Understanding Kidney Yang Deficiency in the Luteal Phase:
Issues with fertility and the menstrual cycle continue to grow in females today. Understanding the uniqueness of our hormones and the vital role they play is significant. Today, we will be talking about the second half of the cycle, called the luteal phase.
The luteal phase is described as the warming phase of our cycle or the yang phase. Yang is warming, expresses movement, and growth. When we are talking about Yang, we are talking about the hormone progesterone. In comparison, yin is estrogen and is dominant in the follicular phase. Issues in the yin phase will present with issues of ovulation. The progesterone comes from the corpus luteum in the luteal phase. This has the critical function of warming the body. If the temperature is not steady or if there is heat metabolism deficiency, it will lead to dysfunction of the cycle and potential miscarriage. Issues with yang in this phase can also lead to implantation difficulty.
Kidney yang deficiency may present with any of the following:
Lower BBT temperatures
Lower back pain with cycles
Low libido and motivation
Clots in blood
Lower body metabolism may lead to some weight gain
Fluids are not metabolized- can also be accompanied by spleen deficiency and dampness
Cold hands and feet
Diarrhea during menstrual flow
Miscarriage
Cold uterus
Shortened luteal cycle
What can you do for Kidney yang deficiency?
Food therapy is an easy and essential way to help improve the warming function of the body. Staying away from foods that have a cooling effect on body metabolism is important; keeping the abdomen warm is also a way to help keep the uterus warm.
Acupuncture and moxa can help tonify the kidney yang.
Herbal formulas that support kidney Yang and sometimes the Kidney yin or spleen yang are essential depending on the presentation.
By: Dr. Melissa Levy DACM, AP