Acupuncture for Uterine Bleeding - Treatment Protocols

General Approaches

Acupuncture For Uterine Bleeding - Treatment Protocols

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 uterine bleeding, one might find one or a combination of the following patterns: bladder damp heat, blood stagnation, heat in the blood, kidney yang deficiency, kidney yin deficiency, liver qi stagnation, spleen qi deficiency among many other possibilities and possible combinations.

Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for uterine bleeding and general menstrual issues. 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.

  • Etiology & Pathology:
    • Differentiation:
      • Excess Types:
      • Heat in the Blood - may arise from a constitutional yang excess, excessive consumption of alcohol/hot natured foods.
      • Accumulation of Heat - may arise from LV constraint a/or excess.
      • Damp Heat - effecting the lower jiao which injures the Bao Mai (uterine channel).
      • Blood Stagnation - causing reckless bleeding.
      • General Xinnong (CAM) Treatment Points for all Excess Conditions: CV 3, SP 10, SP 1, LV 8, LI 11, HT 8, LV 3
      • Deficiency Types:
      • SP Qi Deficiency - may arise from constitutional SP deficiencies, stress a/or poor diet.
      • KD Yang Deficiency - leading to problems storing the Blood and dysfunctions in the Chong and Ren channels.
      • KD Yin Deficiency - leading to disruptions in the flow of Jing and Blood due to weak Fire.
      • General Xinnong (CAM) Treatment Points for all Deficiency Conditions: GV 20, CV 4, ST 36, SP 6, SP 1, TH 4
    • Heat in the Blood - Excess
      • Signs & Symptoms:
        • Heavy, thick bleeding w/deep red color, strong odor, dry mouth w/desire to drink, irritability (but not the same as with LV Yang).
        • Tongue: Red w/yellow coat
        • Pulse: Slippery, rapid
      • Treatment Points:
        • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
        • CV 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 1 - empirical point for uterine bleeding
        • SP 10 - move and clear heat from the Blood
        • KD 5 - clear heat
        • Maciocia Point Selection:
        • SP 4 w/PC 6 - yin wei chong mai
        • LI 11 - clear heat
        • SP 10 - clear heat, move Blood
        • SP 8 - moves Qi & Blood, uterine bleeding
        • SP 1 - empirical point for uterine bleeding
        • KD 5 - clear heat
        • KD 2 - clear heat
        • LV 3 - move LV Qi
        • LV 5 - damp heat in the lower jiao
        • KD 4 - stop bleeding, luo connecting point
        • LV 1 - menstrual bleeding from excess or deficiency
    • Accumulation of Heat - Excess
      • Signs & Symptoms:
        • Costal/Hypochondriac distention, sighing, quick temper.
        • Tongue: Red w/thin yellow coat
        • Pulse: Wiry, rapid
      • Treatment Points:
        • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
        • CV 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 1 - empirical point for uterine bleeding
        • LV 3 - move LV Qi
        • TH 6 - clear costal area
        • LV 1 - empirical point for bleeding
        • Maciocia Point Selection:
        • Maciocia differentiates this as LV Qi Stagnation leading to Heat, consequently he uses more points that move the LV
        • GB 34 w/LV 3 - move the LV Qi
        • LV 1 - empirical point for bleeding
        • LV 14 w/UB 18 - LV Mu/Shu combination
        • TH 6 w/PC 6 - clear the costal area
        • GV 24 - descend Yang excesses
        • GB 13 - descend Qi
        • SP 8 - uterine bleeding, move Qi & Blood
        • CV 6 - tonify Qi
        • LI 11 - clear heat
        • SP 10 - clear heat and move Blood
    • Damp Heat - Excess
      • Signs & Symptoms:
        • Profuse or chronic lingering bleeding of dark red Blood that is not thick, thin/whitish (occ. green) leukorrhea, genital itching a/or pain.
        • Tongue: Yellow greasy coat
        • Pulse: Rapid, possibly a little slippery
      • Treatment Points:
        • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
        • CV 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 1 - empirical point for uterine bleeding
        • CV 3 - clear damp in the lower jiao
        • SP 9 - resolve damp
    • Blood Stagnation - Excess
      • Signs & Symptoms:
        • Abdominal pain that is worse with pressure, blood clots which relieve pressure after passing.
        • Tongue: Deep red w/little coat or slightly purplish
        • Pulse: Deep, choppy
      • Treatment Points:
        • Valaskatagis Point Selection:
        • CV 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 6 - tonify SP Qi
        • SP 1 - empirical point for uterine bleeding
        • SP 8 - move Qi and Blood, uterine bleeding
        • ST 30 - local point for moving Blood
        • SP 12 - local point for moving Blood
    • SP Qi Deficiency - Deficient
    • KD Yang Deficiency - Deficient
      • Signs & Symptoms:
        • Profuse or lingering bleeding w/light red color, abdominal pain better w/application of heat, cold limbs, loose stools possible.
        • Tongue: Pale
        • Pulse: Deep, thin
      • Treatment Points:
    • KD Yin Deficiency - Deficient

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

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