Acupuncture and Endometriosis

Endometriosis has been in the news more and more lately, since celebrities including Lena Dunham, Julianne Hough and Padma Lakshmi are speaking out as both patients and advocates of the awareness of the disease.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “Endometriosis is a problem affecting a woman's uterus—the place where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. Endometriosis is when the kind of tissue that normally lines the uterus grows somewhere else. It can grow on the ovaries, behind the uterus, on the bowels, or on the bladder. Rarely, it grows in other parts of the body.”

The painful and potentially debilitating disease can cause, “pain, infertility, and very heavy periods. The pain is usually in the abdomen, lower back, or pelvic areas. Some women have no symptoms at all, and having trouble getting pregnant may be the first sign they have endometriosis.”

Thankfully, acupuncture might be able to help!

Helpful for both chronic pain and other conditions, a recent article from Health CMI entitled “Acupuncture Beats Drug for Endometriosis Relief” explains that researchers have found that acupuncture is more effective than hormone drug  replacement therapy in treating endometriosis and its symptoms.

In the study, “Researchers at Tongji University hospital compared acupuncture with standard drug therapy. Patients receiving acupuncture achieved a 92.0% total effective rate. Patients receiving mifepristone achieved a 52.0% total effective rate.” Essentially acupuncture worked better at reducing pain levels as reported by the patients. 

The study outlined the following acupoints as being the locations of interest: CV6 (Quihai), CV4 (Guanyuan), CV3 (Zhongji), Zigong (Extra), SP10 (Xuehai), SP6 (Sanyinjiao), LV2 (Xingjian) and LV3 (taichong.)

If you are currently being treated for endometriosis, acupuncture is certainly work considering in regard to a pain management plan. It can help to reduce the intensity of pain and cramps, as well as promoting a better sense of overall wellbeing.

Got PMS? Try Acupuncture

Many women know it all too well: the cyclical bloating, breakouts, cravings and yes, mood swings that strike right around the time your monthly period is due. Pre-Menstrual Syndrome, or PMS for short, is a series of symptoms women feel due to the strong hormone fluctuations they experience with their menses.

According to the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, “Several million women report painful periods, cramps, and PMS that can disrupt life for 7-10 days each month,” with common symptoms include and ranging from bloating, headache, acne, and irritability or severe mood swings.

To help ease these symptoms, a healthful diet, exercise, medicinal herbs, and acupuncture are recommended as they, “can all be used to better regulate these hormonal fluctuations.”

As a form of natural relief, the article explains that, “Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) analyze the flow of energy, or qi, and blood in each patient as a means of identifying imbalances that are to blame for their diseases or medical conditions. Cramping associated with the menstrual cycle or menopause is often due to the stagnation of qi.” Additionally, a deficiency in quality qi or blood flow can also lead to chronic pain.

The most common acupuncture point for PMS is along the liver meridian, or Liver Qi, which is believed to be integral to the overall flow of energy, life force, through the body. By stimulating this point, stagnant blood can be combated, which can ultimately lead to pain relief and restoration of balance.  

The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine states, “While the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has no official stance on the efficacy of acupuncture on PMS, many of the professional members recognize that acupuncture helps to regulate our endorphins and other biochemistry.”

In other words, it quite literally can’t hurt to give acupuncture a try in an effort to help combat when PMS rears its ugly head.