living practices, shifting the momentum of these toxic cycles to the net positive. As a collective, when we make these changes, the effects can be potent and make a difference on the longevity of our biosphere.
Clotting & Spotting
Its worth repeating in the half of the articles that the uterus is a place that likes to hold on to things. Throughout the month, it builds and accumulates blood with its sidekick, the Chong mai, filling along side it. Only for a few day out of the month does it release. This means that there is a high potential for stasis in the uterus. This can show up as stabbing pain, dark blood, or clots. And, though pain can be an indicator of many different pathologies in Chinese medicine, dark red/purple blood large or plentiful clots are almost always a sign of stasis.
If you could believe it, the antidote for stasis is movement! If stasis seems to be a part of your menstrual challenges, adding in some gentle movement in the week leading up to your menstrual period, and more vigorous movement after bleeding is over, might help. Often times, pain is so severe, however, that other interventions are needed.
Spotting that is not at the very beginning or end of the menstrual cycle can be a concern for underlying genetic conditions, and sometimes even cancer. It can also be benign. It’s best to be evaluated by a medical professional. But if you are noticing brown blood at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, this can indicate that there is old blood that was not released from the previous cycle. This can be another sign of stasis, although less progressed. The healthy menstrual cycle flows smoothly, without unnecessary stopping or starting.
Getting Stuck: The Truth Behind PMS
Pre-menstrual symptoms, like bloating, cramping, breast tenderness, depression and irritability are also not normal, despite having been normalized given their pervasive nature. Many of these symptoms can be translated in Chinese medicine to qi stagnation, but there are so many other potential manifestations as well, including blood stagnation. With the discussion of the menstrual cycle through the 6 stages, these symptoms can often indicate challenges with the 6th, jueyin stage, though not always. Issues here tend to center around the opening of the chong mai, smooth flow of qi in the liver channel, or an imbalance in the pericardium, which can make it difficult to voice boundaries and needs. Chinese medicine takes into account both the physical and mental-emotional layers of experience that might be creating a kink in the wheel of the menstrual cycle.
Learn more about lifestyle measures to support this pre-menstrual phase in an article called, “Understanding Premenstrual Syndrome: Your Symptoms Are Not Inevitable”
Blood: Amount, Color, and Consistency Matter
A Chinese medicine practitioner not only looks at symptoms, but takes a careful qualitative assessment to understand the blood color, consistency, and volume. They might take your pulse, look at your tongue, feel the temperature of your hands, feet, head, and palpate your abdomen for clues to what might be causing your symptoms. Rather than lab work, a Chinese medicine practitioner can use your body’s own cues not only to discern what is the root cause of your symptoms, but to measure improvements with treatment overtime.
Too Much Bleeding
Too much bleeding comes in the form of prolonged bleeds, bleeding with large volumes of blood, or bleeding too frequently. These cycles can quickly exhaust the body of resources if they go too long without being treated. Blood stasis and heat are two common causes of too much bleeding. Chinese herbs, which have been studied and used for thousands of years have shown to be effective in treating menstrual bleeding disorders. A practitioner will tailor treatment individually to make sure that the person’s constitution is supported throughout treatment, and that exhaustion does not worsen or continue.
Too Little Bleeding
The menstrual period is the result of an abundant overflow of resources, allowing the body to release what it no longer needs. Physiologically, the uterine lining is shedding, the Chong mai is contracting after filling up with blood, and the ren mai is descending. When all of these functions are operating in energetic harmony, your menstrual cycle flows smoothly. However, if the menstrual cycle stops, becomes lighter, or there are many months in between bleeds, this could indicate on the the following things:
- Malnourishment or overexertion
- Some configuration of spleen, liver, and kidney pathology.
- Structural changes: scar tissue, Asherman syndrome
- Pregnancy
As a Chinese Medicine provider, we address hormonal and emotional imbalances around menstruation by asking the question: what parts of the cycle are not working, and how do we support the body in rebalancing itself? We will often combine Chinese herbs with acupuncture to build or move qi, blood, yin or yang and support continued relief with other body work strategies, moxibustion, cupping, and gua sha. There is a wide variety of tools available to Chinese medical providers that allow them to meet you right where you are at.
References
- Wilms S. Nurturing Life in Classical Chinese Medicine: Sun Simiao on Healing without Drugs, Transforming Bodies and Cultivating Life. Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2010;93:5-13.
- Guichang X, Maciocia G, Deadman P. DISCUSSION OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE AND THE CYCLE-REGULATING TREATMENT. Fu Zhiwen, ed. Journal of Chinese Medicine. 2001;67:30-33.
Meet the Author
Miquella Young is a naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist whose main goals are to dive into the deeper messages that lie beyond her patients’ pain, trouble sleeping, anxiety, or depression. She understands that many people may have the same diagnosis as each other, but maintains that the way they express that diagnosis is unique to them. Dr. Young focuses more on her patients’ unique expressions, habit patterns, and cycles of illness and health than the disease labels they have been given.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Young, call 503-956-9396 or contact us now to schedule an appointment today.
