What is Endometriosis?
For females with endometriosis, uterine lining is retained in the body, implanting in areas outside of the uterus. These uterine tissues then accumulate on the bladder, bowel, ovaries, and other organs, leading to the development of adhesions, scarring, and invasive nodules. Endometriosis can then cause symptoms that include painful periods, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, painful intercourse, painful bowel movements, rectal pain and urinary pain or difficulty.
A female whose mother has endometriosis is seven times more likely to have the disease herself. Endometriosis is also associated with autoimmune disorders such as thyroid disease and is now considered to be in the autoimmune spectrum of illnesses. That the agonizing pain caused by endometriosis is actually treatable. In many cases it is treated surgically although women are frequently directed to manage their discomfort for years with powerful painkillers and hormone therapy. Some patients are incorrectly diagnosed by their doctors and are treated for symptoms without being diagnosed with endometriosis, causing a long delay in effective treatment resulting in thousands of unnecessary hysterectomies.
Facts to Know
• Most women with endometriosis suffer pain—and present symptoms—up to a full decade prior to diagnosis.
• Approximately 8.5 million females in North America suffer from endometriosis.
• The average woman is 27 when she is first diagnosed with endometriosis.
• Endometriosis is one of the top three causes of female infertility. While it is one of the most treatable types of infertility, it remains the least treated. Approximately half of females with endometriosis are infertile.
• Abdominal and bowel symptoms linked to endometriosis are commonly misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).
• Many infertile women with endometriosis experienced debilitating painful periods as teenagers.
• Many women suffer silently because they feel that their pain, especially pain associated with sexual intercourse, is just too personal to discuss with their gynecologist.
Symptoms of Endometriosis
• chronic or intermittent pelvic pain
• painful menstruation
• irregular bleeding or clotting
• large, painful ovarian cysts called endometriomas or “chocolate cysts”
• infertility, miscarriage, ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• pain with intercourse
• nausea/vomiting, gastrointestinal cramping, diarrhea/constipation with periods
• rectal pain
• blood in the urine; urinary frequency, retention, or urgency
• fatigue, chronic pain, allergies and other immune-related issues are also commonly reported complaints in those with endometriosis
Endometriosis shares many similarities with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and psoriasis. These similarities include elevated levels of proteins used in intracellular communication (cytokines), decreased ability to have programmed (normal) cell death, and white blood cell (immune cell) abnormalities.
Boosting immune function and reducing inflammation may be a more effective treatment for endometriosis than hormone therapy. Chinese herbal medicine offers an alternative to standard hormonal treatments for endometriosis.
Recent research has found that traditional Chinese herbs can work as well as, or even better than, conventional hormonal therapies for endometriosis, with fewer side effects. Current drug treatments that alter women’s hormone levels, preventing new scar tissue and relieving endometrial pain, often cause side effects such as acne, unwanted hair growth, and menopause-like hot flashes.
“Chinese herbal medicine may offer equivalent benefits to conventional medicine but with fewer side effects,” said lead researcher Andrew Flower of the University of Southampton in the UK. “This may mean that Chinese herbal medicine is more suitable for long-term use,” he added.
In one Chinese study, researchers randomly assigned women to take either an herbal mixture known as Nei Yi Wan or a hormonal therapy called Gestrinone after undergoing surgery to remove abnormal tissue growths. The herbal therapy was administered both orally and by enema. After three months, women in the herb and Gestrinone groups showed similar improvements in their symptoms and their chances of becoming pregnant over the next two years. However, while the herbal remedy showed no significant side effects, Gestrinone caused acne in 13 of the 49 women treated and infrequent menstrual periods in 31 women.
A second study compared the same herbal mix with Danazol, a drug that blocks estrogen secretion. After three months, women in both groups reported symptom improvements, but those who took the herb orally and by enema experienced greater relief from painful periods and a more significant reduction in abnormal tissue growths. The herbs used are considered “blood moving” and are thought to help regulate pelvic blood flow, support immune function, and reduce inflammation.
Several of our doctors are trained in acupuncture and can treat endometriosis. Dr. Jenny Crosby is well-versed in Chinese herbal medicine and autoimmune testing. Contact us at (636) 928-5588 to set up an appointment or visit www.crosbychiropractic.com to schedule online.
