Threatened abortion according to Chinese Medicine
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
Threatened abortion factsheet
Possible causes and remedies:
Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels
Symptoms: Infertility Late period Painful period and three other symptoms
Recommended formula: Wen Jing Tang
Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus
Symptoms: Cold limbs Late period Infertility and eleven other symptoms
Recommended formula: Wen Jing Tang
In Chinese Medicine, threatened abortion can be associated with two so-called "patterns of disharmony". Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted. It is not equivalent to the Western concept of "disease", as a matter of fact here threatened abortion can be caused by two different patterns.
To understand whether someone's threatened abortion might be caused by a given pattern, one needs to look for signs and symptoms associated with the pattern beyond what one might typically experience from threatened abortion alone. For instance when threatened abortion is caused by the pattern Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels, patients also experience symptoms such as painful period, cold in the lower abdomen, infertility and late period. Similarly, patients with Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels typically exhibit deep (Chen), slow (Chi) or tight (Jin) pulses as well as a bluish-purple, pale tongue.
We've listed below a description of the two patterns associated with threatened abortion so that you can start to get an understanding of the various possibilities according to Chinese Medicine.
Once identified, patterns are often treated using herbal formulas. Drinking herbal infusions is the most common remedy in Chinese Medicine, together with acupuncture. Here we detail below two formulas that can help treat the various patterns associated with threatened abortion, depending on which pattern fits your profile.
The two "patterns of disharmony" associated with threatened abortion
Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi) is the key herb for Wen Jing Tang, a formula used for Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels
Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels
Pulse type(s): Deep (Chen), Slow (Chi), Tight (Jin)
Tongue color: Bluish-Purple, Pale
Recommended herbal formula: Wen Jing Tang
Symptoms: Infertility Late period Painful period Cold in the lower abdomen Dark clots in menstrual blood Abdominal pain after childbirth
Threatened abortion might be due to Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as painful period, cold in the lower abdomen, infertility and late period. Similarly, patients with Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels typically exhibit deep (Chen), slow (Chi) or tight (Jin) pulses as well as a bluish-purple, pale tongue.
Read more about Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels here
Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi) is the key herb for Wen Jing Tang, a formula used for Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus
Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), Deep (Chen), Slow (Chi), Wiry (Xian)
Tongue color: Bluish-Purple
Recommended herbal formula: Wen Jing Tang
Symptoms: Cold limbs Late period Infertility Purple lips Painful period Feeling of cold Lochia retention Irregular menstruation Cold feeling in vagina Brown vaginal discharge White vaginal discharge Cold in the lower abdomen Dark clots in menstrual blood Abdominal pain after childbirth
Threatened abortion might be due to Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as late period, painful period, dark clots in menstrual blood and brown vaginal discharge. Similarly, patients with Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus typically exhibit choppy (Se), deep (Chen), slow (Chi) or wiry (Xian) pulses as well as a bluish-purple tongue.
The two herbal formulas that might help with threatened abortion
Wen Jing Tang
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 12 herbs
Key actions: Warms the Uterus and vessels. Nourishes Blood. Dispels Cold. Dispels Blood Stagnation.
Why might Wen Jing Tang help with threatened abortion?
Because it is a formula often recommended to help with the patterns Full Cold in the Directing and Penetraing Vessels and Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus which are sometimes associated with threatened abortion. If any of these patterns look like something you might suffer from, this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).
Xuan Fu Hua Tang
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 3 herbs
Key actions: Unblocks the Yang. Expands the chest. Removes and transforms Stagnation.
Why might Xuan Fu Hua Tang help with threatened abortion?
Because it is a formula often recommended to help treat , a pattern sometimes associated with threatened abortion. If it looks like you might suffer from , this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).
