What is Cold Womb Syndrome – are you suffering from it?

If you are trying to conceive, or if you have bad menstrual cramps, you may have heard of the term “Cold Womb Syndrome”, but what is it all about?

Cold Womb Syndrome (CWS), also known as Gong Han (宫寒), is an issue affecting the female reproductive system where a lack of yang energy (yang deficiency) in the body causes a reduction in blood circulation to the womb, depriving the womb of the necessary nutrients and hence resulting it to be more cold. While one can be born with yang deficiency, this body condition is largely impacted by our lifestyle habits, i.e. taking in excessive cold raw food and salads, constant exposure to cold etc. It can affect women of all ages and can be a cause of concern for women who are trying to conceive.

 

 

From a biomedical standpoint, having a cold womb means that the uterine lining is not responsive to progesterone, a warming hormone that not only helps raise our basal body temperature, it also helps the uterus lining develop post ovulation and during pregnancy. Providing a warm environment for the uterus is essential as it can increase the chances of ovulation and also ensure that the blood flow to the uterus is optimal for pregnancy.

 

How can you achieve a warm womb (cold womb treatment)?

TCM focuses on a holistic approach when treating different conditions such as cold womb syndrome. It involves taking herbal prescriptions and therapies to help warm the womb and improve blood circulation, lifestyle and dietary changes to help restore the yang in the body.

 

 

You might also like to try these recipes to help achieve a warm womb:

1) Old ginger and black sugar tea

Function: Warm the Spleen and Stomach and help in overall Qi circulation

Ingredients: 2-3 slices of old ginger, 1L water, brown sugar (to taste)

Preparation: Cook old ginger in 1L of water for 15-20 minutes, add moderate amounts of brown sugar to taste and drink throughout the day.

2) Eight Treasures soup (八珍汤)

Function: Nourish the Qi and Blood in the body, providing the warmth the body needs

Ingredients: Dang Shen (党参) 10g, Bai Zhu (生白术) 10g, Fu Ling (茯苓) 15g, Sheng Gan Cao (生甘草) 6g, Dang Gui (当归) 10g, Shou Di Huang (熟地黄) 10g, Chuan Xiong (川芎) 6g, Bai Shao (白芍) 10g.

Alternatively, you can get ready-packed soup packs from nearby supermarkets or TCM halls

Preparation: Soak herbs for 20 minutes, after which, add water, 3 slices of ginger, 5-10 red dates and pork ribs and bring to a boil. Boil the soup under slow fire for 1-2 hours. Serve warm. Good for around 4 servings.

Your healing is the most important!

In the clinic, physicians use a combination of TCM x Tech enhanced therapies to help patients feel better and to treat the cold from within. A combination of TCM treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medication aim to warm the body (yang qi), channel more blood flow to the uterus to increase the chances of pregnancy and reduce menstrual discomfort.

Though the symptoms for Cold Womb Syndrome can be subtle for some, it is important to care for your uterus from young even if there are no baby-making plans at the moment. Consult our physicians to learn how you can treat the root cause with TCM.

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This article is written by Physician Julie Low  (Oriental Remedies Group, Singapore), a registered TCM physician certified by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board (TCMPB).