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The effect of Tokishakuyakusan, a Chinese herbal medicine, was examined, in vivo, in women with luteal insufficiency and in women with normal menstrual cycles. Luteal insufficiency was determined by daily measurement of basal body temperature and plasma progesterone levels. Tokishakuyakusan improved luteal insufficiency. Furthermore, the effects of Tokishakuyakusan on prolactin, gonadotropins, steroids, angiotensin II, ANP and renin levels in the blood of women with normal menstrual cycles were studied, as were the medicine's effects on estrogens, pregnenediol and LH in the urine of the same women. Tokishakuyakusan had no adverse effect on hormonal levels in either blood or urine. Furthermore, no clinical side effects were detected. These results suggest that Tokishakuyakusan improves luteal insufficiency in women but does not affect the hormonal levels of women with normal menstrual cycles.

Primary dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological complaint among young women that is related to an autonomic nervous system (ANS) disturbance. Acupuncture is one of several therapeutic approaches for primary dysmenorrhea, since it can modulate ANS function. The heart rate variability (HRV) parameters such as high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF) and LF/HF ratio are generally accepted tools to assess ANS activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture applied at Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points on HRV of women with primary dysmenorrhea during the late luteal phase. The experimental design was a crossover and patient-blinded procedure. All subjects participated in Sham (SA) and Real Acupuncture (RA) procedure, separated by one month, in a crossover sequence. The participants included 38 women (mean age 22.3 years; weight 53.8 kg; height 162.6 cm). HRV measurement was 15 min before and 15 min after an acupuncture procedure. The RA procedure was performed at two bilateral acupoints, but needles were inserted subcutaneously to the acupuncture points for the SA procedure. The RA induced a significant decrease in LF/HF ratio and a significant increase in the HF power, while SA treatment caused a significant increase only in the HF power. Manual acupuncture at bilateral acupoints of LI4 and SP6 may play a role in dysmenorrhea treatment with autonomic nervous system involvement.

There is no description of endometriosis in traditional medicine, but the symptoms of dysmenorrhea caused by this disease and its related etiology and pathogenesis are discussed in detail. Stagnation of phlegm and blood stasis is a common clinical cause, which is mostly caused by improper diet, emotional disorder, bad living habits such as staying up late, sitting for a long time, lack of exercise, invasion of external evils such as wind, cold and dampness into the human body, physical weakness, spleen loss of health and other visceral dysfunction. This paper introduces Prof. Wang Ling’s experience in treating endometriosis dysmenorrhea from “syndrome accumulation caused by phlegm and blood stasis”. Professor Wang Ling believes that the pathogenesis of dysmenorrhea due to endometriosis is “phlegm and blood stasis stagnate, but not be accumulated”, and “those with excess blood should be determined”. Adhering to the training of “those who are good at treating gynecological diseases, regulate their qi and break their blood, eliminate their food and eliminate their phlegm”, he puts forward the treatment of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, resolving phlegm and eliminating symptoms, and one of them cannot be neglected. A case is attached.