FLOW LOVE

Dark. Heavy. Short. Light. Pale. Long.

Do you ever pay attention to the colour and consistency of your menstrual cycle? How long does your cycle last, or how long in between each one?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, all these questions are VERY important for the health of a woman’s cycle and also her health in general. It can help us determine what's happening in the body and allows us to better support it.

In this article, I’m going to go through the most common ways that your flow can show you what's happening in your body and with your health!

QI DEFICIENCY: 

This type of flow will be light red in colour + heavy, and will usually arrive earlier than expected. The Spleen Qi of the body is what controls blood. If Spleen Qi becomes deficient, it can lose the ability to control or “hold” the blood and will cause menstruation to happen early and to be heavy. During menstruation, you might feel a heavy, bearing-down sensation in the lower abdomen. Other signs of Qi Deficiency include weak digestion, loose stools, reduced appetite, shortness of breath, and fatigue.

“HEAT IN THE BLOOD” 

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, this type of flow will be heavy, thick, red, and will arrive earlier than expected. “Heat” causes the blood to “dry up” and become thick; it also causes blood to move quickly, making the flow heavy. You might also have an aversion to heat, restlessness, and a feeling of fullness.

“BLOOD DEFICIENCY”

This type of flow will be light or dark in colour, but scanty in amount, and will usually be delayed in arriving. “Blood deficiency” is exactly as it sounds; there isn’t enough blood, so the flow is scanty and late. 

During menstruation you might feel an empty feeling in the lower abdomen, or after the cycle. Other signs of Blood Deficiency include pale skin, dizziness, insomnia, blurred vision, and palpitations.

QI STAGNATION: 

This type of flow will be dark in colour, scanty, and will either be delayed in arriving or irregular. “Qi is stagnant”, meaning that it isn’t moving as it should be, which means blood isn’t moving either and will result in a delayed cycle. 

During menstruation, you might feel a distending pain in the lower abdomen or dull, achy cramps. Other signs of Qi Stagnation include feeling emotional, irritable, or depressed, distention in the rib area or breasts, and bloating.

“BLOOD STASIS”

This type of flow will be scanty and dark coloured with clots, and will usually be delayed in arriving. The most common cause of “Blood Stasis” for women is “Cold In The Uterus”.  “Cold” causes things to congeal and not move properly. This cold and blood stasis causes intense, sharp, stabbing pain that feels better with a heating pad. Other signs of Blood Stasis/ Cold include cold limbs, loose stools, and back pain.

As you can see, there are many ways that your cycle can manifest in the body. As women who bleed monthly, it's important to pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you in subtle little ways. 

Acupuncture can help support your month to month cycle, as well as your week to week cycle, which I went over in my other blog post called " The Menstrual Phases" Research has shown that acupuncture has a great influence on hormone secretion, and because acupuncture works by stimulating the body to heal itself, bringing you back into homeostasis (balance), it works wonders on the menstrual cycle!

It's recommended to get acupuncture 1x weekly for a total of 3 months. Most women notice huge improvements within 1 cycle, but this allows the body to maintain the effects and continue benefiting on its own so that they can...

Care Consideration: Just a reminder that the above information is not a substitute for medical care and is not a substitute for medical advice or recommendations from a healthcare provider.  This information is not intended to treat, mitigate, or cure any disease.  That said, we encourage you to connect with an Acupuncturist in your community to learn more about this and other Traditional Chinese Medicine options.  If you’ve got questions about Chinese herbal medicine or getting started with an Acupuncturist, feel free to connect with us at hello@mydaolabs.com.