Health Intuitive

Painful menstruation or dysmenorrhea can mean that women experience monthly pain after, prior to, or during their menstrual period. In severe cases, the pain can make women faint or it may be intensely felt in the lower abdomen. There are two classifications of dysmenorrhea: primary or functional dysmenorrhea, which refers to painful menses that is not caused by organic diseases, and secondary dysmenorrhea which refers to menstrual pain that arises from organic diseases in the reproductive system.

How to Diagnose Dysmenorrhea

1. Gynecological examination – Patients not experiencing organic diseases in the pelvic cavity may be suffering from primary dysmenorrhea; secondary dysmenorrhea may be suspected in patients having organic diseases in the pelvic cavity.

2. During the menstrual cycle, there is pain felt in the lower stomach

3. The lower stomach pain can be felt on the entire stomach or over the lumbosacral area, or it may be felt as a dragging type of pain in the anus and vulva. The pain may vary in severity and can be alleviated when there is smooth flow of the menstrual blood.

Differentiation and Resolution Syndromes

Deficiency of Blood and Qi

Signs and Symptoms – a weak and thread pulse, pale tongue with thin and white coating, scanty menses with thin and reddish blood that comes with asthenia and lack of vitality, pain in the lower stomach for 1-2 days after menses which can be relieved by pressure.

Treatment Objectives – To relieve pain, nourish the blood, and Invigorate qi.

Recommended Herbal Formula – Modified Dysmenorrhea-Healing Decoction consisting of:

-Corydalis tuber
-Nutgrass flatsedge rhizome
-White peony root
-Prepared rehmannia root
-Ligusticum root
-Chinese angelica root
-Astragalus root
-Ginseng

Decoct those herbs in water for oral intake.

Stagnancy Due to Dampness and Cold

Signs and Symptoms – tense and deep pulse, pale tongue with greasy and white coating, scanty menses, with clots and dark blood, distending pain in the lower stomach several days during or prior to menstruation, which can be relieved by warmth.

Treatment Objectives – Expel dampness and warm the pathways to alleviate pain.

Recommended Herbal Formula – Modified Decoction for Removing Blood Stagnation in the Lower Stomach.

-Poria
-Trogopterus dung
-Cat- tail pollen
-Myrrh
-Corydalis tuber
-Ligusticum root
-Chinese angelica root
-Red peony root
-Cinnamon bark
-Common fennel fruit

Those herbs should be decocted in water for oral intake.

Patients excreting a lot of clear urine and suffering from lassitude in their loins, poria should be omitted and replaced with 9 grams of argyi leaf and 6 grams of prepared aconite root.

Blood Stasis due to Qi Stagnation

Signs and Symptoms – string-like pulse, eccymoses on the edges of the tongue, clots with dark purple blood, pain alleviation after discharge of clots, breast pain, hypochondrium, and a fullness sensation in the chest combined with lower stomach tenderness and distending pain during or one or two days prior to menses.

Treatment Objectives- Remove blood stasis and regulate the flow of qi to relieve the pain.

Herbal Formula – Modified Decoction for Dissipating Blood Stasis Under Diaphragm.

-Nutgrass flatsedge rhizome
-Lindera root
-Szechuan chinaberry
-Trogopterus dung
-Corydalis tuber
-Bitter orange
-Safflower
-Peach kernel
-Red peony root
-Ligusticum root
-Chinese angelica root

Those herbs need to be decocted in water for oral intake.