Gynecology in Traditional Chinese Medicine - Vietnamese Edition

I. Menstrual Irregularities 1. Etiology: Overwork, emotional stress, excessive physical work, exposure to cold, too many children too close together, hereditary kidney weakness, surgery, etc. 2. Diagnosis must be based in a careful analysis of the cycle: Amount of bleeding color and density of blood, clots and smell, use of the contraceptive pill or IUD, the differentiation must be based in a careful discrimination of empty, full, cold or heat conditions. 3. Principles of treatment: Harmonizing qi and blood, tonifying the kidneys strengthening the spleen, harmonizing the liver. II. Early periods: Early periods are defined as periods that come consistently up to 9 days early so that the cycle is less than 28 days long. a. Etiology and pathology: Excessive physical work, irregular diet, overwork, menopausal decline of kidney-qi, Irregular diet, invasion of external heat, emotional stress, chronic illness, overwork, too many children, chronic bleeding. b. Differentiation and treatment: 1. Spleen-qi deficiency a. Clinical manifestations: Early period, pale and dilute menstrual blood, shortness of breath, loose stools, epigastric distension, tiredness, pale tongue and weak pulse. b. Treatment principles: Strengthen the spleen, tonify and raise qi, consolidate the penetrating vessel and contain blood. c. Prescription: Gui pi tang  Ren shen 12g, tonify and raise qi, Huang qi 15g, tonify and raise qi; Bai zhu 12g; Dang gui 6g, nourishes blood and enters the blood portion; Fu shen 9g, calm the mind; Suan zao ren 9g; Long yan rou 12g, tonify blood-calm---warm; Yuan zhi 9g; Muxiang 3g, move qi and is added to counteract and balance the cloying nature of qi and blood tonics; Zhi gan cao 4g, harmonize (calm mind); Sheng jiang 3 slices; Hong zao 5 dates, nourishes blood. d. Treatment with Acupuncture: 1. Method: The main points of the conception vessels, spleen, and stomach channels are selected to replenish qi so as to restore its functions in controlling blood. Acupuncture is applied with the reinforcing method. 2. Prescription: Qi Hai (REN-6), SanyinJiao (SP-6), Zhongwan (REN-12), Zusanli (ST-36). REN-6 (Qi hai): May regulate Qi of the entire body, strengthens the original qi. Treats abdominal pain, irregularity of menstruation, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea. SP-6 (SanyinJiao), Zhongwan (REN-12) and Zusanli (ST36) has been selected to build up spleen qi and regulates and tonifies the stomach and spleen qi. All the acupuncture points are applied together with the purpose of replenishing qi and control blood. 3. Location of the acupuncture points: • ST-36 (Zusanli) Below the knee, 3 cun inferior to Dubi ST-35, one fingerbreadth lateral to the anterior crest of the tibia • SP-6 (Sanyinjiao) on the medial side of the lower leg, 3 cun superior to the prominence of the medial malleolus • REN-6 (Qihai) On the midline of the lower abdomen, 1.5 cun inferior to the umbilicus and 3.5 cun superior to the pubic symphysis • REN-12 (Zhongwan) on the midline of abdomen, 4 cun above the umbilicus