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Many women experience pain during menstruation. Why is that and what can be done to alleviate this pain? If we look at this from the holistic lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we see that Qi (energy or lifeforce) is either deficient or in excess. This can be correlated to Yin or Yang. Yin is water and Yang is fire. Balancing these elements is key to keeping the body in harmony.
Excess Qi which means a stagnation of Qi/blood or an accumulation of cold symptoms are:
Menstrual cramping and pain (sharp pain)
Heavy and dark/red-coloured flow with blood clots
Dark urine
Thirst
Constipation
Dark/red tongue colour
Qigong Exercise for Excess: Throwing the Trash from 8 Trigram (breathing in from the nose out from the mouth)
We expel air out of our mouth on the exhale as we bring our arms and heels down. Thereby removing excess Qi and with heel drop, expelling toxic Qi which irrigates the nervous system and helps to regulate PMS.
Whereas Deficient Qi means the body lacks cooling. Some women may experience anxiety, become irritable or have migraine headaches. The symptoms for Deficient Qi are:
Menstrual cramping and pain (dull pain)
Scant and dark coloured flow with blood clots
Cold body
Bloating
Fatigue
Pale tongue colour
Qigong Exercise for Deficiency: Spiral Palm from 8 Trigrams (breathing in and out of the nose)
As we spiral our arm up the center line we inhale. When we reach the top of the head we exhale moving the arm and palm behind us. When it reaches shoulder level (behind us), while our eyes are following our palm, we INHALE from here into our Lower Dan Tien, we gather maximum energy into LD. This combats fatigue and energizes the body.
Ways to relieve Menstrual Pain by applying pressure on acupressure points:
LI 4 Valley of harmony or Union Valley point located on the squidgy part between the thumb and forefinger.
With index finger and thumb apply pressure. Stimulating this point helps to reduce stress, aches in the body, headaches and neck pain. It can also induce labor so avoid this point if you are pregnant. Massage the pressure point for 4-5 seconds taking slow deep breaths.
LI 3 Great Surge Point
LI 3 (Liver3) Great Surge point located between Big toe and Second toe. Find this point by moving your finger straight down from between your first two toes. Apply firm, deep pressure to that point sore for 4-5 seconds. This point promotes flow of Qi and blood, PMS, Breast tenderness, painful periods, irritability, insomnia and anger.
This point is another powerhouse like LI 4 and they are often used together for an extra calming effect and to reduce anxiety and stress. It can be used for PMS, irritability, painful periods, breast tenderness and absent periods.