What's Your Period Trying To Tell You? (Part 1)

Our periods tell us a lot, but we often don’t listen.

According to Chinese Medicine a normal, healthy menstrual cycle has a period that is 4 days long of normal flow and occur at a 28-31 day cycle. The period should come on with little to no PMS symptoms. HOWEVER, you’ve probably been told that whatever deviation you’ve had to the 4 day period and 28-31 day cycle is perfectly normal and/or can be corrected with using birth control. Though this is very common to have a deviation from this normal healthy period, it is not necessarily healthy. In Chinese Medicine, we pay attention to imbalances and seek to balance them, in order to prevent more serious health conditions and complications later.

There are many reasons why we might fall into the habit of not listening to our periods. Society, which is generally patriarchal and misogynistic often teaches us that periods are weird, dirty, gross, inconvenient or a burden. Sometimes in medical settings we are told that the symptoms we experience are normal despite the fact that they might be disrupting our lives. There are a lot of gaps in understanding about menstruating bodies and therefore lack of helpful, effective treatments for our problems in the Western medical model. Society too often demands a lot from us, and we can sometimes feel like there is no time or space for us to even have our periods or take care of ourselves.

Here are some common conditions and possibly what is causing them according the Chinese Medicine.

DIFFICULT/PROLONGED PMS Pre-menstrual symptoms that are severe and last for more than a few days is considered an imbalance of the relationship between the Liver and the Spleen. Most often this is a sign of (Liver) Qi stagnation, (Spleen) Qi deficiency or both. Commonly experienced as irritability, depression, heaviness in the body, limbs, brain fog, fatigue, diarrhea, changes in appetite, constipation and cramping before the period. This occurs because before the period comes you are in your Qi phase. This is when the Liver Qi should be moving freely. Sometimes when the Spleen is in a weakened state from poor diet, weak digestion or over worrying, it creates a build up of Qi or fluid stagnation (or both). This creates a situation in which the Liver Qi can’t move freely. Since the Liver is in charge of summating emotions, when it becomes stagnant there can be mood changes.

HEAVY BLEEDING This is when you have to change your period products every 2-3 hours or less, you often bleed through super tampons/pads, bleed through clothing and/or have to change period products in the middle of the night. Heavy bleeding can be a sign of Qi deficiency as well as certain types of blood deficiency. This is a sign that your body’s Qi is not holding your blood in the vessels properly. Sometimes there is also copious discharge when not on the period. Those with heavy bleeding should take caution because it can often cause blood deficiency and/or anemia. This can be caused by long-term Qi deficiency that eventually leads to prolapse or sinking Qi. This can lead to problems with the extraordinary vessels that are linked to fertility. In Chinese Medicine, the extraordinary vessels are considered reservoirs. This is a deeper condition that requires longer and more complicated treatments.

PERIOD THAT LASTS MORE THAN 4 DAYS This can also indicates Spleen Qi deficiency and can be accompanied by weak digestion. If you are bleeding after day 4 is spotting it is less of a concern but should be corrected in case it becomes more serious. Bleeding beyond day 4 also has the potential to cause blood deficiency and/or further Qi deficiency.

SCANTY OR LIGHT PERIODS Indicate blood deficiency or poor circulation or both. Occasionally this is a jing (essence) deficiency and could be related to your constitution or genetics.

PAINFUL PERIODS Occur because of stagnation. Blood stagnation (fibroids, endometriosis) will often show up as stabbing or more severe pain and can come with darker period blood and/or clots. Qi stagnation manifests as dull pain that can come and go. Stagnation of either usually does better when heat/warmth is applied to the lower abdomen or lower back.

SHORT CYCLES A menstrual cycle that is less than 28 days is considered short. This may seem normal because you experience it consistently, however short cycles do indicate a weakness in your Qi. It means your uterine artery is opening too early and is not strong enough to hold for 28 days. For those trying to conceive you may not have had enough time to properly build uterine lining for implantation. This imbalance can also be due to yin deficiency or jing deficiency and can have genetic components.

MISSING OVULATION Though many people may not notice their ovulation signs like mild cramping mid cycle or the presence of cervical mucus, testing for ovulation can become routine when trying to conceive. If you are noticing that you are not getting positive results for ovulation this can indicate a Yin or Yang deficiency. The yin refers to your general hormone balance while the yang in reference to menstrual cycles, refers to your ability to secret lutenizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in order for ovulation to occur. Yang deficiency is apparent when you cannot mark a temperature rise when tracking basel body temperature (BBT) and can manifest as feeling overly sensitive to cold, cold abdomen, cold low back, hard to warm up the body, general lassitude or fatigue, very low libido.

MISSING PERIODS Makes it really hard to track your menstrual cycle. Some missing periods can occur at regular intervals while some create an irregular menstrual schedule. Missing periods can be accompanied by scanty periods which would indicate blood deficiency. Missing periods can also indicated yin deficiency or hormone imbalance for those who experience night sweats, getting overheated easily, tendency to overwork, anxiety and insomnia. Missing periods can easily occur due to travel or stress.

LONG CYCLES or LATE PERIODS A late period can sometimes be due to a schedule change, travel or stress. When your period continues to come late it is something to pay attention to. Sometimes people with long cycles will also notice they have 1 week of PMS symptoms which could mean they are stuck in their Qi phase for too long and experiencing too much qi stagnation. This can be accompanied by qi deficiency and/or will eventually cause qi deficiency. Others who experience long cycles can also notice they’re periods are too heavy or too long because their uterine lining becomes thicker and there is more shedding to do. This can eventually cause more qi and blood deficiency.

These are just a few of the most common imbalances, however analyzing the menstrual cycle can get much more in depth as many people experience a combination of the above symptoms. In Chinese Medicine, it is common to treat these imbalances with acupuncture, herbal formulas and lifestyle modifications. For more recent and less severe cases one should expect a treatment plan of at least 3 months. For those with more long-standing and severe symptoms, treatment plans are 6-12 months. In Western Medicine, some of these conditions can be managed with birth control. Those who do choose to use birth control should make sure it aligns with their body’s constitution and tendencies by working closely with an experienced provider.

To continue learning about this topic What Is Your Period Trying To Tell You (Part2)

THIS POST IS FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES AND IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.

Check out my recorded workshop on Vaginal Steaming FAQ’s and check out my post on Living Harmoniously with Your Cycle

Written by Dr. Emily Siy, DACM

Images by Chanel Matsunami Govreau, featuring Lisa Bacon and Kitara products

This is based on a 28 day cycle