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.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern?
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Sore back Sore legs Pale face Tiredness Cold limbs and nine other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), Deep (Chen), Tight (Jin)
Tongue color: Bluish-Purple, Pale
Pathology
Cold in the Uterus is a pattern of disharmony in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine views the human body as a complex system that tends toward harmony. A pattern of disharmony is a disorder that prevents that harmony from occurring.
Patterns give rise to symptoms that may at first glance seem unrelated from a Western standpoint but that actually make a lot of sense when one understands Chinese Medicine theory. For instance here Cold in the Uterus gives rise to such diverse symptoms as lower abdominal pain, pain relieved with heat, dark clots in menstrual blood and scanty periods (as well as ten others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Cold in the Uterus patients tend to exhibit choppy (Se), deep (Chen) or tight (Jin) pulses as well as a bluish-purple, pale tongue.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Cold in the Uterus is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as late menstruation or menstrual cramps.
Diagnosing Cold in the Uterus
Diagnosing a pattern in Chinese Medicine is no easy feat and should be left to professional practitioners. In particular one has to know how to differentiate between different types of pulses and tongue coatings, shapes and colors as well as learn to read from a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), deep (Chen) or tight (Jin)
Tongue color: Bluish-Purple, Pale
Main symptoms: Sore back Sore legs Pale face Tiredness Cold limbs Late period Scanty periods Painful period Feeling of cold Frequent urination Dark colored blood Lower abdominal pain Pain relieved with heat Dark clots in menstrual blood
Treating Cold in the Uterus
Herbal formulas used to treat Cold in the Uterus
Si Wu Tang
Source date: 846 AD
Number of ingredients: 4 herbs
Key actions: Restores and nourishes Blood. Stimulates Blood circulation.
Formula summary
Si Wu Tang is a 4-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 846 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that tonify Blood.
Besides Cold in the Uterus, Si Wu Tang is also used to treat Blood Deficiency or Blood Stagnation.
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.
Formula summary
Wen Jing Tang is a 12-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 220 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that invigorate Blood and dispel Blood Stagnation.
Besides Cold in the Uterus, Wen Jing Tang is also used to treat Cold in the Uterus or Qi And Blood Stagnation.
Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang
Source date: 1830 AD
Number of ingredients: 10 herbs
Key actions: Expels Cold and warm the menstruation Blood. Stops pain. Invigorates Blood. Dispels Blood stagnation.
Formula summary
Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang is a 10-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1830 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that invigorate Blood and dispel Blood Stagnation.
Besides Cold in the Uterus, Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang is also used to treat Blood Stagnation or Cold in the Uterus.
Special highlight: the link between menstrual cramps and Cold in the Uterus
Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi) is the key herb for Wen Jing Tang, a formula used for menstrual cramps caused by Cold in the Uterus
Typical symptoms for menstrual cramps caused by Cold in the Uterus: Sore back Sore legs Pale face Cold limbs Scanty periods Feeling of cold Frequent urination Lower abdominal pain Pain relieved with heat Dark clots in menstrual blood
Recommended herbal formulas: Wen Jing Tang, Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang, Wen Qi Hua Shi Tang
'Cold in the Uterus' is one the most common TCM patterns for women who suffer from dysmenorrhea. It can causes intense pain but can be largely relieved with the application of heat. Blood Stagnation often comes along as a consequence of this pattern because Cold obstructs the Uterus and thus impairs the flow of Blood.
If Cold in the Uterus is the main cause behind menstrual cramps, the menstrual blood is often red and the clots are typically dark and rather small or stringy. However, if Blood...Read more about menstrual cramps
Special highlight: the link between late menstruation and Cold in the Uterus
Cinnamon Twigs (Gui Zhi) is the key herb for Wen Jing Tang, a formula used for late menstruation caused by Cold in the Uterus
Typical symptoms for late menstruation caused by Cold in the Uterus: Tiredness Late period Scanty periods Painful period Feeling of cold Dark colored blood Lower abdominal pain Pain relieved with heat Dark clots in menstrual blood
Recommended herbal formulas: Wen Jing Tang, Da Ying Jian, Si Wu Tang, Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang
Blood can congeal due to Cold invasion. Then new Blood can not be created and the Directing (Ren Mai 任脉) and Penetrating (Chong Mai 冲脉) Vessels are empty. They fail to fill the Uterus and thus the periods consistently come after the expected time. Other typical symptoms are a feeling of cold, scanty periods with dark blood and clots and abdominal pain which can be relieved with Heat. There are two types of Cold in the Uterus pattern that can cause delayed menstruation: Full or Empty.
For the...Read more about late menstruation