Primary Amenorrhea is the complete absence of a women’s period, where she never ever had one to begin with. Secondary Amenorrhea is more common, and is often diagnosed if a women’s period stops for more than 3 months in a row.

Check out my post on the basic TCM treatment protocols for Amenorrhea for more in depth understanding of this disorders and how to address it.

Acupuncture works so well for women’s disorders! I absolutely love it, as I see the amazing effect it has had on patients, over the years.

I hope you enjoy and benefit from today’s case study, and as always let me know what you think 🙂

Keep rocking it with TCM!

Clara
TCM Geek

PS: if you wanted more, check out my post on The Basic TCM Treatment Protocols for Amenorrhea and check out all my case studies!

CASE STUDY

Female: 21 years old

  • Chief complaint: Amenorrhea, no periods for about 14 months.
  • History: she was on the birth control pill from 16 yrs old to almost 19 yrs old, to help her cycle get regular. Since has stopped the pill, there has been no period. When she was on the pill, the period blood was pale red and scanty, with dull painful cramps especially at the end of the period.
  • Other symptoms: she contracted Mononucleosis (glandular fever) when she was 13 yrs old and never fully recovered from it, suffering from post-viral fatigue ever since. She has poor memory, poor focus, depression, dull  headaches often, poor appetite, soft stools, insomnia (can’t fall asleep).
  • On observation: she spoke in a very soft weak voice, her face & nails were pale.
  • Tongue: a thin pale w/scanty coat
  • Pulse: choppy (especially on the front & middle left side position), weak on the right.


Cause: External Pathogens & Drug side effect (Birth Control Pill).

TCM Diagnosis: LU & SP Qi deficiency with LV & HT Blood deficiency.

Symptoms differentiation:

  • Amenorrhea since for 14 month. The Birth control Pill always causes Blood deficiency or Blood Stasis. In this case because her period were scanty with pale red blood, it shows a LV Blood deficiency. 
  • Dull cramps (Def.) at the end of the period (Def.). Dull headaches (Def.).
  • Post Viral fatigue since the external pathogens depleted her Wei Qi. This shows now as a Lu Qi deficiency. A soft weak voice & depression are also due to Lu Qi def.
  • Other symptoms of Blood deficiency: PALE & POOR! Poor memory (HT), poor focus (HT or SP), poor sleep (can’t fall asleep is a HT & Sp Blood & Qi Def.), pale face (HT), nails (LV). 
  • Poor appetite and soft stools are symptoms of Sp Qi deficiency.
  • Choppy pulse (left  front & middle position): HT & LV Blood deficiency, weak on the right (Lu & Sp Qi def.)
  • Tongue: thin pale (def.) with scanty coat (Blood def.).

Tx principles: Nourish HT & LV Blood, Tonify LU & SP Qi, raise Qi for better energy, and regulate the period.

Acupuncture points

  • Nourish Blood: ST 36, Sp 4, Sp 6, Lv 8
  • Tonify Lu Qi: Lu 7 & St 36
  • Tonify Sp Qi: Sp 6 & St 36
  • Regulate the period: Lu 7 (R), Kd 6 (L), Sp 4 (R) and PC 6 (L)
  • Raise Qi: Ren 6, Sp 6 and DU 20

12 needles twice/week for 5 weeks, until the period came (was light and lasted only 2 days). I started her Seed Cycling form then.

Then 1/week for the next 8 weeks, her period was regular and the bleeding was fresh red and lasted almost 4 days. Her sleep was much better, and her energy increased!

Chinese Medicine ROCKS!