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I Have a Uterine Lump, Is There Any Other Way Besides Surgery?

When diagnosed with "having a uterine lump," what many women think of first is 'surgery.' However, a diagnosis of a uterine lump, or uterine fibroid, does not immediately mean surgery is required. Especially for women of childbearing age, concerns about preserving the uterus are deep. Many hesitate to treat due to vague fear and burden of surgery while struggling with various symptoms such as extreme menstrual cramps, heavy bleeding, anemia, and chronic fatigue. However, uterine fibroids can worsen in size and number if left unattended, and in severe cases can lead to infertility, requiring active management.

💡 [Key Answer] Top 3 most common causes of "Uterine Lump (Uterine Fibroid)": ① Female hormone imbalance / ② Uterine blood circulation stagnation (blood stasis) / ③ Abnormal uterine cell growth Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic treats the root cause through constitutional improvement treatment, fundamentally restoring the uterine environment to inhibit lump growth and alleviate symptoms.

Uterine fibroids are benign tumors occurring in the muscular layer of the uterus, found in about 50% of women of childbearing age. While the exact cause is not yet clearly known, they are known to grow mainly under the influence of the female hormone estrogen.

In Korean medicine, uterine fibroids are called 'Zhengjia' or 'Jiju', and are viewed as blood stasis and damp-phlegm accumulating in the uterus, stagnating qi and blood circulation and forming lumps. This is interpreted as a result of a broken healthy environment of the uterus due to the complex interaction of stress, irregular lifestyle habits, cold lower body environment, and poor dietary habits beyond simple hormone imbalance. For example, a cold lower body hinders blood circulation and promotes blood stasis generation, and a high-carbohydrate and high-protein diet acidifies blood and degrades uterine function.

"Is there really no other way than surgery?" is a question most desperately asked by many diagnosed with uterine fibroids. Of course, surgical treatment may be necessary depending on the size, location, and severity of symptoms of the fibroid. However, when preserving the uterus is top priority or the burden of surgery is high, non-surgical treatment can be a sufficiently effective alternative.

Recently, non-invasive treatments such as HIFU procedures have also drawn attention, but they are not applicable to all uterine fibroids, and factors such as fibroid location, size, count, and patient's pregnancy plans must be comprehensively considered. Especially since recurrence is reported in nearly half of patients even after uterine fibroid surgery, preventing recurrence through fundamental uterine environment improvement rather than simply removing the lump is important.

Korean medicine treatment for uterine fibroids focuses on inhibiting the growth of lumps, alleviating related symptoms, and healthily restoring the uterine environment. This can contribute to preserving the uterus and increasing natural recovery capacity.

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis by Shi S, Ye Q and other research teams published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2021, when Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction herbal medicine was combined with Mifepristone for uterine fibroid patients, it showed a significantly higher effective rate (RR 1.20, 95% CI: 1.14-1.27) compared to the Mifepristone single administration group. In particular, uterine fibroid volume (SMD -1.60) and total uterine volume (SMD -1.65) significantly decreased, and estradiol (E2) and progesterone levels also significantly decreased. The researchers concluded that this result suggests the combination therapy of Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction and Mifepristone is effective in treating uterine fibroids.

As another study, in a systematic review and meta-analysis by Li Q, Zhang L and other research teams published in Annals of Palliative Medicine in 2021, the effect of herbal prescriptions containing Ejiao or Velvet antler on uterine fibroid treatment was analyzed. This study reported that herbal prescriptions combined with Mifepristone were more effective in reducing fibroid size, and showed advantages over the control group in improving fibroid-related symptoms and reducing side effect incidence. In particular, the effect of lowering E2 and progesterone levels in non-menopausal women was also confirmed. The researchers concluded that herbal prescriptions reduce uterine fibroid size, improve related symptoms, and decrease estrogen and progesterone levels, causing fewer side effects.

Based on these data, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch eliminates internal blood stasis and damp-phlegm which are causes of uterine fibroids, improves blood circulation around the uterus, and helps the uterus maintain a healthy state on its own through systemic constitutional improvement. We focus on correcting female hormone imbalance, optimizing the uterine environment to inhibit fibroid growth, alleviating symptoms, and lowering the possibility of recurrence.

At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, 'constitutional improvement' is taken as the core principle in treating uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are viewed not simply as a matter of removing a single lump, but as a result of problems manifesting in a specific organ, the uterus, as the balance of the entire body breaks down. We treat by considering overall factors affecting uterine health such as hormone balance, blood circulation, and immunity.

Creating a body that does not turn back on rather than just putting out symptoms, this is the direction pursued by Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic's constitutional improvement treatment. Through complex Korean medicine treatments such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, and pharmacopuncture tailored to individual constitution and fibroid characteristics, we restore uterine function and strengthen systemic immunity to create a healthy uterine environment. This can also help improve other women's conditions that may accompany uterine fibroids, such as menstrual cramps, menstrual irregularities, or infertility.

If 3 or more of the following apply to you, you should suspect uterine fibroids and consult professional medical institutions like Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch. If 5 or more apply, immediate visit is recommended.

• □ Menstrual volume suddenly increased or period became longer.
• □ Menstrual cramps became severe and painkillers do not work well.
• □ There is abnormal bleeding even when it is not menstruation period.
• □ Lower abdomen feels heavy or a palpable lump is felt.
• □ Frequent urination or residual urine sensation is felt.
• □ Back or pelvic pain is severe.
• □ Anemia symptoms (dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath) appear.
• □ Pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse.
• □ Difficulty getting pregnant or experienced miscarriage.

Diagnosis: 3 or more apply -> Suspect uterine environment imbalance -> Consider complex Korean medicine treatment Diagnosis: 5 or more apply -> High possibility of uterine fibroid worsening -> Immediate visit recommended

Q. Can uterine fibroids disappear naturally? A. Uterine fibroids are benign tumors, and their size often decreases or growth stops as female hormones decrease after menopause. However, complete natural disappearance is rare, and steady management is required until menopause.

Q. Is pregnancy difficult if you have uterine fibroids? A. Depending on the location or size of uterine fibroids, they can affect pregnancy. In particular, submucosal fibroids close to the endometrium can hinder implantation or increase the risk of miscarriage. However, not all uterine fibroids cause infertility, so it is important to diagnose individual status and establish a treatment plan.

Q. Is it true that herbal medicine can make uterine fibroids grow larger? A. This is incorrect information. Rather, herbal medicine can help inhibit the growth of uterine fibroids and alleviate symptoms. Herbal medicine aims to improve uterine blood circulation, regulate hormone balance, and make the uterine environment healthy. However, it must be taken according to an expert's accurate diagnosis and prescription.

Q. I am looking for a uterine fibroid Korean medicine clinic in Songdo. What should I consider? A. When choosing a uterine fibroid Korean medicine clinic in Songdo, it is important to check whether there are medical staff with abundant clinical experience and expertise in uterine diseases, and whether they provide customized treatment considering individual constitution and fibroid characteristics. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch has earned patients' trust through women's disease specialized treatment.

Uterine fibroids are not problems to be endured. You no longer have to ignore the body's signals sent for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, the body responds faster than you think. Bring your current symptoms as they are. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to yours through Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic website AI consultation first!

Medical Supervision | Women and Pregnancy Treatment Standards Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Songdo Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Oh Hyunmin (Uterine Fibroid Column)