Treating Endometriosis with Acupuncture

Studies suggest that Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, with an estimated 176 million women worldwide having the condition; however there is still a lot of questions surrounding the disease. With the 25th of March just gone which is The Worldwide Endo March, where approximately 200 million women and girls aim to raise awareness of Endometriosis and educate with a public march we are finally starting to see this condition being brought into the public eye.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is is a progressive, chronic condition where cells similar to those that line the uterus are found in other parts of the body. The lining layer is called the endometrium and this is the layer of tissue that is shed each month with menstruation (period) or where a pregnancy settles and grows.

Signs of Endometriosis?

Pain

• Pain immediately before and during a period

• Pain during or after sex

• Abdominal, back and/or pelvic pain

• Pain on going to the toilet, passing urine, opening bowels

• Ovulation pain, including pain in the thigh or leg (this can also happen normally in some women)

Bleeding

• Heavy bleeding, with or without clots

• Irregular bleeding, with or without a regular cycle

• Bleeding longer than normal

• Bleeding before a period is due

Bladder and bowel problems

• Bleeding from the bladder or bowel

• Change in pattern of bowel habit, such as constipation, diarrhoea

• The need to urinate more frequently or some other change from the normal habit

Bloating

• Increase abdominal bloating, with or without pain at the time of the period

• Tiredness or lack of energy, especially around the time of the period

• Mood changes, Anxiety and depression due to ongoing pain

• Reduced quality of life, taking days off work, study or school because of an inability to function normally, vagina and pelvic floor muscle spasm or tightening occurring.

Endometriosis according to Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, pain indicates some form of stagnation in your body’s qi or blood. The primary diagnosis therefore is Blood Stagnation and this is characterised by fixed, sharp and intense pain and often the presence of clotted blood.

Endometriosis affects women particularly in the pelvic area given the liver channel is sensitive to stress and is responsible for moving qi through the body. Initially, the qi becomes stuck long-term and then this affects blood, given blood will always follows where qi flows.

Far less invasive, risky or costly than drugs or surgery, acupuncture is a natural approach, without side effects. TCM does not require a surgical diagnosis of endometriosis to treat it effectively, because it does not differentiate endometriosis from other diseases with a similar presentation.

However, it does differentiate according to patterns of symptoms and signs that characterise an individual woman's disease. These patterns give clues as to the underlying imbalance, or root cause of the disease.

Can nutrition help with the treatment of Endometriosis?

Nutritional therapy is very important in the treatment of those with endometriosis. We can encourage the body to produce natural anti-inflammatory compounds with proper nutrition. Also, because endometriosis is estrogen-driven, we want to naturally decrease estrogen levels by supporting the liver, which is the organ responsible for detoxifying excess estrogen. This process is assisted by reducing intake of alcohol, sugar, caffeine and animal protein, increasing fresh fruits & vegetables, and high-fiber whole foods.

Call 5439 0094 today to speak about this further with our Acupuncturist, or alternatively book online here