Posted by Kevin Rindal on Tue, Apr 05, 2011 @ 04:31 AM
Please note: This article is a reprint from AcuTake!
Slowly but surely, the weather is getting warmer. This means the start of training for many long-distance runners, a growing number of which are women.
The popularity of long-distance running among women brings with it many benefits, including stress reduction, weight maintenance and cardiovascular health. But with more and more women lining up to compete, menstrual irregularities have joined musculoskeletal injuries as common runners’ ailments.
Acupuncture is an ideal therapy for female distance runners, who are prone to menstrual irregularities. It regulates the cycle without the risks of oral contraceptives—mainstream medicine’s answer for just about any menstrual issue—and prevents future problems by addressing root imbalances.
Although it has a one-size-fits-all treatment approach, biomedicine differentiates at least in defining menstrual irregularities. There’s amenorrhea, which refers to the absence or cessation of menstrual periods. There’s metrorrhagia, bleeding between menstrual periods. There’s also oligomenorrhea, referring to periods that are infrequent or light, and its opposite, polymenorrhea, too-frequent menstruation.
Among long-distance runners, amenorrhea is the most common.
From an acupuncture perspective, the menstrual period is incredibly important. Acupuncturists ask detailed questions about the length and regularity of the cycle, PMS, blood color, clotting, spotting, mood changes, and other associated symptoms such as bloating and cramping. These questions are asked of all female patients, regardless of whether they are seeking acupuncture for a menstrual problem. In acupuncture theory, a woman’s period is a reflection of her overall state of health.
Amenorrhea can be caused by a number of different imbalances, but there are four that emerge commonly: Liver and Kidney Deficiency, Qi and Blood Deficiency, Qi and Blood Stagnation, or Stagnation of Damp Phlegm.
Diagnosis and treatment are determined according to the woman’s other symptoms. For example, a patient presenting with amenorrhea and dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue and poor appetite would probably fall into the Qi and Blood Deficiency category. A woman with amenorrhea who also complains of low back pain and tinnitus would be treated for Liver and Kidney Deficiency. Another style of acupuncture, Acupuncture Physical Medicine (APM), views amenorrhea as a disorder of the lower heater and Yang Ming (ventral) zone. The condition is categorized as a symptom of “Pelvic Collapse,” a pattern that has a tendency to develop in patients of opposing lifestyles—either too sedentary or too active. For the too sedentary, Pelvic Collapse occurs due to poor muscle tone and fatigue in the lower abdominal area. With little activity breathing life into these muscles, they become overly flaccid and eventually collapse, structurally and energetically.
On the flip side, and more common among distance runners, are women who exercise too much. When muscles in the lower heater become too rigid, they are unable to perform their natural functions in a smooth way. As a result, visceral function in the urinary and reproductive tracts can start to decline, causing a variety of lower heater symptoms, including amenorrhea.
Pelvic Collapse is addressed by needling opening points on the Chong Mai and Dai Mai extraordinary vessels (SP4+PC6 and GB41+TH5), followed by the three yin of the foot (SP6, KD3, LV3) plus lower heater regulatory points for the three leg yin (CV2, CV3, CV6). In addition, ashi or trigger points in the rectus abdominis, linea alba, lower external oblique, iliopsoas, and quadratus lumborum muscles are released as needed.
Long-distance running is an empowering activity that helps women manage stress, stay fit and feel vibrant. But menstrual irregularities, over time, can counteract these benefits. Acupuncture, which regulates the menstrual cycle from a perspective of long-term health rather than band-aid fixes, makes an ideal running partner.