Interpreting the signs and symptoms in pathology of the menstrual cycle to inform a more refined practice

How do nature’s rhythms, alongside life style and dietary influences, define hormonal health or pathology? What is normal menstruation? How do we define what is considered a ‘normal’ cycle and what constitutes ‘normal’ menstruation? An understanding of the intricacies of pathology can enhance our practice in profound ways. As acupuncturists we must learn to interrogate our patients effectively about their menstrual cycles. How do we elicit pertinent information to enable clear diagnosis in terms of the relative values of Qi and Blood throughout the cycle? Adopting confidence in questioning and developing the ability to analyse the signs and symptoms can assist in the deeper energetic understanding of the female patient as a whole. Valuable diagnostic information is available to practitioners if we learn to interpret the subtle changes that manifest, not only in pathology, but in the normal rhythms of the cycle. In this presentation Sarah will define the cycles in nature that influence the menstrual cycle and discuss how to analyse the signs and symptoms of pathology to enable the practitioner to provide refined treatments to enable good hormonal health.