Objective: To study the syndrome-differentiation and classification methods of women's climacteric syndrome with traditional Chinese medicine in order to improve the clinical curative effect.

Methods: 4l1 cases of climacteric syndrome were studied on the traditional treatment on the basis of the new opinion on the study of menopause set by the World's Health Organization. The author put forward that the treatment of women's climacteric syndrome should be postponed three years 1ater than the traditional treatment age, that will be 42-55 years old, and treating the disease should be according to the “Three Periods Curing Methods  "The Three Periods Curing Methods" was: (l) the omen period before menopause (42-55 years old), that is the blood deficiency sapping symptom of yin; (2) the menopause period (45 years old to the first year after menopause), including deficiency of the liver-yin and the kidney-yin (deficiency of yin and vital energy), hyperfunction of the liver-yang, heat-transformation due to liver-qi-Stagnation, breakdown of the normal physiological coordination between the heart and the kidney; (3) The later period after menopause (the second year after menopause to 55 years old), including: deficiency of the liver-yang (deficiency of vital energy and yang), deficiency of the spleen-yang and kidney-yang and deficiency of both the kidney-yin and the kidney- yang. Except using Chinese medicinal herb decoction and pills, the authors used the acupuncture, ear-acupuncture, external application of ointment, steeping and washing, medicated food, massage and qigong in combination in different periods, and has gained a good clinical efficiency.

Result: Since 1992, the authors have treated 232 patients according to the “Three Periods Curing Methods" The cure rate increased by l7.8%, the general effective rate increased by l5.4% and the period of treatment shortened 7.9 days, compared with the l79 patients treated before l99l according to the Two Types Curing Methods.

By Meng Guodong, Meng Yanrong, etc.