What Can I Do About My Fibroids?
What are Fibroids?
Uterine Fibroids, in Chinese Medicine, are accumulations of qi, blood and phlegm fluids stagnating in the reproductive system. Oftentimes, they are detected because of menstrual irregularities or pain. Depending on the location of fibroids they can also cause constipation, frequent urination or difficulty breathing, depending on their location.
According to the Mayo Clinic, uterine fibroids (UF) are non-cancerous growths of the uterus that tend to appear during the reproductive years. Uterine fibroids are not linked with a higher risk of other types of cancer in the uterus. They're also called leiomyomas or myomas.
Some symptoms associated with fibroids are: irregular uterine bleeding, menstrual pain, bloating, back pain, weight gain, fertility challenges.
Western Medicine diagnosis of fibroids is by several types of imaging such as ultrasound, MRI, hysterosonography, hysterosalpingography and/or hysteroscopy while also taking into account your presenting symptoms by your gynecologist. Treatment options in Western medicine can range from monitoring the current situation, synthetic hormones, such as oral contraception to surgery. These treatment options are meant to address symptoms such as difficult periods, pain, abnormal bleeding, rather than the root cause —the presence of fibroids. Monitoring only can be considered an outdated method as it is inevitable that fibroids will grow larger in time. In the Western Medical paradigm the prevention of fibroids is not specifically considered. It is suggested, at most, similar to many health conditions, to maintain a healthy and well-balanced diet and exercise regularly while making sure you attend your regular check-ups.
In Eastern medicine practices, suboptimal health statuses that can be detected through pulse, tongue and pattern diagnosis, are important because imbalances can be confronted with behavioral and lifestyle changes that can prevent certain conditions in early stages. In Chinese Medicine, the menstrual cycle is closely looked at. This is why your acupuncturist or herbalist might ask you very detailed questions about your cycle and consistently ask about changes to it even if you don’t have any complaints about your period. This is largely because early stage imbalances that are found in Chinese Medical diagnostics, give us an opportunity to address sub-optimal health patterns and give you a fair chance to prevent or delay certain conditions from progressing. This is helpful when we want to prevent, prepare and save time, energy and worry. Because Chinese Medicine is individualized please be sure to seek an acupuncturist or herbalist to work with. This post contains general information about fibroids and not meant to be taken as medical advise.
Why Do I Have Fibroids?
The cause of fibroids is not exactly know, however genes, hormone imbalances, growth factors and extracellular matrix are all thought to play a role in the development of fibroids. Fibroids can sometimes be associated with too much estrogen and/or insufficient progesterone. At the cellular level, due to hormone imbalances and weakened immune function, extracellular matrix can become structurally disordered causing adhesions and abnormal growth. “According to TCM, the formation and growth of uterine fibroids are due to an accumulation of stagnated Qi and blood at a certain time in the pelvic area.” (Hsu, et. al 2019)
Below are some conditions in Chinese Medicine that are often associated with Fibroids:
Spleen Qi Deficiency - Cold You might notice early signs of SP qi deficiency like weak digestion, propensity for loose bowel movements, easy to get bloated, sensitive to cold, waking up in the morning feeling tired or hard to get out of bed and overall fatigue or tiredness. Sensitivity to cold or getting sick easily can show that your body is beginning to be affected by cold. In this condition, your body does not transform fluids and food into nutrients well and therefore, your body begins to hold onto unwanted fluids which causes dampness accumulation. When fluids begin to accumulate in the body your body might begin to form things like fibroids, cysts, lipomas.
Liver Qi Stagnation/Depression In Chinese Medicine the liver is in charge of the free flow of your emotions. When you’re qi is tired, your body might not be able to deal with heavy emotions as well and you begin to feel more depressed, frustrated or suppressing your emotions. You might begin to experience headaches, feeling anxious, having racing thoughts or frequent sighing, feeling blue or apathetic. You might also begin to notice more cramping with the period, more significant mood changes or emotional sensitivity, breast tenderness or sleep issues before your period comes. This can also cause poor qi circulation and eventually qi and fluids stagnate just like the above condition and you might experience a mix of both symptoms.
Blood Stagnation - Cold In this condition you would experience more severe period cramps, especially when there is exposure to cold environment or cold foods/drink. Period blood becomes darker and clotted. You might experience more severe aches and pains in the body that get worse before the period.
Heat Long term stagnation in the body can sometimes turn into heat conditions. Heat conditions are marked by the feeling of heat, sweating or getting overheated easily and bright red and copious period bleeding.
Most people who have fibroids will have a combination of the above patterns. Please work with an experienced provider to learn more about your individual situation.
What Can I Do?
In Chinese Medicine, lifestyle modifications are important in order to support any treatment you are receiving whether it is herbal medicine, acupuncture or western medicine interventions like synthetic hormones or surgery. Because fibroids can have a genetic component and environmental influences, even if you are able to resolve your current fibroids, the potential for them to return should be considered. We might not be able to changes some of what we are born with, but we can change the foods we eat and other lifestyle habits like exercise and reducing stress to some extent. Behavioral changes are not just to alleviate symptoms but to improve your overall health so that you can heal from having fibroids whether they continue to exist in your body or not.
Nowadays there are many toxins in our food supply and other environmental contaminants in modern life that can affect our hormones such as food dyes, fragrances, pollutants and chemicals in our clothing, food, packaging and products we use daily. Sometimes diets that contain too much sugar, too much greasy foods and/or too cold/raw can cause disruptions in the normal flow of qi, blood and body fluids in your body. When this occurs long term your body will begin to hold onto these stuck substances in areas of the body where they do not belong and instead they become accumulations that impede circulation and normal functions. Below are a list of recommendations, however please consider your own personal lifestyle, allergies and food sensitivities. Chinese Medicine is not a one-size fits all approach. Start making changes at a pace that is comfortable for you.
Dietary Recommendations:
Avoid processed foods
Increase fiber in your daily food intake
Avoid greasy, fried foods
Increase healthy fats like salmon, nuts, omega-3’s
Avoid cold/raw foods
Increase warm, cooked foods
Avoid added sugars
Increase high antioxidant fruits like berries, pomegranate
Movement and Exercise
Stagnation can be thought of as stuckness, lack of movement or circulation. Making sure you move and exercise regularly is important for maintaining normal metabolism which can help prevent or manage fibroids. If you are new to exercise please be sure to increase your daily activity slowly as to not cause injury or overtraining of your body. Too much exercise can also hurt the body and disrupt qi, blood and fluid circulation. If you have heavy or prolonged periods, it is also important not to over exert during your period and to take a few days afterwards to also rest.
Know Your Body, Notice Changes
It is important to know your own body. Many of us are not used to paying such close attention to our menstrual cycles and periods. Begin to take note of your cycle so that if it begins to change you can notice it right away. Notice how long the cycle is and how many days your period lasts for. The goal is to have a 28-31 day cycle with a 4 day period. If you have difficulty with your periods or you experience heavy bleeding it is important to begin seeing your acupuncturist sooner rather than later. The average time it takes to realign the menstrual cycle can be anywhere from 3-6 cycles at minimum. For those with a long history of fibroids you want to consider that your treatment could take 6-12 cycles ore more. You also don’t want to continue to have menstrual cycle issues and wait until you are potentially trying to conceive to begin repairing them.
Just like your menstrual cycle you can also pay attention to changes in your whole body. Your digestion, sleep and energy habits. This is a great way to detect any changes or conditions as early as possible.
When fibroids are more progressed it is important to be proactive and do as much that is accessible to you. Much like navigating any difficult diagnosis in the current climate of healthcare, planning ahead will make a big difference. This includes lifestyle modifications, regular acupuncture, herbal medicine, for some pelvic steaming and abdominal massage. I know it can sound like a lot and overwhelming and for some if surgery is an option and is more accessible, then it should be considered as well. For those with fibroids measuring less than five centimeters, there is still a lot that can be done if you’re proactive. When there are multiple fibroids measuring more than 5 centimeters it can be more difficult and you should plan to invest in more modalities of care if you are trying to avoid surgery.
Use East Asian Medicine
Seek an acupuncturist or a herbalist. Even better seek a practitioner that can offer you both!
Acupuncture is a great tool that can balance menstrual cycles. With the use of moxibustion it can help to control heavy bleeding, decrease pain and inflammation that fibroids cause. A systemic review and meta-analysis from 2023 analyzed 11 trials that looked at acupuncture for the treatment of uterine fibroids. It was concluded that acupuncture has the ability to reduce the volume of uterine fibroids and reduce symptoms associated with them. (Ren, et. al)
Herbal Medicine has been historically significant for the treatment of fibroids in East Asian Medicine. When they are in their earlier stages, there is potential for shrinking them. A Korean study looked at a commonly used formula in East Asian Medicine to treat fibroids and suggested that it is able to induce the apoptosis of fibroids and could be used as a preventative measure. (2019, Lee et. al). Another study conducted in Taiwan looked at a group of women who took Chinese Herbal products not necessarily specific for fibroids, but did show a lower incidence of fibroids occurring in a group more than 52,000 between the ages of 20-45. The study followed them for 13 years. The researchers determined that the use of Chinese Herbal products contributes to the decreased risk of uterine fibroids. (Hsu et. al 2019)
Pelvic (vaginal) steaming for fibroids is extremely effective in many cases but should be done with an experienced practitioner because those with fibroids can easily experience heavy periods and irregular bleeding. Steaming has the ability to shrink fibroids as well as address period pain and other symptoms. Steaming for fibroids should always be closely monitored.
Use the code ‘BLOG’ to receive $25 off an Initial Acupuncture visit or Follow up acupuncture visit
Written by Dr. Emily Siy, DACM 6/10/24
You might also be interested in reading Racial Injustices in Medicine and Uterine Fibroids, What Is Your Period Trying To Tell You?, Chinese Medicine for PCOS
Sources
Hsu WC, Tsai YT, Hou YC, Lai JN. (2019) Prescription of Chinese herbal products is associated with a decreased risk of uterine fibroids: A population-based cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore). Dec;98(51):e18195.
Lee, SM., Choi, ES., Ha, E., Ji, KY., Shin, SJ., Jung, J (2019) Gyejibongnyeong-Hwan (Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan) Ameliorates Human Uterine Myomas via Apoptosis Frontiers Pharmacology Sec. Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology Volume 10 - 2019
The Mayo Clinic, Disease and Conditions, Uterine Fibroids Mayoclinic.org
Ren Y, Zhang J, Wu W, Yuan Y, Wang J, Tang Y, Liao Y, Liu X. (2023) Should acupuncture become a complementary therapy in the treatment of uterine fibroid: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontline Medicine (Lausanne). Dec 13;10:1268220.
Fibroids presentation by Dr. Laurena White, M.D.., L.Ac.