- Gynecologic Diseases
- Uterine / Ovarian Diseases
Endometriosis is a condition where the endometrial tissue, which should be inside the uterus, exists in other parts like the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and pelvis, causing severe menstrual pain, pain during intercourse, and lower back pain.
Since the endometrial tissue in areas outside the uterus can move over time, leading to disease progression, early treatment is crucial.
Severe adhesions can cause infertility or miscarriage, so women planning marriage and pregnancy should definitely get tested and start treatment.
Surgical treatments and hormonal therapies are difficult to decide upon due to possible side effects and aftereffects.
Moreover, endometriosis usually recurs unless the entire uterus is removed, with an annual recurrence rate of 5-20% and a 5-year recurrence probability of 40%.
When acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments were combined, side effects occurred in 4 cases (out of 40 treatments), whereas drug treatment (Danazol) resulted in side effects in 63 cases (out of 38 treatments), showing that oriental medicine treatment has significantly lower side effects compared to drug treatment.
After 16 weeks of individual herbal medicine treatment for 40 patients with endometriosis, there was a significant difference in the duration of pain during menstruation and scores on the EHP-30 (Endometriosis Health Profile-30) and MYMOP (Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile) compared to the control group.
Compared to the untreated group, the group treated with acupuncture and herbal medicine showed higher overall performance and pregnancy rates, with the highest pregnancy rates and healthy ovum counts found in the group that combined acupuncture and herbal medicine.