Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when the endometrium — the tissue that lines the uterus — grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis typically involves the tissue lining the pelvis, ovaries, or fallopian tubes and rarely spreads beyond the pelvic organs and is often quite painful. The heavy bleeding, backache, severe cramping, and abdominal pain and swelling that often accompany endometriosis are very receptive to acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture restores flow to the blood and the Qi, thus, relieving the stagnation.
HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE TREAT ENDOMETRIOSIS?
According to current research, acupuncture seems to promote blood circulation and regulate hormones. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect and is effective for pain relief because of its effect on blood chemistry and in particular endorphin levels. Some research has even found acupuncture to be more effective than hormone drug therapy for the treatment of endometriosis, that is Acupuncture:
- Relieves menstrual pain due to endometriosis,
- Reduces the size of pelvic masses,
- Lowers CA125 levels, and
- Reduces the recurrence rate of endometriosis.
References
Liang, R., Li, P., Peng, X. et al. Efficacy of acupuncture on pelvic pain in patients with endometriosis: study protocol for a randomized, single-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled trial.
Xu Y, Zhao W, Li T, Zhao Y, Bu H, Song S. Effects of acupuncture for the treatment of endometriosis-related pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017;12(10).
Shen Q, Lu J. Clinical Observation of Acupuncture-moxibustion for Endometriosis J. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 2017, 36 (6).