Q My menstrual cramps are also severe. Can PMS and menstrual cramps be treated together?
A Yes, they can be treated together. PMS (luteal-phase stagnation) and menstrual cramps (blood stasis) often share the same root cause, so it is common to address both simultaneously with treatment that restores the circulation of qi and blood.
Detailed Answer
PMS is a worsening of qi stagnation (giulche) during the luteal phase, while menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) often arise from blood stasis (eohyeol) and obstructed qi and blood. Since both center on impaired circulation of qi and blood, it is effective to approach them together with treatment that soothes the Liver and regulates qi (sogan-igi) plus invigorates the blood (hwalhyeol). In fact, many people find that as menstrual cramps decrease, PMS eases along with them.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Prescriptions in the Hyeolbuchugeo-tang family address both qi stagnation and blood stasis at once, encompassing both menstrual cramps and PMS. We compose prescriptions to fit the luteal phase and the menstrual period while viewing the entire cycle, addressing both problems together.
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