Treatment of Endometriosis-Related Dysmenorrhoea with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Case Report

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. Current biomedical options for endometriosis-related pain include oral contraceptive pills, progestins, antiprogestogens, gonadotropin hormone-releasing (GnRH) agonists and GnRH antagonists. The diagnosis of endometriosis is speculated by symptoms, but only confirmed by laparoscopy. Laparoscopic surgery with ablation is commonly practised during the diagnostic procedure. Chinese medicine therapies such as acupuncture and herbs have been used for many years to treat painful periods, and multiple clinical trials have shown that these therapies reduce pain intensity, increase social efficiency and psychological well-being, and decrease surgery rates. This case reports on a 38 year-oldfemale diagnosed with endometriosis who presented with dysmenorrhoea and migraines. Treatment was weekly for two months and consisted of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, moxibustion and dietary/lifestyle recommendations. At the end of the treatment course there was no further dysmenorrhoea or migraines.