A lot of women between the ages of 25 – 35 suffer from a very painful condition known as endometriosis. This illness can result in many health-related problems. Some women prefer herbal medicine and acupuncture in treating endometriosis instead of using Western conventional forms of treatment. The treatment that will be provided will depend on the degree of severity of the symptoms and on the woman’s plans to have children in the future.

Endometriosis can also strike women at different stages of their life. The ovaries produce hormones once a month that increase the amount of cells of the uterine lining in preparation for potential egg fertilization. These cells are called endometrial cells and are meant to develop only within the uterus. But for some reason, they sometimes grow outside of the uterus resulting in endometriosis.

Endometriosis causes a great deal of pain for people suffering from them. It may also cause scarring on the area surrounding the pelvis and on the tubes, and ovaries. This condition may also bring about the occurrence of large cysts in the pelvis and cause chronic pelvic pain and infertility. Western medicine can offer a number of treatment options like drugs, hysterectomy, and surgery. Some women have no desire taking medications nor want undergo an invasive procedure such as surgery. Hysterectomy is not an option for women planning to have children in the future; therefore, they seek safer and effective natural alternatives such as acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine are frequently used alongside each other not only to treat the physical symptoms but the spiritual, mental, and emotional conditions, as well. For thousands of years, the Chinese have been using acupuncture for treating scores of diseases; in the US, this treatment has only been used since around the 1970s. Acupuncture is most commonly used for treatment of pain in the US.

In an acupuncture procedure, sterile tiny needles are stuck into specific points in the body based on the symptoms and constitution of the patient. The parts of the body where needles are commonly inserted include the stomach, wrists, ears, feet, legs, and back. The length of the treatment is based on how severe the condition is although it usually lasts around 20 – 40 minutes. According to Chinese medicine, acupuncture addresses endometriosis by boosting blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, balancing the hormones, and relieving pain by increasing the number of endorphins in the bloodstream.

One of the most important forms of medicine in the whole world is herbal medicine. Herbs can be used externally and internally to treat illness and bring back health. The methods used by herbal practitioners are based on the traditional use of a certain herb and in modern medicine breakthroughs. Treatment of endometriosis requires the use of several different plants such as dandelion, motherwort, wild yam, burdock, cramp bark, and horsetail. These herbs treat endometriosis in a natural way by bolstering the strength of the immune system and helping rebalance hormones.

As with most treatments and medicines, results from herbal and acupuncture treatments may take some time to manifest. When you’ve opted for herbal or acupuncture treatment, it’s important to note that these treatments should only be conducted under the careful supervision of a qualified and licensed herbalist or acupuncturist. If you’re suffering from endometriosis, herbal medicine and acupuncture can be a safer and much more effective alternative to drugs and surgery.

Endometriosis is quite a common problem and health authorities believe that it affects about 22 percent of women. This chronic condition can be found in 40 to 60 percent of women with dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation).

Endometriosis occurs when endometrial tissue (cells from the uterus lining) grows outside the uterus. The cells from the uterine lining can develop in the pelvic cavity, (on the bowels) as well as in in other parts of the body. These cells can be still affected by hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle as the cells in the uterus lining resulting in pain, inflammation, and bleeding.

Endometriosis can have very mild symptoms and sometimes it doesn’t produce any symptoms at all. Some women are not really aware that they have this condition at all. Other sufferers, however, experience mild to severe pain, heavy bleeding, painful sex, and fertility issues.

The approach used by Western medicine to treat endometriosis includes surgery (laparoscopy), hormone therapies like oral contraceptive pill combined with the use of NSAIDs and other painkillers. No real cure for endometriosis has yet been developed and Western medicine’s ways for managing the pain is usually inadequate.

Acupuncture and Endometriosis

A study done four years ago showed that that after receiving the first 10 acupuncture treatments, women suffering from endometriosis experienced a significant decrease in the severity of their pain. Older studies also reveal that Japanese style acupuncture can be a well-tolerated, safe, and effective complementary treatment for pelvic pain associated with endometriosis and that electro-acupuncture can effectively relieve dysmenorrhea induced by endometriosis.

In the treatment of dysmenorrhea, acupuncture has also been shown to be highly effective.

How does Acupuncture Treat Endometriosis?

Endometriosis from the perspective of Chinese Medicine is considered to be an issue related to Blood Stagnation along with certain connected pathologies (Qi deficiency, Cold, Heat, etc.).

The treatment focuses on the reduction of pain and Blood stagnation and regulating the menstrual cycle.

The treatment is usually tied to a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Other imbalances are also taken care of during the treatment as acupuncture is designed to treat the whole person. Each patient therefore, will receive a personalized plan of treatment.

As is typical with any acupuncture treatment, the duration of the treatment will depend on the symptoms shown, the constitution of the patient, and how well the patient responds to the treatment. For endometriosis, treatment is long term and typically lasts for at least three to nine months.