If you’ve been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)—or suspect you may have it—you’ve likely heard a standard explanation: PCOS is a hormone disorder linked to menstrual irregularities, weight gain, excess hair growth, and insulin resistance.
But here’s what many don’t realize:
PCOS exists on a spectrum, and it doesn’t always look the way you’ve been told.
At its core, PCOS is a condition of hormonal imbalance, and irregular menstrual cycles are the one symptom that most women with PCOS experience—regardless of their body type, metabolism, or other symptoms.
However, PCOS can present very differently from person to person. From a TCM perspective, one end of the spectrum there’s the “Damp” presentation—women who experience bloating, fluid retention, sugar cravings, and difficulty losing weight.
On the opposite end, there’s the “Dry” or Blood Deficient type—women who are thin, cold, and possibly struggle with low energy, dry skin, or hair thinning.
And many women fall somewhere in between. That’s why the conventional “one-size-fits-all” approach—like putting everyone on birth control or telling them to just “lose weight”—often fails to provide real relief. Or, sometimes this condition goes undiagnosed for years.
Here’s the secret…
Rather than focusing only on the label of PCOS, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks deeper to treat the root imbalance that’s driving your symptoms. When you address that imbalance, your symptoms—whether it’s irregular cycles, cyst formation, fatigue, or metabolic issues—naturally start to improve.
Here are 3 common TCM patterns we see in PCOS:
✅ Spleen Damp Accumulation – If you experience bloating, sluggish digestion, sugar cravings, and excess weight, you may fall on the “Damp” end of the spectrum. This pattern is often linked to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction.
✅ Liver Blood & Kidney Yin Deficiency – If your cycles are irregular or absent, and you experience symptoms like night sweats, insomnia, dry skin, or anxiety, your body may be lacking the nourishment it needs for proper hormone balance. Women with this pattern often fall on the thinner side, with signs of depletion rather than excess.
✅ Kidney Yang Deficiency – If you feel cold often, experience fatigue, or have trouble ovulating, your body may be lacking the warmth and energy it needs for proper hormone function. This pattern is often associated with anovulation and low progesterone.
Because PCOS presents so differently from person to person, your treatment should be just as individualized.
Our quick quiz will help you identify your dominant TCM hormone pattern and discover what’s really going on in your body so you can take the best steps for balance and healing.
Take our hormone imbalance quiz now >>
Your body isn’t broken—it just needs the right kind of support. Let’s uncover the answers together.
