Acupuncture treatment protocols are generally directed towards the deeper root of a persons set of health issues, not at each individual issue. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, treatment is generally directed towards the individuals diagnostic pattern(s) and their primary issue is only a part of the information required to approach the correct patterns to treat (see "treating the cause vs. the symptoms" for an introduction to this process.).
In designing an acupuncture protocol for amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), one might find one or a combination of the following patterns:
blood stagnation,
heart blood deficiency,
heart yin deficiency,
kidney yang deficiency,
kidney yin deficiency,
phlegm stagnation,
spleen blood deficiency,
spleen yang deficiency
among many other possibilities and possible combinations.
Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for amenorrhea. There are many ways to approach the treatment of this condition within TCM. Our presentation describes foundational approaches that would need to be further tailored in most cases to be effective for a given individual.
- Differentiation:
- Qi & Blood Stagnation - Excess Condition
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Lack of menstruation for 3+ months, abdominal masses, abdominal pain a/or distention that is worse with pressure, may also have hypochondriac a/or chest oppression
- Tongue: Purple or purple spots esp. along the LV area
- Pulse: Deep, tight
- Treatment Points:
- Xinnong (CAM) Point Selection:
- CV 3 - excess in the lower abdomen
- ST 29 - moves stagnant Blood in the abdomen, empirical point for returning menstruation
- SP 10 - moves Blood
- LV 3 - resolve Qi stagnation
- SP 6 - move Qi/Blood in the lower abdomen
- LI 4 - move Qi/Blood in the lower abdomen
- If palpable abdominal masses - KD 14
- Maciocia Point Selection:
- SP 4 w/PC 6 - yin wei chong mai
- CV 6 - move Qi in the abdomen
- ST 30 - regulate menstruation
- LV 3 - resolve Qi stagnation
- SP 6 - move Qi/Blood in the lower abdomen
- If palpable abdominal masses - KD 14
- If caused by shock - KD 6
- Phlegm/Damp Obstruction - Excess Condition
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Patient is likely to be overweight, body feels heavy, stuffy chest, nausea, vaginal discharges are likely if the lower heater is effected
- Tongue: Swollen w/greasy yellow coat especially in the rear
- Pulse: Slippery
- Treatment Points:
- Maciocia Point Selection:
- SP 6 - move Q/Blood in the lower abdomen
- SP 9 - resolve damp
- CV 6 - tonify/move Qi in the abdomen
- ST 28 - clear damp in the lower abdomen
- TH 5 w/GB 41 - yang wei dai mai, resolve dampness in the lower warmer
- UB 22 - TH Shu, regulate water
- If symptoms are effecting the middle warmer (i.e. stuffy chest, nausea) - CV 12, CV 9 & ST 40, clear damp, tonify ST/SP
- Qi & Blood Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
- A gradual development of secondary amenorrhea where the cycle gets delayed more and more each month w/gradual decreases in Blood over time, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools, dry skin, dizziness, may also effect the essence - sore back/knees, dry mouth, heat in the 5 palms, night sweats
- Tongue: Weak, possibly slow, Thin if essence is effected
- Pulse: Pale
- Treatment Points:
- HT/SP Blood Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
- A combination of HT and Blood Deficiency signs, palpitations, dream-disturbed sleep, poor memory, looses stools, poor appetite
- Tongue: Pale, possibly w/red tip
- Pulse: Thin
- Treatment Points:
- LV/KD Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
- KD Yang w/LV Blood Deficiency, fatigue, sore back/knees, dizziness, depression, lack of willpower
- Tongue: Pale
- Pulse: Weak
- Treatment Points:
- SP/KD Yang Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Sore back/knees, fatigue, digestive issues
- Tongue: Swollen, wet
- Pulse: Deep, weak, tight
- Treatment Points:
- HT/KD Yin Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Emotional causes are likely, palpitations, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, night sweats, dry mouth, mallor flush, heat in the 5 palms
- Tongue: Red w/no coat
- Pulse: Floating, empty
- Treatment Points:
The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:
- St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
- Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes