Acupuncture for Amenorrhea - Treatment Protocols

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:
- Excess Pathologies
- Qi & Blood Stagnation
- Phlegm/Damp Obstruction
- Deficient Pathologies
- Qi & Blood Deficiency
- HT/SP Blood Deficiency
- LV/KD Deficiency
- SP/KD Yang Deficiency
- HT/KD Yin Deficiency
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:
  - Xinnong (CAM) Point Selection:
  - CV 4 - tonify Yin & Blood
  - UB 18 - LV Shu
  - UB 20 - SP Shu
  - UB 23 - KD Shu
  - ST 36 - tonify Qi & Blood
  - SP 6 - tonify SP
  - If essence is effected - KD 3 or KD 6
  - Maciocia Point Selection:
  - GV considers this w/stronger Blood deficient signs - blurred vision, dizziness, numbness/tingling, poor memory, palpitations, insomnia - Pale & Thin Tongue and Thin Pulse
  - UB 17 - hui meeting of the Blood
  - UB 18 - LV Shu
  - LV 8 - tonify LV Blood
  - ST 36 - tonify Qi & Blood
  - SP 6 - tonify SP
  - KD 3 - tonify KD
  - CV 4 - tonify KD
  - CV 6 - tonify Qi
  - For strong emotional components - CV 17
  - Zigong Xue - regulate the uterus
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:
  - Maciocia Point Selection:
  - ST 36 - tonify ST/SP
  - SP 6 - tonify SP
  - CV 12 - ST Mu, tonify ST/SP
  - UB 20 - SP Shu
  - UB 15 - HT Shu
  - CV 14 - HT Mu
  - HT 7 - calm spirit
  - CV 4 - tonify KD, generate Blood
  - LV 8 - tonify LV Blood
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:
  - Maciocia Point Selection:
  - LU 7 w/KD 6 - yin qiao ren mai, useful w/deficient conditions
  - LV 8 - tonify LV Blood
  - SP 6 - tonify SP
  - ST 36 - tonify ST/SP
  - UB 18 - LV Shu
  - UB 23 - KD Shu
  - UB 52 - strengthen willpower
  - CV 4 - tonify Qi
  - KD 13 - reinforce CV 4, strengthens Uterus, useful in deficiency patterns
  - CV 17 & CV 6 - emotional causes, ancient chinese prescription
SP/KD Yang Deficiency
- Signs & Symptoms:
  - Sore back/knees, fatigue, digestive issues
  - Tongue: Swollen, wet
  - Pulse: Deep, weak, tight
- Treatment Points:
  - Maciocia Point Selection:
  - CV 12 - ST Mu, tonify ST/SP
  - ST 36 - tonify ST/SP
  - SP 6 - tonify ST/SP
  - UB 20 - SP Shu
  - UB 21 - ST Shu
  - KD 3 - tonify KD
  - CV 4 - tonify KD
  - UB 23 - KD Shu
  - UB 52 - strengthen willpower
  - CV 17 & CV 6 - emotional causes, ancient chinese prescription
  - Zigong Xue - strengthen Uterus
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:
  - Maciocia Point Selection:
  - LU 7 w/KD 6 - yin qiao ren mai
  - HT 7 - calm the spirit
  - PC 7 - clear heat from the HT
  - UB 44 - clear psycho-emotional manifestation of heat
  - CV 15 - chest oppression, descend the Qi
  - CV 14 - HT Mu
  - CV 4 - tonify Qi, Blood & Yin
  - KD 3 - tonify KD
  - SP 6 - tonify SP

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

Relationships

TCM Patterns (8)

Conditions / Symptoms (1)

Amenorrhea (Absence of Menstruation)

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Acupuncture for Amenorrhea - Treatment Protocols