Acupuncture for menstrual cramps

My approach is to combine customized therapies such as acupuncture, electroacupuncture, cupping, and herbal medicine to for provide relief for painful periods and endometriosis. Many women are able to cut down on their need for medications or avoid taking it at all. 

In this article, I will tell you how acupuncture works to treat painful periods, share clinical research that shows it works, and share how we create personalized acupuncture treatments to relieve your painful periods.

What Causes Painful Periods?

During your period your uterus contracts to help eliminate its lining. Prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that cause pain and inflammation, trigger uterine muscle contractions. Prostaglandin levels that are higher than normal are associated with more severe menstrual cramps.

Endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and other conditions are often the cause of painful periods. Importantly, acupuncture can treat dysmenorrhea from stemming from any of these issues.

Painful periods can be caused by a number of different imbalances.  Common imbalances include: 

• Qi Vacuity
• Qi and Blood Stagnation
• Cold stagnation

Qi circulates through the body and provides the energy for the body functions.  Stress, injury, disease, and poor diet can cause imbalances in the qi. One common imbalance is called Qi vacuity. If there is a light menstrual flow, dull achy pain, poor digestion, and lack of energy, then the imbalance may be Qi Vacuity. 

Qi stagnation occurs when there is circulation of qi is inhibited. Qi flows through the body in channels that connect the surface to the internal organs. Stress or trauma may cause the qi to stagnate. Signs of qi and blood stagnation include swinging emotions around your period, clots in your menstrual cycle, and a stringlike pulse. 
Cold can also cause pain during menstrual cycle and is often involved in endometriosis. One of the main signs of cold stagnation is a deep stabbing pain during your period which may be relieved or improved from heat. This is the most intense type of period pain.

Customized Treatment

Because each person is unique, each person will get a customized treatment for their specific type of pain and symptoms. 

This may include acupuncture, moxabustion, TDP heat lamps, electroacupuncture, and possibly herbal medicine. Your acupuncture treatment plan will depend on your specific needs. The acupuncture points which are commonly used are on the feet, legs, abdomen, and arms. 

For Qi vacuity, acupuncture points may include: 

• KI 3, Sp 6, Sp 9, St 36
• Ren 4, Zi Gong Xue 
• Li 4

With Qi stagnation point may also include

• Sp 6, Liv 3, GB 34, GB 40
• Shen Men on the ear
• UB 23, Ub 32, UB 18 

One commonly used herbal formula is called Free and Easy Wanderer or Rambling Powder (Xiao Yao San). This is a gentle yet potent formula that is used to soothe the Liver, support the Spleen, clear heat, invigorate blood, and stop pain. It is often used if stress is a trigger for the pain. 

This article is for educational purposes only does not serve as medical advice. Please consult a Chinese Medicine Practitioner before taking Chinese herbal medicine.

Research

Recent studies confirm that acupuncture provides relief from menstrual pain. This study involved sixty young females between 17 and 23 years old were randomly assigned to either a receive acupuncture or no treatment (1). The women who received acupuncture had a significant decrease in menstrual cramps and pain.  Other symptoms associated with painful periods such as dizziness, diarrhea, faintness, mood changes, tiredness nausea and vomiting, were also less than those who did not receive acupuncture.

Moxibustion

Moxabustion is a common treatment which is used alongside acupuncture for painful periods. Moxibustion has several benefits, from reducing pain from injuries to easing muscle spasms associated with chronic fatigue. 

Moxa is made from dried leaves of the mugwort plant. One method of using moxabustion is by holding a cigar-like moxibustion stick an inch away from the painful area. Also I will use moxabustion on specific acupuncture points such as Spleen 6.

Regulating the menstrual cycle

Another benefit of acupuncture is its ability to regulate the menstrual cycle. While cycles are generally 26-32 days, there are several factors that can affect this. It helps to regulate cycles by balancing hormones involved in the menstrual cycle, including FSH, estrogen, and AMH. 

In addition, it can also help regulate irregular periods by regulating the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Ovarian (HPO) axis (2). This is a feedback loop between the brain and the ovaries, which regulates the secretion of hormones. 

This means that acupuncture helps you regulate your period and ovulation through balancing your hormones.  These factors help improve the flow of blood in the uterus, which also helps the egg mature. Additionally, treatment can also increase the quality of a woman’s cervical fluid.  

Treatment during different phases of your menstual cycle will have benefits. During the ovulation phase, acupuncture helps to regulate hormones, improve insulin sensitivity, and stimulate better blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. This is a time of the cycle for boosting the yin of the body. It also improves post-ovulation hormonal imbalances and prevent hormonal-related miscarriage. This is the yang time of the cycle. Treatments are tailored to the individual woman’s condition and may help restore regularity to her period and menstrual cycle as well as help enhance fertility.

Safety

Acupuncture is safe and effective for treating painful periods, and the risk of side effects is very low, when performed by trained experienced practitioner. The most common side effects include small bruises and tenderness at the acupuncture needle site. Acupuncture is very relaxing. Patient will often fall asleep or feel relaxed and floaty during the treatment.

Whole Person

Acupuncture is a powerful and effective method of treating menstrual cramps. It not only stops pain, but corrects the underlying imbalance in the body leading to overall improvement in wellness and health.  

When the qi is not flowing in the right place, or there is not enough Qi, illness and symptoms occur. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine remove stagnant qi and blood, which alleviates pain by restoring balance. It also helps to balance hormones and relieve pain in the nervous system. 

Using acupuncture, your TCM practitioner will identify the source of your pain and treat it using a combination of herbs and acupuncture. In this way, the root-cause of your pain will be addressed and you can begin to experience a more regular menstrual cycle with less pain. The treatments also help reduce stress, improve sleep, aid digestion, and help you feel better over all. 

References: 

1. Shetty, G. B., Shetty, B., & Mooventhan, A. (2018). Efficacy of Acupuncture in the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Acupunct Meridian Stud, 11(4), 153-158. doi:10.1016/j.jams.2018.04.001
2. Wang, S. J., Zhang, J. J., Yang, H. Y., Wang, F., & Li, S. T. (2015). Acupoint specificity on acupuncture regulation of hypothalamic- pituitary-adrenal cortex axis function. BMC Complement Altern Med, 15, 87. doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0625-4