Acupuncture for Endometriosis

Endometriosis affects at least 1 in 10 people with ovaries and a uterus. Endometriosis is a complex, systemic disease where tissue that is similar to the uterine lining is found outside of the uterus. Endometrial lesions can be found anywhere in the pelvic cavity including on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, on the pelvic wall, on the bladder, on the bowel, on the intestines, on the uterosacral ligaments and other areas. This tissue responds to hormone changes throughout the menstrual cycle. This creates a highly inflammatory condition in the body. There may also be cyst like masses commonly called chocolate cysts.

Symptoms of endometriosis can include pelvic pain that may or may not correspond with the menstrual cycle, painful menstrual cramping, pain with ovulation, back pain, heavy periods, painful sex, pain with bowel movements, bladder pain, constipation, diarrhea, bloating and fatigue. Some people have little to no symptoms of endometriosis and only discover it when they have a hard time getting pregnant.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help reduce the uncomfortable symptoms associated with endometriosis and limit the proliferation of endometriosis. Acupuncture works by decreasing pain and inflammation, lowering excess estradiol that can stimulate endometriosis tissue growth, modulating the immune system, and supporting improved nervous system and endocrine system regulation.

The simple answer is that Chinese medicine views endometriosis as blood stagnation. There are several different patterns that can be the root cause of the blood stagnation and I treat both the root cause and the branch symptoms when treating endometriosis.

Yes! For example, a meta-analysis published in 2024 by Chen et al. found that acupuncture is effective in relieving painful menstruation and pelvic pain associated with endometriosis, reducing serum CA-125 (a blood marker associated with inflammation) levels, decreasing the size of endo lesions and improving quality of life. 

Chen, C., Li, X., Lu, S., Yang, J., & Liu, Y. (2024). Acupuncture for clinical improvement of endometriosis-related pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 310(4), 2101–2114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-024-07675-z

No, at this time there is no cure for endometriosis. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can reduce or eliminate the symptoms associated with endometriosis and limit proliferation of endometrial lesions. The current gold standard treatment for endometriosis is laparoscopic excision surgery by an excision specialist. I frequently recommend my patients with endometriosis consider having excision surgery and support them with pre and post surgical care.

Yes! I treat this every day. Unfortunately, in addition to causing a host of uncomfortable symptoms, endometriosis can impact both egg quality and uterine receptivity. By reducing inflammation, improving blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, improving hormone balance and supporting better sleep and stress resiliency acupuncture can positively impact fertility for natural conception or if you are going through IUI/IVF.

This varies based on your symptoms, goals, and how your body responds. Most of my patients start with weekly sessions for a few menstrual cycles and then adjust frequency as symptoms improve. Endometriosis is a chronic condition so maintenance treatments at reduced frequency once your symptoms improve is common.