Get Results - Not Pain Control - For Your Ovarian Cysts

I recently asked a patient of mine who had great success in her treatment of a very large and painful ovarian cyst to write about her experience with Chinese medicine for the blog. She is a young healthcare professional who is intimately familiar with western medicine, yet passionately pursues, and even conducts, research on alternative therapies and natural healing. That she has come to value the effectiveness and wide-reaching application of Chinese medicine makes me think that perhaps we are doing a thing or two right! Here is what she has to say:

Ovarian cysts are a problem that most women face; however, mine were abnormal. Most ovarian cysts are fluid filled. Mine were not. My main symptom was pain that radiated down my right side. I had frequent urination, abdominal distention, and an increase in right-sided pain after exercise and coitis. I went to my Gyno numerous times for suggestions on how to decrease the size my ovarian cyst. The suggestions I received were solely focused on pain management with pharmaceutical medication. I could not get any alternative suggestions; therefore, I was forced to take matters into my own hands and conduct research. After conducting research and trying various remedies, one remedy presented drastic results. To have a 7cm cyst go down to a 3cm cyst in the matter of a few weeks was a miracle. Since the change in size of my ovarian cyst, I have been continuously taking Chinese herbs per suggested in order to prevent further formation of ovarian cysts. I am happy to state that my ovarian cyst has ceased. The Chinese herbs were effective and less costly than the frequent visits to the Gyno and pharmacy. I strongly suggest considering an alternative that works with your body rather than against it.

Ovarian cysts vary in their presentation. Some are large and painful, as she describes, while others may be small and go unnoticed. Some women regularly get cysts that come and go with changes in their cycle and are more of a nuisance than anything. Cysts may even occur on the uterine wall or inside the fallopian tube, affecting fertility. Size, location, frequency, and pain are all clues as to how to approach treatment, yet there are some commonalities among different types of cysts according to Chinese medicine. 

Like other masses that can form in body, from lipomas to cancerous tumors, fluid-filled or solid cysts are a manifestation of phlegm and Blood stasis in the body. When there is dampness in the body that is not properly transformed and moved out of the tissues, it can begin to coalesce and condense in the phlegm. Over time, the phlegm becomes thicker until it starts to solidify into a nodule. The same can occur with stagnant Blood; as Blood sits unmoving inside or outside of a vessel, it congeals over time and forms a mass. When the vessels and tissues are blocked by dampness or phlegm, Blood flow is further impeded, so phlegm and Blood consolidation often occur together. Cysts and other masses tend to be some combination of the two, and the ratio of phlegm to Blood in the composition dictates the emphasis of the treatment. Transforming phlegm and invigorating Blood to break up stasis are always key strategies, however. 

Because the root cause of phlegm nodulation is dampness, and because dampness occurs as a byproduct of weak splenic function, acupuncture and herbal treatments must include tonification of the Spleen. The Spleen is also the organ that is responsible for transforming pathogenic turbidity in the body - dampness and phlegm - so it must be bolstered in order to do this properly. The other issue is lack of free flow in the body of Qi and Blood, so they must be invigorated, as well. 

For this case, elements of Xiao Yao San are used as a base formula. It includes Bai Zhu and Fu Ling to fortify the Spleen and Chai Hu and Dang Gui to move Qi and Blood. From there, there formula is modified to target and shrink the cysts. Chuan Xiong, Tao Ren, and Lu Lu Tong are added to increase the Blood invigorating action of the formula.  Chen Pi and Ban Xia are used to transform phlegm. Hai Zao and Kun Bu, which are two species of seaweed, are also used to transform phlegm strongly, but their salty taste also means they are especially useful for softening hardnesses. Ju He, the tangerine seed, regulates Qi and breaks up masses. Xiang Fu and Mu Dan Pi are also used to regulate Qi and Blood and break up stasis. 

This, of course, is not the only combination of medicinals to treat cysts. Depending on the nature of the mass, more powerful Blood movers may be indicated. Since the mass is obstructing free flow, the build up of heat from stagnation may need to dealt with. Malignant tumors are destructive because the mass emanates toxic heat. On the other end of the spectrum, cysts that come and go may be managed with a formula that simply focuses on Qi regulation. Once the symptoms are properly diagnoses, herbal medicinals are highly effective.