By: Shelagh McNally for Fibroids1Women of every age and economic group share the same problems and challenges when diagnosed with fibroids. Many are turning to acupuncture for fibroid relief.)
| Take Action |
How to find a licensed acupuncture practitioner
Courtesty of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Health care practitioners are a good resource since more doctors are being trained in acupuncture. National or local organizations will list the practitioners close to you. Be sure to check your practitioner’s credentials.
Over 40 states have established training standards for certification. Find out more at the Society for Acupuncture Research
Don’t rely on just your acupuncturist’s diagnosis unless he or she is also a doctor. Get a cost estimate before your start treatment. Your treatment may be ongoing
The FDA requires that sterile, non-toxic needles be used for a single time and then discarded.
Your acupuncturist should use a new set of disposable needles every session and should swab treatment sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles.
Physician acupuncturists may charge more than non-physician practitioners, but sessions usually cost between $50 and $70.
Learn more at National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
Acupuncture is a Chinese medicine dating back to at least 3,500 years ago. It is based on an ancient Chinese belief that energy circulates through the body via channels known as meridians. This body energy known as “chi” travels top to bottom, from side to side and from the inside to the outside. In other words, it’s a live, dynamic force that is always fluctuating, a mini-version of the universal dynamic force combining the dual forces of yin and yang. Disease occurs when our chi is blocked or the yin and yang is out of balance. Acupuncture uses small, hair-thin metallic needles that are placed into various points on the body to restart the flow of energy and restore balance. Since the body has several hundred points along each meridian, most acupuncture treatments focus on a specific meridian, depending on the symptoms. Some acupuncturists combine heat or electrical stimulation along these precise points. Here in North America we are relatively new to acupuncture, but the diagnosis and treatment of fibroids through Chinese medicine is listed in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, a book written in the third century B.C. It describes “Zheng Xia,” or fibroid masses in the uterus, with a feeling of pain, swelling, fullness, and bleeding in severe cases. Practitioners believe the liver is the principal organ connected to the menses. Thus, a typical fibroid treatment could include needles placed along the lower abdomen, along the arms below the elbows, and along the legs below the knees – the meridian for the liver.
Claudia, a 43-year-old secretary, first turned to acupuncture for treatments of a persistent fibroid four years ago. She had not responded to other treatments and her gynecologist was recommending a hysterectomy. Instead, Claudia decided to try regular acupuncture treatment. After three months of weekly acupuncture treatments and Chinese herbal medicine, the fibroid was quite a bit smaller. “I was skeptical at first. It seemed to take longer than having a fibroid procedure, but in the end it was worth it,” said Claudia. Over time the fibroid stopped bothering her. Keisha, 25, was diagnosed with a fibroid after she complained of heavy bleeding. Too young for a hysterectomy, she opted for regular acupuncture treatments but also a change in her lifestyle. Her acupuncturist believed Keisha’s sedentary lifestyle combined with a diet high in fats and refined food contributed to the fibroid’s development. Her fibroid disappeared within eight months.
There is still much debate over the effectiveness of acupuncture, but in 1997 the National Institutes of Health declared it a viable treatment. The NIH stated that despite varying research results, acupuncture does offer relief to some people. Research continues and the Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR) is holding a special conference in 2007 to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the NIH endorsement.
