Chinese Herbs May Help Endometriosis
July 8, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
Comparable benefits and fewer side effects sound good to me. Some treatments for endometriosis can be rather harsh. The toughest one that comes to mind is Lupron. Other women choose to take birth control pills after laparoscopic surgery to help manage symptoms and prevent the need for more surgery down the road.
A new study by the Complementary Medicine Research Unit at the University of Southampton in the UK found that Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) might relieve symptoms of endometriosis.
A total of 158 women participated in two trials of CHM for treatment of endometriosis. It was the first English-language systematic review of CHM for treating the disease.
Findings:
- CHM provided relief similar to that provided by the drug gestrinone, but with fewer side effects.
- CHM was more effective than the drug danazol, and also resulted in fewer side effects. (Both gestrinone and danazol are hormonal drugs.)
“These findings suggest that Chinese herbs may be just as effective as certain conventional drug treatments for women suffering from endometriosis, but at present we don’t have enough evidence to generalize the results,” said lead researcher Andrew Flower.
Perhaps more research evidence will materialize in the future, giving medical doctors courage to prescribe herbs for treatment of endometriosis.
(Image via flickr)
