Amenorrhea and TCM

After ruling out the possibility of pregnancy, PCOS and pituitary adenomas, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) will consider Qi (vital energy) deficiency, and/or Blood ​(yes, the red stuff in western medicine, but with more attributes - hence the capital B) deficiency as causes of amenorrhea. Because the Spleen (the capital letter denotes an energetic system and not the western medicine organ) in TCM is responsible for generating Qi and Blood, making sure that this organ system is working properly is of vital importance. Worrying is the emotion that tends to deplete the Qi of the Spleen, so someone that worries a lot could end up with Spleen Qi Deficiency. Other organ systems such as Kidney and Liver could also be involved. Another cause of amenorrhea seen in clinic quite often is Cold Uterus. While there are many ways someone could end up with the TCM diagnosis of Cold Uterus, It often happens to women who consume excessive amounts of cold food (ice cream, raw food, ice-cold drinks, etc.), live in cold places, or wear short shirts exposing their abdomen.

 

​