I have worked with many women suffering from painful periods. The stabbing pain (hypochondrial, abdominal, etc) felt either before, during, or after is a clear indication of Blood stagnation. This can be verified by noting the addition of a couple of the following symptoms: dark-colored menstrual Blood, dark-clotted Blood, purple nails, purple lips, purple tongue, dark sublingual veins, and a wiry, choppy pulse.

In TCM to alleviate the pain, we would use herbs to move Blood along w/other herbs in an appropriate formula. (Please consult a qualified herbalist).

One food that has an affinity for the uterus and moves Blood is eggplant.

TCM

Taste: Sweet
Temperature: Slightly cold
Direction: Downward
Organs: Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen

Moves Blood, relieves pain, clears Heat, cools Blood, reduces swelling, activates Qi and Blood in the Lower Burner

Nutrition Note:

Vitamin C, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, alkaloids
Contains vitamin P which can prevent hardening of Blood vessels
Contains solanine in its skin which is a calcium inhibitor and may also aggravate arthritis

How to enjoy: steam, roast, grill, stew, make dip, juice or wine infusion

Benefits Uses:

🍆Abdominal pain

🍆Stomatitis: bake peel from fresh eggplant until v dark on outside but inside intact; mix w/honey chew like gum

🍆 Promotes urination: dehydrate and grind into a powder ¼ tsp

🍆 Painful urination

🍆 Blood in urine

🍆 Snakebites

🍆 Bee stings - use raw, slice open rub on the affected area

🍆 Diarrhea

🍆 Treats dysentery

🍆 Assists bowel motions

🍆 Hypertension

🍆 Skin ulcers

🍆 Skin eruptions: dehydrate and grind into a powder, mix w/sesame oil for external application

🍆 Canker sores

🍆 Toothache

🍆 Chronic cough: boil white eggplant in water and drink the soup w/honey

🍆 Mastitis

🍆 Carbuncles

🍆 Jaundice-type hepatitis: eat with rice for several days

🍆 Bloody stools due to Heat in Blood: steamed eggplant

🍆 Bloody stools due to Hemorrhoids: eggplant leaves boiled in water, drink water

🍆 Bloody stools due to Intestinal Wind: eggplant wine = toasted eggplants soaked in wine

🍆 Bleeding Hemorrhoids or difficult stools: steamed eggplant

🍆 Treating corns (clavus): raw juice topically

🍆 PID, ovarian cysts, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, uterine myomas

🍆 Chronic venereal infections

Special notes:

Due to its cold energy it stops Bleeding as well, it is therefore considered obstructive to some extent.
Overconsumption may harm the uterus because it moves Qi and Blood without tonification
Please avoid if you are sensitive to nightshades
Avoid in cold patterns

Simple Baba Ganoush recipe

1 medium eggplant
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup tahini
Clove or 2 of garlic - crushed and minced
1 Tbs olive oil
¼ cup fresh parsley
Turn the oven to 400 F.
Make several piercings with a knife and place in a shallow baking dish.
Tent with foil for about 45 minutes until tender.
Peel and discard skin taking care not to burn yourself.
Put the eggplant in a food processor to puree.
Add in the lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and parsley to just blend.
Place in a dish to serve. I like this at room temperature.

Other ingredients: tahini is cool (roasted seeds are warmer) and nourishes Blood, parsley is warm and stimulates digestion, lemon is cold and expels Heat, olive oil is cooling and moistening.

“Always treat a bruise because a bruise can turn to Bad Blood (Blood Stagnation) and Bad Blood can turn to cancer” - Matt Wood

All Blood Movers enter the Liver and/or Heart channels - which makes sense - the Liver stores the Blood and the Heart pumps the Blood. Many also enter the Spleen channel which also makes sense, according to TCM the Spleen transforms food and drink into Blood and Qi (energy) and then transports it throughout the body. This is not to say that there aren’t other channels entered by different Blood moving herbs, as an example I included one that also enters the Lung and Large Intestine channels.

Mo Yao - Myrrh - Commiphora Molmol

A resin used internally and externally
Blood stasis affecting the uterus for uterine tumors, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, and abdominal masses with pain

Pain from trauma, strikes and blows, falls and injuries - used as a liniment in a hit or jow formula massaged into a bruise or sore muscle
Increases circulation throughout the body making it is useful for angina & joint pain
Promotes healing of chronic sores due to its ability to generate flesh
Additionally, an effective disinfectant, anti-inflammatory and astringent commonly used in cases of toothaches, gingivitis, bronchitis, and as a gargle for strep throat and laryngitis
Effective for leaky gut, colitis, ileitis, gastritis, and gastric ulcers

Here is an article on myrrh & frankincense. http://www.itmonline.org/arts/myrrh.htm They are often used in combination for their synergistic strength. Myrrh is a stronger Blood mover & breaks up Blood stasis whereas frankincense circulates Blood & is better at moving Qi

Chuan Xiong - Szechuan lovage root - Ligusticum wallichii

Blood mover in arguably the most popular TCM Blood tonic formula - Si Wu Tang
Invigorates Blood and promotes the movement of Qi for any Blood stasis pattern
Chest, flank and rib area pain
Important herb in gynecology used for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, difficult labor or retained lochia, and menstrual cramps
Its acrid flavor disperses both Qi stagnation and Wind in cases of spasms, headaches, dizziness, Bi syndrome, as well as skin disorders

Tao Ren - Peach Seed Kernel - Prunus persica

Toxic in doses of over 30 kernels for adults and 5-10 kernels for children
Breaks up Blood stasis and has an affinity for the lower pelvic cavity due to its bitter taste and heavy nature making it useful for menstrual disorders such as endometriosis, amenorrhea, and postpartum abdominal pain
Also enters the Lung and Large Intestine channels -with its moistening quality it is effective for constipation, moistening the skin, coughs, wheezing as well as Lung and Intestinal abscesses

As always before adding in any new herb speak with your Dr. or a qualified herbalist to make sure it is the right herb for you.