Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids, or myomas, are the most common neoplasm (abnormal growth) of the female reproductive organs. They are benign tumours found in approximately 20% of women over 35 years of age. They can occur on the inner and outer wall of the uterus, or anywhere else in the pelvic cavity. Women with fibroids may experience menstrual pain, heavy menstrual periods or problems in conceiving. Fibroids may impair conception if they obstruct the uterine cavity or the entrance into the uterus from the fallopian tubes. They can also block an embryo from implanting in the uterine wall. Fibroids can increase in size during pregnancy, causing pressure in the uterus, and sometimes premature labour.

Western medical treatment

Just as pregnancy hormones can cause a fibroid to grow, a lack of reproductive hormones can cause it to shrink. For this reason, western medicine often uses drugs to induce a pseudo-menopause to treat fibroids. They can also be treated surgically, either (i) laparoscopically if they are small (ii) by arterial embolization (where the blood vessels feeding the fibroid are cauterized) – however this also cuts off the blood flow to the uterine lining, which is not recommended for women who wish to have children, or (iii) in more complicated cases where the fibroids are large or are located on the outside of the uterus, a fibroidectomy may be performed, which is a major operation, requiring a 3-6 month healing period before conception can be attempted.

Chinese medical treatment

In Chinese medical terms, fibroids relate to Blood stagnation, Qi Stagnation and/or Phlegm. The symptoms associated with fibroids (period pain, heavy periods, etc) can be treated very effectively with Chinese medicine, and the fibroids themselves can be reduced in size, or, in the case of smaller fibroids, eliminated completely. One Chinese study using Chinese herbs to treat 223 cases of uterine fibroids, improved or eliminated most of the patients’ symptoms such as back ache, abnormal vaginal discharge, heavy bleeding and period pain. The presence of the fibroids themselves were either diminished or disappeared in 72% of the patients.