Every month during those days, the lower abdomen feels like it's being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, with sensations of heaviness, coldness, and unbearable bloating pain... This familiar "Aunt Visit pain" (dysmenorrhea) torments too many sisters. Don't just tough it out hugging a hot water bottle!
Physician Dr. Khoo Poh Joon from Singapore Kong Fong Tong TCM points out: "Blockage causes pain." The core issue of menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) often lies in the poor flow of Qi and Blood, causing a serious "traffic jam" at the "transportation hub" that is the uterus. These two types of "blockage" are particularly common:
Qi Stagnation & Blood Stasis Type: Feeling immense pressure or significant mood swings? This disrupts the smooth flow of "Qi" (vital energy) in the body (Qi Stagnation). When Qi can't push the Blood effectively, blood easily stagnates (Blood Stasis). Symptoms include obvious distending pain, pain location that isn't fixed, dark purple menstrual blood with clots, and pain relief after clots are expelled. The lower abdomen may feel hard and tight to the touch.
Cold Congealing & Blood Stasis Type: Craving cold drinks or dressing lightly? Cold invades the body, like pouring cold water into the blood vessels. Blood congeals when encountering cold, slowing down or even clotting. Symptoms include cold pain in the lower abdomen (feeling like ice is inside), significant relief with heat application, dark menstrual blood with many clots, and possibly chills or cold hands and feet.
TCM Offers Clever "Unblocking" Methods – Accurate Diagnosis is Key
TCM tackles menstrual pain by focusing on "unblocking," using flexible and considerate methods:
Internal Regulation is Fundamental:
Qi Stagnation & Blood Stasis: Drink some rose bud tea or hawthorn berry with brown sugar water about a week before your period to move Qi and invigorate Blood.
Cold Congealing & Blood Stasis: Regularly brew ginger and red date tea or longan and goji berry tea. When cold pain in the lower abdomen is obvious during menstruation, a cup of hot ginger tea with brown sugar can provide quick relief.
Precise Herbal Decoction Therapy: This is TCM's core weapon. For Qi Stagnation & Blood Stasis, formulas like Xiaoyao San (Free and Easy Wanderer Powder) or Gexia Zhuyu Tang (Drive Out Blood Stasis Below the Diaphragm Decoction), modified as needed, are commonly used to soothe the Liver, regulate Qi, and invigorate Blood circulation. For Cold Congealing & Blood Stasis, classics like Wen Jing Tang (Channel-Warming Decoction) or Shao Fu Zhuyu Tang (Drive Blood Stasis from the Lower Abdomen Decoction) warm the channels, dispel cold, resolve stasis, and stop pain. Herbs such as Dang Gui (Chinese Angelica), Chuan Xiong (Szechuan Lovage Root), Yi Mu Cao (Motherwort), Hong Hua (Safflower), Xiang Fu (Cyperus Rhizome), Ai Ye (Mugwort Leaf), and Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark) are combined by the physician into a truly individualized formula based on your constitution.
Dietary Therapy for Gentle Support:
External Therapies for Rapid Relief:
Sanyinjiao (SP6): Four finger-widths above the inner ankle bone, on the inner edge of the shinbone. A key gynecological point, pressing helps regulate menstruation and relieve pain.
Hegu (LI4): On the back of the hand, at the highest point of the muscle when the thumb and index finger are pressed together. Moves Qi and invigorates Blood.
Guanyuan (CV4): Four finger-widths below the navel. Warms the Lower Jiao and dispels cold to stop pain.
Warm Compress on Lower Abdomen: Applying a hot water bottle or warm patch to the lower abdomen (be careful not to burn) is especially effective for the Cold Congealing & Blood Stasis type.
Acupressure:
Moxibustion to Expel Cold & Warm Channels: Under professional guidance, applying moxibustion to points like Guanyuan (CV4), Qihai (CV6), and Zigong (Extra Point) has a remarkable effect in warming Yang and dispelling cold.
Medical Case Study
Patient: Ms. Zhai, 26 years old, unmarried.
Chief Complaint: Dysmenorrhea for 2 years. Abdominal pain starts on the first day of menstruation. Scanty menstrual flow with clots. Cold limbs. Pain only relieved after taking painkillers. Gynecological examination showed no significant abnormalities.
Initial Consultation: Pulse: Deep and Tight. Tongue: Purple edges, with a White, Greasy coating.
Diagnosis: Primary Dysmenorrhea.
TCM Pattern Differentiation: Cold-Damp Congealing and Stagnation, Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis.
Prescription: Modified Ai Fu Nuan Gong Tang (Artemisia & Cyperus Uterus-Warming Decoction), 7 doses. One dose daily, taken twice (morning and evening).
Second Consultation: Menstrual pain had reduced. Instructed to take the same formula starting 7 days before the next menstrual period.
Outcome: After following the treatment plan, the patient recovered completely, with no recurrence of dysmenorrhea.
Daily Maintenance: Prevention is Greater Than Cure
Avoid Cold & Raw Foods Before & During Period: Steer clear of ice cream, cold drinks, and cold-natured fruits (like watermelon, pear).
Keep Warm: Especially the lower back, abdomen, and ankles. Avoid direct drafts from air conditioning.
Regulate Emotions: Learn stress reduction techniques, maintain a cheerful mood, and avoid Liver Qi Stagnation.
Moderate Exercise: Regular exercise (like walking, yoga) during non-menstrual times promotes Qi and Blood circulation. Avoid strenuous exercise during menstruation.
TCM emphasizes pattern differentiation and individualized treatment. Formulas are truly personalized. The specific selection of herbs, dosage, and usage must be tailored and adjusted under the guidance of a professional physician based on your specific pattern diagnosis. Never self-medicate blindly.
