In Chinese medicine there is no single word for hormones. Instead, we look at someone’s pattern – a group of symptoms that tell a story, that help us understand your tendencies and where your body needs the most support. This lens can be especially helpful if you’ve been told everything looks “normal,” yet you feel that something’s not quite right.
In Chinese medicine, there are five common patterns that describe hormonal symptoms. These are the five Hormone Types.
Often, one type stands out most clearly, though it’s common for a second to resonate as well. For each type, you’ll find practical ways to begin supporting your body at home, including simple nutrition and exercise guidance. I also highlight relevant Western hormone and nutrient associations, along with Chinese medicine treatment strategies.
While identifying your Hormone Type is a powerful place to begin, some health histories require more investigation. An in-depth consultation allows us to look more closely at your full picture and to create a more personalized approach—especially when symptoms are layered, longstanding, or don’t fit neatly into a single pattern.
Tired Type
Tired Types often feel exhausted even with plenty of sleep. You may run colder than others, notice low back or knee discomfort—especially around your period—and sometimes experience spotting before menstruation. You might also find yourself getting sick more often than those around you. Tired Types can have long menstrual cycles with late ovulation or short cycles with a short luteal phase. In Chinese medicine, this pattern is known as qi or yang deficiency.
Western Medicine Associations
From a Western medicine perspective, the Tired Type may have a sluggish thyroid, even if lab results appear normal. Progesterone—the dominant hormone in the second half of the menstrual cycle—can be low, and cortisol, commonly known as our “stress hormone,” is often reduced in this type. It is important to rule out anemia as well.
Lifestyle Support
- Nutrition: Eat warm, easy-to-digest foods such as soups and stews. Include kidney beans, lentils, and complex carbohydrates. Avoid very low-carb or keto diets that may deplete energy. Warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom can help support digestion and energy.
- Blood sugar balance: Keep meals and snacks consistent to prevent dips in energy.
- Exercise: Moderate, gentle movement is best. Short, intense workouts may drain energy, while daily walking, stretching, or yoga can be revitalizing.
Chinese Medicine Treatment
Chinese herbal formulas and acupuncture points are focused on strengthening the Spleen and Kidney meridians to boost qi and yang for an increased sense of vitality, greater immunity and a balanced menstrual cycle. Chinese herbs along with the Western herb chaste tree berry, or Vitex, can help raise progesterone levels if they are low.
Dry Type
Dry Types tend to have signs of dryness and heat in the body. You may notice dry skin or hair, vaginal dryness, and experience hot flashes or night sweats and light periods. You may notice little to no cervical mucus around ovulation. In Chinese medicine, this pattern reflects yin deficiency, meaning the body doesn’t have enough cooling fluids to balance heat in the body. Overextending yourself or “burning the candle at both ends” can contribute to dryness.
Western Medicine Associations
From a Western perspective, Dry Types may have low estrogen. This is common in perimenopause or menopause, but can also occur in younger years, and is important to understand if you’re trying to conceive. It’s also helpful to check for iron-deficiency anemia, as symptoms of low estrogen and anemia can overlap. Lab tests for estradiol, iron, ferritin, and a complete blood count (CBC) can clarify where symptoms are coming from.
Lifestyle Support
- Nutrition: Nourish yin with moistening foods like mung beans, pears, watermelon, leafy greens, and sardines and eat plenty of healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado and coconut oil. Add ground flaxseeds to smoothies or salads to help balance estrogen and nourish yin. For low iron, focus on blood-building foods such as dark meat, dark leafy vegetables, beans and lentils.
- Hydration: Reduce coffee, which is warming, and consider green tea, which is cooling. Add electrolytes to water to nourish fluids more effectively.
- Exercise: Focus on shorter bursts or aerobic exercise, and avoid regular use of saunas and hot yoga.
- Sleep: Prioritize sleep, aiming to go to bed by 10pm to deeply restore yin.
Chinese Medicine Treatment
Acupuncture and herbal formulas focus on the Liver, Kidney and Lung meridians to nourish yin and fluids, and to clear heat. Acupuncture and herbs can support estrogen, aid in healthy uterine lining and promote a regular cycle and sound sleep.
Stuck Type
The Stuck Type is easily affected by stress, often holding tension in the shoulders and the gut, and digestion may be worse with stress. You may experience PMS—like mood swings and breast tenderness—and have painful periods. From a Chinese medical perspective, the Stuck Type has poor circulation of qi and blood which makes you prone to obstructions. In the reproductive system obstructions present as fibroids, endometriosis or ovarian cysts.
Western Medicine Associations
Stuck Types may have elevated estrogen or erratic estrogen production, especially in the second half of the cycle. For those with irregular or absent cycles it is important to check the hormone prolactin. Cortisol, commonly known as our “stress hormone” may be high as well. It is not uncommon for all western labs to come back normal, and in this case acupuncture, herbal and lifestyle treatment can be extremely helpful.
Lifestyle Support
- Nutrition: Eat sprouts and lightly steamed or cooked cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower) to support liver function and estrogen balance. Reducing or cutting out coffee, even decaf, can be very helpful for PMS. Magnesium and a B-complex supplement can calm the nervous system and ease symptoms. Enjoy spices like turmeric, rosemary and thyme.
- Exercise: Keep moving. Exercise can help qi and blood circulation, reduce stress, and reduce PMS symptoms. You may be able to handle more vigorous exercise than other types but even some form of movement daily, like walking, is important.
- Stress-reduction: Find a way to manage stress that feels right for you. Maybe it’s yoga, maybe it’s more time with friends, or maybe it’s separating yourself from work and focusing on a hobby.
Chinese Medicine Treatment
According to Chinese medicine, the Liver organ system manages stress and blood circulation. When the Liver is overwhelmed by tension, qi and blood circulation is poor and the reproductive system is often affected. Acupuncture and herbs focused on the Liver can help to resolve PMS, painful periods and other gynecological conditions.
Pale Type
If you are a Pale Type, you tend to have a pale complexion and light periods, or you may rarely get your period at all. When you do have your period, it may wipe you out. You may notice hair loss, brittle nails and poor sleep. From the Chinese medicine perspective, the Pale Type is either undernourished or isn’t absorbing nutrients very well. The result is what we call blood deficiency which describes more the quality of the blood than the amount of blood. In Chinese medicine, good quality blood is needed to nourish the ovaries and the uterus and it calms the mind.
Western Medicine Associations
From a Western perspective, you may have iron deficiency anemia or not enough Vitamin B12. If you are a Pale Type you should also look at your estrogen as it may be low. Declining estrogen is common in perimenopausal women but women in their 20’s and 30’s can have low estrogen too.
Lifestyle Support
- Nutrition: You need more protein than others but your digestive fire may need a little help to assimilate the protein and its nutrients – try marinating meat or taking a digestive enzyme. Iron-rich foods such as blackstrap molasses, eggs, lentils, lean meats, organ meats and goji berries are enriching for the Pale Type. Avoid too many cold or raw foods at once. Warm foods, soups and stews are more easily digested.
- Blood sugar balance: Eat regular meals, avoid skipping meals or fasting.
- Exercise: Honor your need to rest, especially during your period. Movement is important but be careful not to overdo it. You want exercise to give you energy, not to deplete you.
Chinese Medicine Treatment
Acupuncture and herbal medicine focuses on building blood by nourishing the Liver, Spleen and Kidney organ systems. Healthy blood builds a thick uterine lining, increases vital energy, promotes healthy sleep patterns and emotional regulation.
Damp Type
If you are a Damp Type, you tend to hold onto water in your body. You may have a tendency to gain weight. Dampness is an accumulation of water or tissue and in the reproductive system this shows up as ovarian cysts, PCOS, yeast infections, vaginal discharge or mucus with the period. You might have fibroids or uterine polyps. Swollen breasts and bloating are common PMS symptoms. The immune system is often involved and you may experience chronic infections, allergies and asthma.
Western Medicine Associations
This hormone type often has too much estrogen and sometimes a sluggish thyroid. High insulin and cortisol may be contributing to stubborn weight gain around the middle. When blood sugar regulation is imbalanced, we may see testosterone rise too causing facial hair growth, acne and hair thinning.
Lifestyle Support
- Nutrition: Add pungent and bitter foods and spices like radish, ginger, cinnamon and dandelion to drain dampness. Eat plenty of lightly steamed or cooked cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and broccoli. Reduce or eliminate dairy. Drink green tea, a natural diuretic.
- Blood sugar balance: You may feel better on a lower carb and with some forms of fasting.
- Exercise: Keep moving to help fluid circulation in the body so that it doesn’t accumulate. Even gentle exercises like tai chi, stretching and yoga can be very supportive.
Chinese Medicine Treatment
The Spleen corresponds to the digestive system, the Kidney imparts digestive fire to the Spleen and helps to drain fluid, and the Lung is prone to holding dampness. Acupuncture and herbal medicine focused on these meridians can improve water metabolism and circulation to aid the immune system and bring gynecological conditions back into balance.
In my practice, I first want to understand your Hormone Type, your TCM pattern. From there, a detailed history will reveal your likely Western hormone picture. When needed, we can bring in hormone testing to bring your unique presentation into focus. Acupuncture, herbs, foundational nutrition, and targeted supplements are part of a personalized treatment plan. I most often work with people who are trying to conceive, those with cycle-related concerns, and anyone looking for a place to relax, recharge, and support their overall hormonal health.
