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In Chinese, amenorrhea or absence of menstruation is called Bi Jing. Bi and Jing translate to ‘closed’ and ‘menstruation’ respectively. There are two kinds of amenorrhea:
1. Primary Amenorrhea – This relatively rare form of amenorrhea occurs when a woman who has reached 17 years of age has yet to experience a menstruation. Primary amenorrhea can be due to an eating disorder, a serious health condition, brain tumor, endocrine dysfunction, or an anatomical or genetic abnormality.
2. Secondary Amenorrhea – Can be diagnosed when a woman who has been experiencing normal menstrual cycles suddenly stopped having them for three months or more. Secondary amenorrhea can be due to anorexia or weight loss and irregular production of hormones in the uterus, ovaries, or the brain
Amenorrhea can also normally occur when a woman is pregnant or when she is breastfeeding. Her menstrual cycle resumes once her pregnancy and breastfeeding are over.
Secondary amenorrhea can be very effectively addressed using Chinese herbal medicine. But prior to the start of treatment, your practitioner first needs to rule out any serious condition or pregnancy in you. There are herbs designed to remedy amenorrhea but a lot of them are contraindicated for pregnant women, therefore, caution always needs to be taken when using these herbs.
Each women experience menses, pregnancy, delivery, and lactation in her own unique way. Blood, in Chinese medicine, is the basic element these functions all share in common. In Chinese medicine, there is a saying that goes like this: "For men, vital energy or Qi is the most important aspect of the body; for women, it is blood".
Amenorrhea can be caused several different factors. They include oral contraceptives, too much work, diet, hereditary weakness, too much exercise of physical work, and emotional stress.
According to Chinese medicine, the body has two main organs that play a role in the development of amenorrhea. They are the Kidneys and Liver.
The Kidneys are where Jing or essence resides. Jing is an indispensable and fundamental substance of life. It is inherited to the fetus by the parents during conception. The baby will be strong if the Jing is strong. The basis of a person’s mental and physical development, sexual function, maturation into adulthood, and goring old healthy is Jing. This essence also plays a major role in the formation of menstrual blood, which means that a woman may be unable to experience normal periods if her Jing is too weak. Jing can be beefed up by following a healthy lifestyle and diet.
The Liver is the organ system that calms the emotion and is where blood is stored. Therefore, when a woman has deficient Liver Blood, it means that she has not enough blood in her body that would allow her to menstruate. Usually, if a person has deficient blood, he or she also has deficient Qi. It is also Liver that makes it possible for Qi to circulate throughout the body. This organ system can be damaged by strong emotions such as sadness, anger, and stress, causing the flow of Qi to slow down and stagnate, and can interrupt a woman’s monthly cycle.
The supply of Qi and Blood can be built up with Chinese herbal medicine. This treatment can also help relieve stress and rebalance the hormones of a person. Since a woman’s body can return to a state of balance and health with the help of acupuncture and Chinese herbs, she may experience normal monthly periods once again.