How Do You Treat Menstrual Cramps in Your Practice?

Apatient presents with severe menstrual cramps, and all I have is three needles. How am I going to treat her? What is my acupuncture diagnosis? Using the strategy of The Four Magic Meridians as taught by Richard Te-Fu Tan, OMD, LAc, where am I going to place these three needles?

Unlike Zang-Fu diagnosis, acupuncture diagnosis asks: (1) “What meridian(s) is/are unbalanced?”; (2) “What healthy meridian(s) balance(s) the ‘sick’ meridian(s)?”; and (3) “What strategy can solve the problem?” ¹

In the present case, the woman's symptoms present in the lower midline abdomen. The involved organ is the Uterus. The meridians that cross the lower abdomen in this area are Ren (Conception), KI (KID or Kidney), and ST (Stomach). The balancing meridians according to the seven systems of meridians balance are Sharing, Branching Channels (Bie-Jing), Internal/External (Biao Li), Chinese Clock Opposites, Chinese Clock Neighbors, and the Sick Meridian itself, according to the Ba Gua (Table 1).

In Table 1, note that the “sick” meridians, KID and ST are balanced by the common meridians, PC and LI. Recalling that these meridians cross the length of the torso from groin–perineum to sternal notch–shoulders, these four meridians can be used to treat any problems in the midline–paramedical line from the neck to the genitals. Thus Dr. Tan has designated this four-meridian combination, The Four Magic Meridians.

Using Dr. Tan's Acupuncture 1,2,3 approach, ¹ once having identified the meridian(s) that need(s) balancing and the meridian(s), treating it is necessary to decide if the strategy will be focal or global. In the present case of the patient with menstrual cramps, even if she has some systemic symptoms, such as sweating, pallor, or headache, the problem is focal—in the Uterus. Dr. Tan's philosophy is “if the problem is local, keep it focal.” ¹ If we were to do a global balance treatment, the power of the treatment might be defused. Thus, we must design or “image” the treatment in such a way as to treat the Uterus. An added advantage is that the patient does not need to undress. How does one do that?

Auricular acupuncture is based on the theory that the body can be imaged on the ear. The same theory holds for such treatments as Korean Hand Acupuncture. One can use direct mirror imaging, limb on limb, or shoulder–hand to shoulder–hand, or reverse the mirror, imaging foot to hip. Other ways to image include torso to limb, head to limb, or shrinking the image such as head to hand.

In the present case, if I use the image of the torso to the upper limb with the shoulder representing the neck and the tips of the fingers representing the genitals, the umbilicus would be at the elbow crease and the uterus would be imaged in the palm just about 1 cun distal to PC 7 in an area the size of a quarter. Let's call the center of the Uterus point PC 7.5. Palpating for Ashi points in this area, I would place my three needles in PC 7.5 Ashi and to the ulnar side and radial side in the points Mu Guan and Gu Guan Ashi. ² Using strong stimulation if the cramps are severe should relieve this patient's pain in a matter of minutes. This is the power of Balance Method Acupuncture and Dr. Tan's Four Magic Points. “Li Gan Jian Ying” or “stand a pole under the sun and you should immediately see its shadow.” ¹