Introduction

Due to the many pressures faced by women, coupled with emotional distress and physical depletion from childbirth, various gynecological issues are often triggered.

Adults naturally do not recover as quickly as children. This is often closely related to an adult’s constitution, lifestyle, and diet. All the cases I have documented are drawn from real cases, without any embellishment. Some treatment cycles are longer, but this should be the objective clinical reality.

Because there are different degrees of deficiency, for those who are extremely deficient, with severe depletion of the body’s organs, expecting immediate recovery is unrealistic.

Patients need to have a sufficient understanding of their own constitution to have the patience to face the problem head-on and truly achieve good conditioning.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can achieve quick results, but the prerequisite is that the patient’s constitution is good.

When we look at articles or videos online, many claim to have very noticeable effects in a very short time. I do not deny the authenticity of these cases, but objectively speaking, such cases are in the minority. This is because people’s constitutions are generally deficient nowadays.

If you have a good constitution, you recover quickly from serious illnesses. If your constitution is poor, even minor illnesses take longer to heal. This is the common sense of the world.

When we seek medical treatment or conditioning, we should not treat body recovery as a myth. Do not let “it should have gotten better by now” become a “stumbling block” that hinders your continued recovery.

Of course, as a medical practitioner, I never forget to pursue continuous improvement in diagnostic and treatment techniques. I must not feel that I do not need to progress just because some diseases have long treatment courses.

I. Conditioning for Deficient Individuals Requires “Slow Cooking”: The 2-Year Recovery Journey of a 36-Year-Old Woman

36-year-old Xiaolin (pseudonym) suffered from blood and qi deficiency after a miscarriage in 2022, compounded by a long-term habit of consuming cold drinks. Starting in 2023, she experienced issues such as reduced menstrual flow and dark color. At the initial consultation, her tongue was pale with a white coating, and her pulse was deep and thin, indicating typical qi and blood deficiency with yang deficiency. TCM believes that miscarriage causes damage to the Chong and Ren meridians, and cold drinks directly affect the uterus, leading to blood stasis due to cold. Treatment requires warming and tonifying the spleen and kidneys with astragalus, cinnamon, and cuscuta, supplemented with millettia and goji berries to nourish and invigorate the blood.
[Initial Prescription] Astragalus 50g Stir-fried Atractylodes 15g Pinellia 15g Ginger Magnolia Bark 20g Poria 30g Wine-processed Peony Root 20g Millettia 30g Goji Berries 15g Cinnamon 5g Black Smooth Pieces xxg Salt-processed Psoralea 30g Salt-processed Cuscuta 30g 5 doses (details omitted)

Key Points of Conditioning:

1. ​Therapy Duration Linked to Constitution
   • The patient suffered from qi and blood deficiency due to miscarriage, exacerbated by a preference for cold drinks, which directly affected the uterus, causing poor blood circulation, hence the reduced and dark menstrual flow. Insufficient qi and blood cannot nourish the mind, leading to poor sleep; insufficient yin fluids cause dry mouth and thirst. Before menstruation, qi and blood flow to the uterus, but with already deficient qi and blood, coupled with extensive scraping therapy during that period, she felt more fatigued and lethargic.
   • Recovery from deficiency must follow the principle of “replenishing what is damaged,” as Professor Jiang Huizhong emphasized “tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence should be gradual.” After two months of decoction therapy, Xiaolin switched to a tonic paste for consolidation, reflecting the “slow tonification” approach.
     • For those with poor constitution like the patient in this case, colds or dietary mistakes (such as drinking cold water) can directly cause the treatment effect to fluctuate, requiring long-term follow-up.
2. ​The “Invisible Prescription” of Lifestyle
   • ​Avoidance: Cold drinks harm spleen yang, exacerbating insufficient blood and qi production, as noted on webpage 7 which states “avoid sweet and greasy foods for phlegm-damp type with reduced menstrual flow.”
   • ​Warmth: The triple burner is the channel for qi and blood, and cold invasion can block menstrual flow, requiring attention to keeping the waist, abdomen, and feet warm.
3. ​The Foundation of Doctor-Patient Trust
   • When the patient’s menstrual flow increased in August, it coincided with reaching the required dosage of the tonic paste; the reduction in September was due to non-compliance, confirming the viewpoint on webpage 5: “Fluctuations in effect are normal when the treatment course is not completed.”

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​II. Four Practical Strategies for TCM Conditioning of Reduced Menstrual Flow

​Syndrome Type	​Typical Symptoms	​Conditioning Plan	​Case Reference
​Qi and Blood Deficiency	Reduced flow + fatigue + dizziness	Astragalus + Angelica + Millettia to tonify qi and nourish blood, supplemented with long-term conditioning with tonic paste 15	Xiaolin’s case
​Kidney Yang Deficiency	Pale menstrual color + lower back pain + frequent night urination	Cuscuta + Morinda + Placenta to warm kidney yang, as on webpage 5 using deer antler slices to replenish essence and marrow	Webpage 5 case
​Blood Stasis and Phlegm Obstruction	Dark menstrual blood + clots + lower abdominal distension and pain	Peach kernel + Safflower + Cyperus to invigorate blood and resolve stasis, supplemented with Tongbao Tiaojing Compound (webpage 3 proven formula)	Webpage 3 case
​Spleen Deficiency with Dampness	Reduced flow + obesity + excessive leukorrhea	Atractylodes + Poria + Coix seed to strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness, as on webpage 7 with the three-bean porridge dietary therapy plan	Webpage 7 suggestion

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​III. Must-Read for Moms: 3 “Lazy” Home Remedies for Menstrual Conditioning

1. ​Dietary Therapy
   • ​Red Date and Longan Porridge: 5 red dates + 10g longan flesh + 100g japonica rice, to tonify qi and blood, calm the mind (suitable for blood deficiency type).
   • ​Stewed Cuttlefish with Chicken: 200g cuttlefish + 150g chicken + 15g goji berries, twice a week, to nourish the kidney and blood.
2. ​Acupressure
   • ​Sanyinjiao (3 inches above the inner ankle): Massage for 10 minutes daily to regulate the menstrual cycle.
   • ​Zu San Li (3 inches below the knee): Enhances spleen and stomach function, promoting qi and blood production.
3. ​Avoidance Guide
   • ❌ Hormone-based drugs: Effective in the short term but harmful to the liver and kidneys (as criticized on webpage 5 for the “blood-invigorating and blood-breaking method”).
   • ❌ Blind scraping: Scraping can worsen fatigue in those with deficient yang (as seen in Xiaolin’s initial consultation when scraping worsened symptoms).

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​IV. Must-Read for TCM Enthusiasts: 3 Cognitive Misconceptions in Treating Reduced Menstrual Flow

1. ​Misconception One: Reduced Menstrual Flow = Premature Aging
   • Truth: Reduced menstrual flow may be due to qi and blood deficiency or phlegm-damp obstruction, requiring differential diagnosis and treatment. As seen in the case on webpage 3, successful pregnancy was achieved after 3 months of conditioning.
2. ​Misconception Two: Minor Conditions Can Self-Heal
   • Truth: Modern women commonly suffer from “hidden deficiency,” as noted on webpage 5 which lists “miscarriage/night shifts/stress” as the three main causes, requiring proactive intervention.
3. ​Misconception Three: Winter is Not Suitable for Tonification
   • Truth: Winter is a time for nourishment and storage, suitable for taking tonic paste (as in Xiaolin’s case) or Angelica, Ginger, and Mutton Soup for warming tonification.

Qi and blood deficiency is not formed overnight, just like saving money, it cannot be accumulated all at once, and depletion does not happen instantly either.

The depletion of qi and blood is a gradual accumulation, so recovery can only be gradual as well. Do not rush to replenish everything at once. For example, some moms might be chronically fatigued, staying up late to care for children or work, have irregular diets, or suffer from emotional exhaustion, all of which can deplete qi and blood.

Thinking that a few doses of tonic medicine or a few meals of nourishing food can fully replenish qi and blood is unrealistic. Restoring qi and blood requires long-term adherence to a good lifestyle, such as proper conditioning plans, regular sleep, balanced diet, and a relaxed mood to see results.

Often, the condition itself is not difficult to treat, but if correct treatment is not persisted with, it can easily become a major problem.

Conditioning reduced menstrual flow often involves overall qi and blood deficiency, and you might also feel that other aspects of your health are not great. It’s a pity to give up if you don’t see immediate results.

Just like watering a plant, you cannot stop watering it just because it doesn’t bloom after the first watering. Persist with treatment according to the course, combined with healthy lifestyle habits, and the body will gradually improve.

Let’s talk more about this patient’s situation. There were two instances where her menstrual flow decreased again, which we need to pay attention to: In September, Xiaolin’s menstrual flow decreased, and she mentioned drinking cold water. The impact of cold water on the body is not small.

The body’s yang energy is like a small sun, maintaining normal bodily functions. Regularly drinking cold water can worsen yang deficiency, and with insufficient yang energy, qi and blood cannot circulate well or be generated properly. So, we must try to drink warm water daily, even in summer.

In February, her menstrual flow was reduced again due to a severe cold. For someone already deficient in qi and blood, a cold can indeed affect menstruation. Once cold invades the triple burner, it disrupts the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body. The triple burner is the channel for the movement of qi, blood, and fluids in the body. When cold invades, the channel is blocked, and qi and blood cannot nourish the body’s various parts properly, naturally affecting menstruation. So, friends, you must pay attention to keeping warm, strengthening your constitution, preventing colds, and protecting your qi and blood.

Learning Insights for TCM Enthusiasts

When conditioning menstrual disorders, it must be done according to the treatment course, especially at the first consultation. If the patient is severely deficient, two points must be emphasized:

1、Identify the previous causes of deficiency, whether it was due to childbirth or miscarriage? Was it long-term use of Western medicine or poor lifestyle habits? Was it emotional depression or family stress? If you don’t help the patient find their leaks and patch them in time, medication may never be effective. In the end, both the patient and the doctor will lose confidence.

2、Explain the treatment course in advance, do not make promises to the patient, because they must believe what you say, and if it is not fulfilled, the patient will immediately lose confidence.

Many current methods for conditioning reduced menstrual flow are quick fixes, either using hormones or blood-invigorating and blood-breaking methods.

This often worsens the patient’s already deficient qi and blood. It might seem to work immediately after taking the medicine, but the next month it’s abnormal again.

Or it fixes one problem but causes another.

Treating deficient individuals is like what is said in the “Tao Te Ching”: If you cook small fish.

It must be done with great care, nurturing the body’s foundation, gradually tonifying qi and blood, while reminding the patient to pay attention to daily dietary restrictions and health maintenance. This way of conditioning not only addresses menstruation but the whole person, and in the end, slow is actually fast.