Acupuncture and Fibroids

Menstral cycle of a healthy woman is believed to be regular and pain free. Eastern medicine claims that fibroids result from blood that is not flowing freely through the channels of the body. This result in a darker more clotted menstrual flow and a negative impact generally on the body’s immune system.

How Acupuncture Treatments can help cure Fibroid;

Uterine fibroids are very common and can be found in approximately 20% of women over the age of 35. The symptoms associated with fibroids include menstrual pain, heavy menstrual bleeding and infertility. The infertility occurs if fibroids obstruct the uterine cavity or the entrance to the fallopian tubes.

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors in uterus originating uterine smooth muscle cells. Heavy and painful menstruation are most common symptoms. If the fibroids grow in the submucous layer in the uterine, they cause heavier bleeding. Acupuncture was used in treating fibroids in China for centuries. Recent research supported this idea of using acupuncture to treat fibroids.

All acupuncture treatments are individualized to the patient. The diagnostic approach is a very important one and the practitioner takes a full medical and lifestyle history. Checking wrist pulses and the tongue are part of the diagnostic tools that are used. Many women turn to acupuncture when diagnosed with fibroids; however, each patient is given a treatment plan that is suitable for their individual needs.

Acupuncture needles are very thin needles that are inserted about 4-6mm in to the body. The needles should not be painful or sharp. Once they are inserted, the needles often cause a tingling or pulsing sensations. This is because they have been placed in the body where TCM believes that there are specific energy points.

In acupuncture, the doctor looks at and treats according to causal factors such as blood stasis that can cause masses to form in the body. To this end, the acupuncturist will interview the patient to obtain as much information as possible about the size of the fibroids. He will then palpate her abdomen and speak to the patient about her treatment goals. In some cases a woman just wants to reduce the heavy monthly bleeding while others wish to shrink the fibroid so they might still try to conceive.

There was a 48 year old woman with submucous uterine fibroid and severe uterine bleeding. She received electroacupuncture to stop to bleeding. Doppler ultrasound test was applied to assess uterine blood flow and number of pads used during bleeding. They found that Doppler ultrasound test showed blood flow in the uterine artery reduced with acupuncture stimulation. After a few sessions of acupuncture treatment the number of pads used reduced significantly during the bleeding period. Acupuncture is an effective approach for patients with fibroids.

When energy and blood can’t move around, energy is attracted to a single area where it stagnates and grows. The acupuncturist will focus on the channels associated with specific organs. When the problem is fibroids, the proper channel of focus is the spleen meridian. Phlegm is said to have collected in this meridian and this phlegm has created the fibroid mass.

Results of Acupuncture

It is recommended that patients undertake weekly treatments of acupuncture for a minimum of a few cycles. The practitioner will want to monitor the change in symptoms as treatment progresses.

In addition to acupuncture treatment, medicinal herbs are often prescribed to help alleviate blood and energy stagnation. There is evidence of fibroids either reducing in size or disappearing altogether alongside an improvement in some of the menstrual symptoms when using Medicinal Herbs.

Acupuncture has a very individualized effect. It’s important to remember that it does not work for everyone in the same way and it does not work all the time. However for those people who are open to treatment options beyond western medicine, it is worth considering.

Acupuncture treatment focuses on realigning the delicate hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis which controls the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. When estrogen levels are increased, fibroids tend to grow in size, causing pain and inhibiting implantation. By curbing excess estrodial, abnormal cell proliferation can be slowed, and when in combination with herbal and reproductive organ massage, often halted entirely.

Body acupuncture was most commonly used in treating uterine fibroids in hospitals in China.

EFFECT OF FIBROID

Fibroids may reduce fertility in women. Fibroids may interfere with sperm and ovum transport and embryo implantation. This occurs because in the case of fibroids, uterine cavity form or tube was distorted and uterus contracted abnormally. Local inflammation associated with the presence of fibroids may lead to a hostile environment which disrupts sperm and ovum transport and embryo implantation.

Reduced blood flow in the endometrium also contributes to disturbed embryo implantation. Many research showed that fibroids are a risk factor for infertility, though there is still a debate.

Women with fibroids have low IVF pregnancy success rate and low live birth rate. After removing fibroids, pregnancy rate increases significantly; also IVF success rate increased as well.

Fibroids affect pregnancy. They increase the miscarriage rate. There was a worry that during pregnancy fibroids may grow. However, some research showed that fibroids only grow in the first trimester and they get smaller late in pregnancy. In most cases fibroids don’t grow. The real worry is that fibroids increase miscarriage rate. This was seen a reduced live birth rate in IVF. After removing the fibroids, miscarriage rate significantly reduced. Fibroids lead to pelvic pain in pregnant women.

Fibroids increases the rate of a few pregnancy complications during the second and third trimesters and are associated with placental rupture, placenta previa, intrauterine growth restriction and fetal malposition and a higher rate of caesarean section, it also have a possible negative effect on fertility as mentioned above.

Principal Meridians

The most useful acupuncture point in treating fibroids is known as “three yin crossing” which is a where the primary meridians meet at the site of the womb. This same point is often indicated for reproductive problems. Acupuncturists know this site as SP6 or spleen point number six. Its location is on the inside of the calf, a hand breadth from the ankle bone. This point should not be treated in pregnant patients, since this can bring on contractions.

Another spot is found above the knee on the inner thigh. It is called SP10 and nicknamed “sea of blood.”

Have you been diagonized of Fibroid?

Don’t be Scared, We at I A and S Wellness centre have a solution to treat Fibroid

For more details:CLICK HERE

OUR ADDRESS:

3^rd Floor, 473, Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way, UBA Building, U-turn Bus Stop, Abule Egba, Lagos, Nigeria.

Mon – Friday (9.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.) Nigerian Time

Saturday (10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.) Nigerian Time

Our Office is Close on Sunday but you can Whatsapp, Call, Email Us.

WHATSAPP: (+234)-8178871052
CALL: 08178871052 OR +234-8038690104
EMAIL: info@iaswellnesscentre.ng

The following are some of the treatments we offer Alphabetically (A-Z);