Endometriosis is an inflammatory pelvic and abdominal pain condition, due to endometrial-like tissues responding abnormally to hormones and inflammatory signals in the body (learn more in this article). The number one symptom for women suffering from this condition is PAIN: menstrual cramping pain, pain during sexual activity, pain during bowel movements or urination, which can persist for weeks of the menstrual cycle or even throughout the entire month (to name a few examples). One of the most important goals when treating women suffering from endometriosis is to reduce this pain and improve quality of life.

There are several natural approaches available for reducing endometriosis-related pain. Excessive inflammation is part of the problem; for this reason, I often recommend implementing an anti-inflammatory style diet. Several supplements have also been shown to be helpful for endometriosis pain. For more information, read my other article, here. Today, I want to tell you more about how a traditional medicine technique can help reduce your pain and normalize your hormones. I’m talking about acupuncture.

I use acupuncture extensively in my practice to help normalize menstrual cycles, promote fertility, improve sleep and mood, and support women through IVF cycles. I also use it for women suffering from endometriosis or dysmenorrhea (painful periods). There are a few reasons I love using acupuncture as part of a treatment plan for endometriosis:

Firstly, it’s safe and non-invasive. Acupuncture needles are teeny tiny thin needles that are inserted at various acupuncture points (or along “meridians”) on the body. For women who want to preserve their fertility and have a family, surgical removal of the uterus is not an option for them; other treatments to manage pain and symptoms must to be utilized. Acupuncture can be one of them. In fact, acupuncture can help support fertility (more on that in another article).

Secondly, it’s helpful for pain symptoms, but can also support other related endo symptoms such as bowel or urinary dysfunction, heavy bleeding, IBS-type symptoms, fatigue, among others.

Most importantly, what I love about this traditional medical practice (that has existed for THOUSANDS of years) is the ability to put on my “eastern medicine hat” and interpret a woman’s symptoms from another perspective. The truth is, modern medicine doesn’t yet thoroughly understand what causes endometriosis, and unfortunately treatments are limited, and often don’t work well: 44% of pain symptoms will return after surgery, and 53% will recur with medical management (i.e. medications). When we listen to a the symptoms that a woman’s body is expressing from an eastern medicine perspective, it allows another way for the body to be heard, understood, and treated. A Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis is made based on her unique symptoms, and specific points are tailored to her diagnosis. It’s an individually customized treatment. Read on to learn more about the art and science of acupuncture.

Acupuncture: the art

From a TCM perspective, the energy or ‘life force’ of the body is called the ‘Qi’ (pronounced “chee”). Qi is responsible for the smooth flow of blood throughout the body’s “meridians”, which are like channels that connect the body’s various systems, including the physical, emotional, and mental functions. When qi is “deficient”, or when blood get “stuck”, symptoms can arise. Stuck qi is often expressed symptomatically as PAIN, and where they pain is located depends on which meridian or which part of the body is affected. Other elements are involved too: we all have ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ energy that can become imbalanced, just like the balance of ‘heat’ and ‘cold’ in the body can become imbalanced. If there is “excess heat”, then the pain may feel burning, or if there is “excess cold” the pain may feel dull and achy.

Here’s how this pertains to endometriosis, specifically (from a TCM perspective):

The process of normal menstruation occurs because the spleen meridian produces sufficient blood, and the liver meridian moves that blood smoothly throughout the reproductive organs and body, resulting in a normal, minimally painful period. If blood isn’t moving effectively, or if it “stagnates” then this produces PAIN. So from this perspective, the pelvic or abdominal pain associated with endometriosis is often due in part to a stagnated liver, or ‘stuck’ blood in the pelvis. Other symptoms of liver meridian problems can include heavy periods with clots, major menstrual cramps, constipation, depression, or PMS with irritability, or flares of anger. If your spleen meridian is part of the problem, you might additionally experience loose stools, major fatigue, poor appetite or bloating after meals.

What is unique and beautiful about this approach is that every woman’s diagnosis is slightly different, because each woman’s experience with endometriosis is different. As such, her acupuncture treatment will be unique and tailored exactly to her symptoms. I’ve seen really incredible improvements in symptoms when acupuncture is incorporated as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for endometriosis. I typically incorporate acupuncture treatments on a once-weekly basis, along with other natural remedies, until pain is improved; then we reduce acupuncture to a monthly basis for maintenance.

Acupuncture: the science

Western medicine is beginning to turn its attention towards acupuncture as a treatment for a variety of pain conditions. One study performed on 67 women diagnosed with endometriosis randomized the women to either ear acupuncture or Chinese herbal treatment for 3 months. Of the women treated with acupuncture, 11 (out of 37) of these women had significant reductions in pain, and 19 (out of 37) were ‘markedly’ improved. 4 women had ‘effective’ results, and in 3 women it was ‘ineffective’. Overall, 82% of the women in the acupuncture group had at least marked improvement in their pain symptoms. The researchers also monitored blood beta-endorphins, which are natural analgesic (pain-relieving) chemicals the body produces. Acupuncture appears to increase the production of beta-endorphins, which may be responsible for the pain reduction. I always the ear acupuncture points used in this research to a woman’s unique TCM diagnosis and tailored protocol.

I’m pleased to see that science is examining the effectiveness of acupuncture for various women’s health concerns (as difficult as it is to perform double-blind, placebo controlled trials using acupuncture), and I hope that more research in this area will help support women in broadening the variety of safe, effective treatment options available to them in the management of endometriosis.

If you are dealing with symptoms of endometriosis and want to incorporate nutrition and acupuncture as part of your treatment plan, let’s talk. Click here to book in for a 1-hour initial consultation to discuss the various integrative treatment options that are available to you through naturopathic medicine. To keep in touch, sign up for my blog below for monthly doses of natural medicine tips in your inbox.

References

Dingfang, X., Yi, S., Xuefang, L., Lan, C., Guolai, Z. (2002) Ear acupuncture therapy for 37 cases of dysmenorrhea due to endometriosis. J Trad Chinese Med, 22(4): 282-295.

Zhu X, Hamilton KD, McNicol ED. Acupuncture for pain in endometriosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD007864. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007864.pub2

Berker, B., Seval, M. (2015) Problems with the diagnosis of endometriosis. Womens Health, 11(5):597-601. doi: 10.2217/whe.15.44. Epub 2015 Sep 21.

Davila, G. (2017) Endometriosis. Obtained online from Medscape.