How Chinese Medicine Supports You Through Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Hormone Replacement Therapy can be life-changing for women navigating perimenopause and menopause — easing hot flashes, anxiety, insomnia, weight changes, and that deep sense of “I just don’t feel like myself.”
But one thing I see over and over in clinic is this:
HRT is powerful… but it works best when the entire ecosystem of your body is supported.
That’s where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides an elegant, holistic framework.
TCM doesn’t treat hormones in isolation. It looks at the terrain — your Liver, Kidneys, digestion, stress response, sleep quality, emotional landscape, and how Qi and Blood are flowing through your body.
Below is how TCM elevates, stabilizes, and harmonizes your HRT experience.
1. TCM Strengthens the Organs That “Hold” Your Hormones
In Eastern medicine, hormones are not just chemicals — they are expressions of deeper systems.
Kidney Essence (Jing)
Your deep vitality, fertility, libido, bones, brain, and aging trajectory.
Perimenopause is, by definition, a decline in Kidney Yin and Kidney Essence.
Even bioidentical hormones can’t fully override this.
But TCM herbs + acupuncture replenish the Yin, fluids, and Essence so HRT lands better.
Liver Qi
Your Liver governs hormonal rhythm, mood, sleep, and detoxification.
If Liver Qi is stagnant (hello PMS, irritability, breast tenderness, poor sleep), even the best HRT can feel “off.”
Acupuncture smooths Liver Qi, reduces side effects, and makes your cycle or HRT dosing feel more stable.
Spleen + Digestion
Your Spleen creates Blood, and healthy Blood creates healthy hormones.
If you’re bloated, puffy, craving sugar, or feeling ungrounded, your Spleen is asking for support.
When digestion and Blood production improve, women metabolize HRT more efficiently and with fewer mood dips.
2. TCM Reduces HRT Side Effects (Naturally)
Many women stop HRT not because it doesn’t work — but because they don’t feel balanced.
Common complaints that TCM improves:
Breast tenderness
Water retention
Acne/oily skin
Mood swings
Anxiety or palpitations
Sleep issues
Bloating
Breakthrough bleeding
Weight gain
By correcting the underlying imbalance (Yin deficiency? Liver heat? Spleen dampness?), the same HRT can suddenly feel smoother, gentler, and more effective.
3. Acupuncture Regulates the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Ovarian (HPO) Axis
Even when you’re on replacement hormones, your brain is still monitoring, signaling, and adjusting.
Acupuncture has been shown to regulate:
FSH + LH
Cortisol
Thyroid activity
Sympathetic/parasympathetic balance
Inflammation
This means your body “accepts” the hormones more gracefully.
You get more benefit from a lower dose — with fewer fluctuations.
4. TCM Helps You Metabolize Estrogen Properly
This is the secret sauce that almost no one talks about.
Bioidentical hormones are fantastic — but you still need to metabolize them through safe detoxification pathways.
Where TCM + functional medicine overlap beautifully:
Strong Liver Qi → smoother Phase I detox
Strong Spleen → less estrogen recirculation
Healthy microbiome → lower β-glucuronidase
Lower inflammation → more stable estrogen signaling
This is where acupuncture, herbs, DIM, calcium-D-glucarate, magnesium, and fiber all weave together.
When detox pathways are smooth, HRT feels clean, stable, and grounded.
5. Functional Medicine Testing (Like the DUTCH Test) Complements TCM Perfectly
While TCM gives us the pattern, functional medicine testing gives us the data.
One of the most powerful tools here is the DUTCH Complete — my go-to test for women on (or considering) HRT.
What the DUTCH test shows that bloodwork can’t:
Estrogen metabolism pathways (2-OH, 4-OH, 16-OH)
Methylation status
Progesterone activation at tissue level
Testosterone + DHEA breakdown
Cortisol rhythm throughout the day
Melatonin output
Organic acid markers for B vitamins + oxidative stress
Why this matters for HRT
HRT isn’t just about adding hormones — it’s about how safely your body processes them.
If detox pathways are impaired, even bioidentical hormones can cause:
Breast tenderness
Mood swings
Weight gain
Insomnia
Anxiety
Bloating
PMS-type symptoms
Breakthrough bleeding
The DUTCH test helps us see exactly where the bottleneck is.
How TCM reinforces what we find on the DUTCH:
Sluggish estrogen metabolism → Liver Qi stagnation
Low methylation → Spleen Qi deficiency
Flat cortisol curve → Kidney Yin deficiency
High nighttime cortisol → Liver heat + nervous system dysregulation
Poor testosterone conversion → Kidney Yang deficiency
With this clarity, I create a precision-guided HRT plan using:
Herbal formulas
Acupuncture
Food therapy
Nervous system resetting
Sleep optimization
Targeted supplements
Breathwork + somatic tools
This marries the ancient wisdom of TCM with modern data — giving you the most personalized and effective HRT experience possible.
The Bottom Line
HRT is a powerful tool — but it’s not a standalone solution.
When we support the body’s foundations through TCM, optimize hormone pathways with the DUTCH test, and calm the nervous system, women feel:
✨ More stable
✨ More energized
✨ More themselves
✨ And more supported — body, mind, and spirit
This is the future of women’s hormone care: East meets West for the modern woman.
If You Can’t Work With Me One-on-One
I know not everyone can join me privately, and I always want women to have support.
If you’re looking for a structured, nourishing, evidence-based way to reset your hormones, digestion, liver pathways, and inflammation, the Clean Slate Program is the perfect place to start.
It includes:
A full 14-day food reset
Gut + liver support
Daily habits that regulate cortisol
TCM-inspired rituals
Group accountability
And simple, doable practices that make a huge difference in HRT outcomes
Women use it to prepare their bodies before starting HRT, or to stabilize their system once they’ve begun.
It’s affordable, accessible, and designed to meet you exactly where you are.
