Case Histories - Painful Periods (2)
A 29-year-old woman had been suffering from painful periods for
10 years. Her periods came regularly but were very painful, the
pain being of a severe, cramping nature; the menstrual blood was
clotted and she felt noticeably cold during the period. The pain
was alleviated by the application of heat. She also suffered from
backache, dizziness, tinnitus and frequent urination. She had been
suffering from allergic asthma from the age of 7 and her urine was
very pale during an asthma attack. Her tongue was Pale and her pulse
was Fine but also slightly Tight.
Diagnosis
This is a clear case of Cold in the Uterus causing the periods to
be painful: the signs of Cold in the Uterus are severe, cramping
pain, clots, feeling cold during the period and alleviation of the
pain by the application of heat. She also suffers from an underlying
Kidney-Yang deficiency (backache, dizziness, tinnitus, frequent
urination) which is also the cause of allergic asthma: the paleness
of the urine during an asthma attack is a particularly telling symptom.
Treatment
I used Warm the Menses to expel Cold from
the Uterus and acupuncture to treat the underlying condition by
tonifying Kidney-Yang. The combination and integration of a herbal
remedy to treat the Manifestation (Biao)
and acupuncture to treat the Root (Ben)
is particularly useful. |
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