Natural Hormone Imbalance Treatment
By Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto | Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Wokingham
Hormonal imbalance is one of the defining health challenges for women at every stage of adult life — from the teenage years through to post-menopause. It affects mood, energy, weight, skin, sleep, libido, fertility, and the menstrual cycle. Conventional medicine offers hormone replacement and hormonal contraception as its primary tools, but these do not address the underlying causes of imbalance and are not appropriate or desired by all women. Traditional Chinese medicine offers a systematic, evidence-informed approach to diagnosing and treating the root patterns that produce hormonal disruption.
Why TCM Is Well Suited to Hormonal Imbalance
One of the fundamental strengths of TCM is that it treats the whole person rather than an isolated test result. A hormone panel gives valuable information, but it cannot tell you why oestrogen is high, why progesterone is low after ovulation, or why cortisol is disrupting your cycle. TCM assessment — through detailed history-taking, pulse diagnosis, and tongue examination — identifies the functional pattern behind the numbers and targets treatment accordingly. In my experience, this is why TCM often produces improvements across multiple symptoms simultaneously, including ones the patient had not even connected to their hormonal health.
The Most Common Patterns I Treat
Liver Qi Stagnation
This is the most prevalent pattern in women of reproductive age. It is produced by chronic stress, emotional suppression, irregular lifestyle, and overwork. Symptoms include PMS, breast tenderness, mood swings, irregular or delayed periods, clots, and irritability. The liver in TCM governs the smooth flow of qi and blood — when it stagnates, everything downstream is affected, including the menstrual cycle, hormonal clearance, and digestion. Treatment focuses on moving liver qi, and responds well to both acupuncture and herbal formulas based on Xiao Yao San.
Kidney Yin Deficiency
The kidneys in TCM are the foundation of all yin and yang in the body. Kidney yin deficiency — characterised by insufficient cooling, nourishing energy — produces symptoms including night sweats, hot flushes, dry skin and mucous membranes, restless sleep, anxiety, and scanty or irregular periods. It is the dominant pattern of the perimenopausal transition and is also seen in younger women with diminished ovarian reserve or a history of overwork and insufficient rest. Treatment involves nourishing kidney yin with herbs and acupuncture — formulas such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan are among the most widely used.
Kidney Yang Deficiency
Kidney yang deficiency reflects insufficient warmth and metabolic energy. Symptoms include cold extremities, low back ache, fatigue, frequent urination, low libido, and a short luteal phase. In fertility terms, it is associated with poor progesterone production after ovulation, implantation failure, and early pregnancy loss. Treatment uses warming, yang-tonifying herbs and moxibustion alongside acupuncture.
Spleen Qi Deficiency
The spleen governs digestion and the production of qi and blood from food. Spleen qi deficiency produces fatigue, bloating, poor appetite, loose stools, and a tendency towards weight gain — and contributes to blood deficiency and dampness, both of which affect hormonal balance. It frequently underpins insulin resistance and the damp-phlegm pattern associated with PCOS.
Treatment Approach
I see patients weekly initially, combining acupuncture with a bespoke Chinese herbal formula prescribed as pharmaceutical-grade granules from Sun Ten in Taiwan. The formula is reviewed and adjusted at each follow-up as the pattern shifts in response to treatment. Most women notice meaningful changes within two to three menstrual cycles — improvements in cycle regularity, premenstrual symptoms, energy, and sleep typically precede improvements in fertility markers. Hormone levels can be re-tested after a course of treatment to provide objective confirmation of progress.
Integrating TCM with Conventional Care
TCM does not need to be used instead of conventional hormonal treatment — it can be used alongside it. Many of my patients are also working with their GP or a reproductive endocrinologist, and I am experienced at supporting women through IVF protocols, hormonal investigations, and HRT. The key is ensuring that any herbal prescriptions are clinically appropriate alongside any medications being taken.
To discuss your hormonal health and how TCM can help, contact me or book a consultation at my clinic in Wokingham, Berkshire.
