If you’re suffering from fibroids and the symptoms that come with it (menstrual cramping, heavy menstrual bleeding, etc.), then perhaps you need to try the natural Chinese medicine treatments of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. They can reduce the size of your fibroids and eviscerate your symptoms.

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors that are also called myomas or uterine leiomyomas. Uterine fibroids are made up of connective tissue and smooth uterine muscles. This condition affects about 20 percent of women ages 35 years and over. In some women, uterine fibroids do not manifest any symptoms; in other women, they can cause signs and symptoms like pelvic pain or discomfort, painful sexual intercourse, backache (if there is compression in the nerves and muscles), urinary frequency (if there is compression in the bladder), constipation (if there is compression in the rectum), stomach bloating or discomfort, menstrual cramps, heavy menstrual bleeding, and other symptoms.

Fibroids may bring about infertility if they block entry into the uterus from the fallopian tubes or the uterine cavity.

Listed below are a few relevant information regarding the treatment of fibroids using traditional Chinese medicine modalities:

Acupuncture can lessen the size of the fibroid although it usually is more effective when it is used alongside Chinese herbs

If the fibroid is very small, it can be eliminated through a combination of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. The fibroid’s size should measure two to three centimeters in diameter (the size of a walnut) or even a bit larger.

Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture combined can alleviate symptoms such as menstrual cramping, heavy menses, etc., caused by the fibroids.

Dietary and lifestyle modifications can play an important role in the treatment of fibroids.

A combination of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can reduce the size of your fibroid a bit if you have a large fibroid, although the reduction will be not all that significant; the treatment, however, can prevent the fibroid from getting any bigger.

Uterine Fibroids According to Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to traditional Chinese medicine, fibroids are caused by blood stagnation (or blood stasis) in the uterus. What causes blood stasis, in turn, are factors such as qi stagnation (blood is moved by qi and so when qi is not moving, blood therefore, will not move as well); cold (cold coagulates blood and slows down its movement); and heat (heat dries up body fluids and thickens the blood, that in turn, causes blood stasis).

Also, people with weak digestion can have a deficient spleen-qi and may have a buildup of excess pathogenic fluids in their bodies. One of those pathogenic fluids is phlegm which may combine with stagnant blood that can form into a mass in the uterus. In traditional Chinese medicine, these underlying conditions are called “patterns” and in order to treat the disease, it is very important to differentiate these patterns.

It’s been earlier mentioned about the connection between fibroids and weak digestion (deficient spleen qi), and so, what and how you eat are quite important in the treatment of fibroids.

So far, no one knows what exactly causes uterine fibroids although it’s been proven that their growth can be attributed to estrogens, specifically estradiol. Researchers believe that estrogen dominance may be connected to stress hormones such as cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

Relationship between Fibroids and Stress from the Viewpoint of Traditional Chinese medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine, the smooth movement of qi within the body is controlled by the liver and therefore, the liver is always involved when this movement stagnates or slows down. Qi stagnation is usually caused by stress, and as mentioned above, may lead to chronic blood stasis. Chronic blood stasis or chronic qi stagnation can create excess heat in the body.

That’s the reason why lifestyle changes and stress control are also important factors along with traditional Chinese medicine in fibroid treatment. Both Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture work extremely well in the management of stress.

Uterine Fibroids Treatment Using Western Medicine Treatment

In Western medicine, surgery (myomectomy and hysterectomy) and hormonal therapy are the two main treatments for uterine fibroids. These days, other conventional treatments for this disease include MRI-guided focused ultrasound therapy and uterine artery embolization. These procedures are less invasive and less risky than myomectomy or hysterectomy and entail a shorter recuperation period. Traditional Chinese medicine is the best choice if you want a noninvasive type treatment of fibroids although their results will not be as immediate as that of surgery.

If you have fibroids, here are some advices that might help:

1. If you are not going to have menopause anytime soon and if you have a large fibroid that’s been growing for years, it is a good idea to seek treatment in order to help the growth of the fibroid and prevent the rise of more symptoms. Note: Estrogen is what makes the fibroids grow larger and, so when you reach menopause, your estrogen levels will decrease causing the fibroids to shrink by themselves.

2. Go for treatment even if you have a small fibroid to prevent it from growing larger.

3. If you suffer from symptoms associated with fibroids like menstrual cramping, heavy menstrual bleeding, etc., try Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. They will relieve the symptoms and may shrink the fibroids as well.

4. Even when you combine Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture treatments, it often takes a long time for the symptoms to get treated. Before you get TCM treatment, it’s a good idea to get an ultrasound (sonography) exam first; and to see how well the treatment went, have another exam three months later. The results of the second exam will determine whether you should continue TCM treatment or not.