While acupuncture isn’t traditionally included in the treatment program for endometriosis, many people find it helpful for alleviating their symptoms. Some people even report getting relief when their medications didn’t make a difference. If you haven’t thought about trying acupuncture for your endometriosis, here are a few reasons to consider it.
Why You Should Try Acupuncture
1. It Can Reduce Your Pain
It’s estimated that acupuncture increases the release of endorphins in the body. It can also affect your dopamine and serotonin levels. When study participants were asked to rate their pain level after undergoing acupuncture, many of them ranked their pain as being much less. They also said it improved their ability to carry out daily tasks.
2. It Can Reduce Inflammation
Studies show that people with endometriosis have more inflammation in their bodies. This inflammation can be measured via their serum CA-125 levels. According to a recent study, though, people who did acupuncture regularly had lower levels of serum CA-125.
Reduced inflammation can lead to less pain and a lower risk of developing conditions like heart disease that are associated with chronic inflammation.
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3. It Can Reduce Your Estrogen Levels
One characteristic of endometriosis is that you can have endometrial cells in different areas of the body. These cells usually release a form of estrogen, which can then encourage the growth of more endometrial cells.
According to a recent study, acupuncture can reduce these estrogen levels and thus decrease the likelihood of the growth of more endometrial cells.
4. It Can Boost Your Fertility
Statistics show that up to 50 percent of those who have endometriosis are also affected by infertility. During a study that focused on how acupuncture might increase fertility, researchers found that there was as much as a 20 percent boost in pregnancy in those who had acupuncture during the study.
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Why It Works
Acupuncture is based on the principle of allowing energy and resources to flow effectively through the body. Put more simply, acupuncture can help improve the flow of blood and oxygen in the body while also helping systems to communicate effectively.
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According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, your body has 12 pathways and 361 acupoints. These acupoints correspond to different organs and it’s proposed that targeting these points can affect your organs if done correctly.
During acupuncture, a professional uses specialized needles to pierce the skin at acupoints related to the issue you’re experiencing. When conducting endometriosis studies, researchers generally focused on the CV1, CV3, CV6, BL18, BL20, BL23, and ST35 acupoints but have also explored others.
It’s also important to note that most people enjoyed the positive effects of acupuncture up to three months after being treated regularly for the same amount of time. After three months, the effects started to wane. This suggests you’ll get the most out of acupuncture if you keep up with consistent treatments.
What To Expect At Your First Visit
Your first visit with an acupuncturist typically starts with an assessment. They’ll want to check your pulse, the temperature of your extremities, and your tongue as they reveal essential information. For example, your pulse and limb temperature can reveal the health of your metabolism, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.
It’s common for the verbal assessment to take a long time because they’re interested in the entire picture of your medical history. Some of the questions they may ask include the type of condition you’re dealing with, the symptoms you have, the medications or supplements you’re taking, your current diet, your medical history, your family’s medical history, and any other alternative treatments you’re trying.
To get the most out of working with an acupuncturist, it’s best to tell them about everything that’s troubling you. Given the principles of acupuncture, even the symptoms that you think are unrelated may be caused by the same issue.
Once the assessment is complete, the acupuncturist can design a program that can help you and you’ll start treatment. While acupuncture shouldn’t hurt, you should always tell the person you’re working with if you feel uncomfortable. It can take some time for all the needles to be placed in the acupoints that the acupuncturist identified and they may leave you for a bit before removing them.
Even if your doctor doesn’t talk about acupuncture, there’s enough evidence that it can help persons who are living with endometriosis. After talking to your doctor, you should research acupuncturists in the area and see which one works best for you.
