Natural Treatment for Endometriosis

If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, natural treatment can help. Dr. Hanson offers safe and effective holistic treatment, using non-toxic and non-invasive therapies such as herbs and nutritional supplements, which can reduce pain and bleeding and resolve endometriosis.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition that affects women during the years they are menstruating. It is estimated to affect 10 - 15% of women during this time. In a healthy woman, the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, called the endometrial lining, grows every month in response to hormonal influences to prepare for the possible implantation of an embryo and then, if the woman does not become pregnant, is shed during the menstrual period. In endometriosis, this endometrial lining is present on tissues other than the inside of the uterus, often on the ovaries or the ligaments of the uterus, but sometimes on the outside of the intestines, on the bladder or on the vagina. In rare cases, endometrial tissue may be found on the lungs, brain, skin or eyes. This endometrial tissue grows in response to hormonal changes just as the normal endometrial tissue does, and this growth causes the symptoms associated with endometriosis. Researchers are still unsure of how endometrial tissue gets displaced to these locations.

The most common symptoms of endometriosis are pain with the period, pain during intercourse and infertility. The pain can be excruciating, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, fainting or diarrhea - and usually begins before the period and lasting through the first few days of the period, or in some cases the pain can last throughout the month. The symptoms of endometriosis depend on the location where the endometrial lining has attached. Symptoms such as low back pain radiating to the legs, pain on urination, pain with bowel movements, or bleeding from sites other than the uterus, such as the bladder, bowel or nose are associated with endometriosis depending on its location.

Conventional medical treatment for endometriosis focuses on hormonal medications such as oral contraceptives, progestins, androgens and GnRH agonists. All of these drugs have significant side effects. Progestins are often associated with weight gain, depression, irregular bleeding and other adverse effects. Androgens such as Danazol can cause a masculinization include hair growth, vocal changes, vaginal atrophy and decreased breast size, as well as other side effects like acne, weight gain, and liver dysfunction. GnRH agonists essentially trick your body into menopause, so they are associated with severe menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, joint pain, headaches, difficulty concentration, and rapid bone loss. If these measures are unsatisfactory for a woman with endometriosis, surgery is often recommended, either ablation of the endometrial lesions or a hysterectomy (in which the entire uterus is removed). These are major surgeries and surgery is inherently dangerous. Adhesions, infections, prolapse and even death can result after surgeries.

Conventional medicine clearly has no safe and effective treatments for endometriosis. While the above measures can be considered extreme, women suffering acutely from endometriosis may view the potential adverse effects as worth the risk. Fortunately, there are other options. Holistic medicine does offer safe solutions that can help women with endometriosis.

Endometriosis: Holistic Treatment and Natural Remedies

Endometriosis grows in response to estrogen. The first step in natural treatment for endometriosis is to harmonize estrogen levels. Estrogen production begins in the pituitary gland. The pituitary is the master gland that oversees the body's overall hormonal production, including estrogen and progesterone balance. Hormones secreted by the pituitary direct the ovaries to produce estrogen and progesterone. Once estrogen is produced, it is the liver's job to make sure too much doesn't build up in the bloodstream. The liver binds estrogen to other chemicals and excretes it with the bile into the large intestine. If the bacterial flora within the intestines are in an appropriate and healthy balance - more "good" bacteria and less "bad" bacteria - the bound-up estrogen will pass out of the body. If the bacterial balance in the gut favors “unfriendly” bacteria, the estrogen may become unbound and reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

Every aspect of estrogen metabolism can be approached with herbs or other natural medicines. Certain herbs, such as chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), are known to act on the pituitary, while other herbs can directly influence the ovaries and their production of estrogen and progesterone. Herbs such as milk thistle (Silybum marianum) or black radish (Raphanus sativus), support the liver in removing excess estrogen by improving liver function or increasing the amount and flow of bile out of the liver. The role of probiotics in maintaining estrogen balance should not be underestimated. These good bacteria keep negative microorganisms in check and ensure that detoxified estrogen is not reabsorbed into the body.

Herbs also allow us to adjust estrogen levels in another way. Many plants contain chemicals called phytoestrogens. These chemicals are not estrogen, but they are chemically similar to estrogen which means that they have a very slight action on estrogen receptors in the body, much weaker than actual estrogen. This is very useful because it allows us to essentially dilute the amount of estrogen in the body available to the tissues, the phytoestrogens can bind with estrogen receptors without actually activating them. Soy is perhaps the most well-known sources of phytoestrogens, but other foods such as rye or flax also contain them. Herbs such as red clover (Trifolium pratense) are also high in phytoestrogens and have a similar action.

Unfortunately, many chemicals in the environment also resemble estrogen. Organochlorines such as dioxins are one type of environmental estrogens that have been associated with the development of endometriosis. These chemicals, which may be byproducts of manufacturing or constituents of manufactured goods such as plastics, are known as xenoestrogens. Whereas phytoestrogens act much more weakly than estrogen, xenoestrogens act much more strongly than estrogen. No treatment for estrogen-related health problems like endometriosis would be complete without reducing exposure to xenoestrogens. An example of a simple step to reduce xenoestrogen exposure would be to stop microwaving in plastic containers.

Endometriosis is also known to be related to poor immune function. Research has shown that the size and number of endometrial sites increases with suppressed immunity. A plan for treating endometriosis naturally must include steps to improve immune function. Nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, beta-carotene and essential fatty acids boost immune function and reduce inflammation. In addition, what you eat has a huge impact on immunity and inflammation. Red meat, caffeine, alcohol and sugar are perhaps the worst offenders here.

Another key to treating endometriosis holistically is to focus on specific herbs that are known to have specific actions on endometriosis and the symptoms they cause. The goal here is to find an herb or herbal formula that best addresses the specific symptoms and experience that characterizes an individual woman's experience of endometriosis. Herbs that I've used in treating endometriosis include prickly ash (Xanthoxylum americanum), false unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum) and bethroot (Trillium erectum). When well-indicated, homeopathic remedies can in many cases significantly improve symptoms.

If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis and would like to get better, make an appointment today. If you do not live in the New York City tri-state area, but are still interested in treating endometriosis naturally, phone consultations are available. Please call 917-267-WELL or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .