Acupuncture and Endometriosis
How Acupuncture Works to Heal Pain
Acupuncture works to heal endometriosis by reducing inflammation, regulating hormones, increasing circulation, and reducing pain (1).
I have helped many women with endometriosis through acupuncture and herbs. Research studies have shown that acupuncture is effective at relieving pain from endometriosis (2).
In acupuncture, we say that acupuncture improves endometriosis by addressing underlying imbalances in the body. When you correct the underlying imbalance you can see long-term improvement.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a disease in which tissues from inside the uterus, endometrial tissue, grows outside the uterus.
The endometrial tissues usually grow on the ovaries, the lining of the pelvis, or fallopian tubes, but sometimes the tissue can also grow in other places such as on the GI tract. This leads to pain during and before periods, often very severe, excessive bleeding, and it can also be a cause of infertility
Imbalances causing Endometriosis
In acupuncture, imbalances causing endometriosis are from Qi and blood stagnation as well as cold in the uterus.
Normally, the qi and blood circulate freely in the body. Illness, injury, stress, trauma can all cause the circulation of qi and blood to slow down and become stagnated. This can also lead to the development of cold.
Acupuncture treatment will move the stagnation and warm the cold which is causing pain.
We may use acupuncture points for endometriosis on the abdomen, lower back, legs, and arms. Sometimes I may use electro acupuncture for enhanced pain relief. I will also use a special infrared lamp called a TDP lamp which is very comforting and healing.
How does Acupuncture Help Endometriosis?
Acupuncture heals endometriosis on many levels. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce stimulating the body’s natural pain relievers in the nervous system. Acupuncture can also reduce circulating levels of estrogen and has been shown to reduce inflammation (1).
One of the great things about acupuncture is that it works on both the mind and body. Because it is holistic, it not only relieves pain, but acupuncture also helps to boost fertility, improve digestion, and relieve stress among other good “side effects.”
What is Acupuncture Like?
Acupuncture is very comfortable and relaxing. Patients will feel very calm and relaxed after the treatment.
We will first review your health concerns and whole medical history. Because acupuncture is holistic, we are not only interested in menstrual history, but also digestion, stress levels, sleeping, and other aspects of your wellness.
We also take your pulse and look at your tongue to diagnose the specific imbalance causing the pain and discomfort.
The treatment itself lasts about 30 minutes. The acupuncture points are selected to address your specific imbalance. Spleen 6 on the lower leg is often used for moving blood stagnation.
Electroacupuncture can be used to enhance the pain-relieving aspect and has been shown also to help in balancing hormones (3–4).
The acupuncture TDP lamp is warm and comforting which helps to relieve pain and move stagnation.
Each treatment course is individualized to each patient. In the beginning, you should expect to come in once a week for 2-3 months and then we’ll assess to see your progress.
Some women will also take Chinese herbal medicine which also has a profound effect on treating endometriosis (5).
