Women's health and fertility

Fertility support

Western Trouble conceiving after a year of trying (six months over 35), with or without a cause found on testing.

Classical 水 Read through Kidney essence, Tian Gui and the Chong and Ren vessels, and the patterns that block or drain them.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Master Tung's acupuncture

Western A common hormonal condition with infrequent ovulation, higher androgens and often insulin resistance.

Classical 土 Usually read as phlegm-damp blocking the Chong and Ren, on a root of weak Kidney yang or a struggling Spleen.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Food as medicine

Western Tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, driving inflammation, cyclic pain and sometimes infertility.

Classical 木 Blood stasis in the lower abdomen, held in place by cold, constrained Liver qi or a depleted Kidney.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Moxibustion

Irregular or missing periods

Western Cycles that vary widely, come rarely or stop, often because ovulation is not happening regularly.

Classical 水 The Sea of Blood fills too slowly or is blocked: Kidney essence, blood, stagnation or cold in the uterus.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Moxibustion

Western Cramping pain with the period, either on its own or caused by a condition such as endometriosis or adenomyosis.

Classical 木 Where there is pain there is no free flow: stasis, cold, constraint, or too little blood to keep things moving.

Often with Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Herbal medicine

Western Bleeding heavy or long enough to disrupt daily life, often from fibroids, polyps, hormonal shifts or a bleeding disorder.

Classical 土 Blood that is not held: Spleen qi too weak to contain it, heat pushing it out, or stasis blocking its proper path.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Moxibustion

Western Physical and mood symptoms in the luteal phase that lift once bleeding starts; PMDD is the severe, mood-led form.

Classical 木 Liver qi that cannot flow as the cycle builds toward the bleed, often on a base of thin blood or rising heat.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Scalp acupuncture

Perimenopause and menopause

Western The transition as ovarian hormones fall, with irregular cycles, hot flashes, sleep and mood changes, ending in the last period.

Classical 水 Tian Gui winding down as Kidney yin and yang decline, so the Heart and Kidney lose their balance.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Scalp acupuncture

Western The physical and emotional recovery after birth: bleeding, tissue repair, sleep loss, feeding, hormonal shifts and mood.

Classical 土 Birth spends a great deal of qi and blood; recovery means rebuilding them and moving anything left behind.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Moxibustion

Recurrent pregnancy loss

Western Two or more pregnancy losses; testing may find a cause, but often it does not, which is hard in its own way.

Classical 水 Read as the Kidney and the Chong and Ren struggling to hold, from too little support or from heat.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Food as medicine

Low AMH and ovarian reserve

Western Fewer remaining eggs than expected for age, usually found through a low AMH, a high FSH or a low follicle count.

Classical 水 Kidney essence running low, with yin, yang or both depleted, and blood often too thin to nourish the uterus.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Moxibustion

Western Assisted reproduction, where eggs are stimulated, retrieved and fertilized in the lab, and an embryo is transferred to the uterus.

Classical 水 Each IVF phase asks something different of the body: building, then moving, then holding still.

Often with Acupuncture, Electro-acupuncture, Herbal medicine

Uterine fibroids

Western Non-cancerous growths of the uterine muscle, common in the reproductive years, often silent and sometimes causing heavy bleeding.

Classical 木 A fixed mass, 癥瘕, where qi and blood have stagnated over time, often with phlegm-damp or a weak Spleen.

Often with Herbal medicine, Acupuncture, Food as medicine

Hormone imbalance

Western A broad term for symptoms linked to shifts in estrogen, progesterone, thyroid or stress hormones, rather than one diagnosis.

Classical 木 The Liver, Spleen and Kidney falling out of rhythm, so heat, stagnation or depletion shows up through the cycle.

Often with Herbal medicine, Acupuncture, Functional medicine

Late pregnancy and labor preparation

Western Late pregnancy, from about 36 weeks, when the cervix prepares for labor and the baby settles into position.

Classical 水 Qi and blood gathering to fullness and then descending; delay is read as stagnation, depletion or tension.

Often with Acupuncture, Acupressure, Moxibustion

Western Low libido is a lasting drop in sexual desire, with causes that range from hormones and medication to stress and health.

Classical 水 Read through the fire of the Kidney, the free flow of Liver qi, and a Heart and Spleen that have enough blood to spare.

Often with Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Moxibustion

Recurrent urinary tract infections

Western Recurrent UTI means repeated bladder infections, usually defined as two in six months or three in a year.

Classical 水 Called lìn zhèng: damp-heat in the Bladder during a flare, on a base of Spleen and Kidney too weak to move fluids well.

Often with Herbal medicine, Acupuncture, Moxibustion