Women's Health

Women's health is an area where TCM has particularly deep roots and where patient demand for integrative care is especially strong. From menstrual regulation to fertility, pregnancy to menopause, TCM offers a framework that treats the female body as a dynamic, cyclical system — a perspective that complements Western gynaecology's structural and hormonal focus.

Menstrual Health

Western Approach

Western gynaecology evaluates menstrual disorders through hormonal testing (FSH, LH, oestrogen, progesterone, thyroid function), imaging (ultrasound, MRI), and sometimes endometrial biopsy. Conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids receive specific diagnoses. Treatments include hormonal contraceptives (to regulate cycles), NSAIDs (for pain), GnRH agonists (for endometriosis), and surgical options (laparoscopy, myomectomy).

TCM Approach

TCM has an exceptionally detailed framework for menstrual health, differentiating patterns based on cycle length, flow volume, blood colour and texture, pain characteristics, and associated symptoms. Key patterns include Blood stasis (clotted, painful periods), Blood deficiency (scanty, pale periods with fatigue), Qi stagnation (PMS, breast distension, irregular timing), and Kidney deficiency (declining fertility, amenorrhoea). Herbal formulas are often prescribed in cyclical protocols — different formulas for the follicular phase, ovulation, luteal phase, and menstruation — mirroring the hormonal shifts Western medicine measures with blood tests.

Fertility

Western Approach

Western reproductive medicine investigates fertility through semen analysis, ovulation tracking, tubal patency tests (HSG), and hormonal panels. Treatments escalate from ovulation induction (clomiphene, letrozole) to intrauterine insemination (IUI) to in vitro fertilisation (IVF). IVF success rates have improved significantly, but the process is physically and emotionally demanding, and success is far from guaranteed — live birth rates per cycle range from about 40% for women under 35 to under 10% for women over 42.

TCM Approach

TCM views fertility as a reflection of Kidney essence (Jing), Blood nourishment, and Liver Qi flow. Treatment aims to create optimal conditions for conception by warming the uterus (for Cold patterns), nourishing Blood and Yin (for deficiency patterns), and moving stagnation (for blockage patterns). Acupuncture for fertility has been the subject of intense research — a landmark 2002 study by Paulus et al. found that acupuncture performed before and after embryo transfer significantly improved IVF pregnancy rates. Subsequent studies have produced mixed results, but several meta-analyses suggest a modest positive effect, particularly on clinical pregnancy rates.

Pregnancy and Postpartum

Western Approach

Prenatal care includes scheduled ultrasounds, blood tests, glucose tolerance testing, and monitoring for pre-eclampsia. Labour management includes epidural anaesthesia, oxytocin induction, and Caesarean section when indicated. Postpartum care focuses on physical recovery, screening for postpartum depression, and breastfeeding support.

TCM Approach

TCM offers treatments during pregnancy that are considered safe when administered by qualified practitioners — acupuncture for morning sickness (similar PC6 protocols used for chemotherapy nausea), moxibustion at BL67 (Zhiyin) for breech presentation (supported by several studies showing increased cephalic version rates), and specific herbal formulas to support gestation. Postpartum care in TCM tradition is extensive: the practice of "sitting the month" (zuo yuezi) involves dietary therapy (warm, Blood-nourishing foods), rest, herbal formulas to restore Qi and Blood, and avoidance of cold exposure — a structured recovery protocol that many Western practitioners now acknowledge has merit.

Menopause

Western Approach

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, vaginal dryness, bone loss). After the 2002 WHI study raised cardiovascular and breast cancer concerns, HRT use dropped dramatically. More recent research has refined the risk picture: for women under 60 starting HRT within 10 years of menopause onset, benefits generally outweigh risks. Non-hormonal options include SSRIs/SNRIs for hot flushes and bisphosphonates for osteoporosis.

TCM Approach

TCM frames menopause as a natural decline in Kidney Yin and Jing — not a disease but a transition requiring support. Hot flushes are typically attributed to Yin deficiency with deficiency heat. Classic formulas like Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Six Ingredient Rehmannia Pill) nourish Kidney Yin. Er Xian Tang warms Kidney Yang while clearing deficiency heat. Acupuncture has shown moderate benefit for hot flush frequency and severity in several RCTs, offering an option for women who cannot or prefer not to use HRT.