Alternative Ways to Shrink or Even Eliminate Uterine Fibroids.

Fibroids are non cancerous masses that grow from the wall of the uterus; they can be as small as the dot or bigger than a grapefruit. You can have one fibroid or dozens.

Uterine fibroids can be symptom less, but they can also cause problems such as heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding between periods, constant pain or pressure in the abdomen or pelvis (or both), frequent urination (as a fibroid presses on the bladder), pain during intercourse, and lower-back pain.
And they're very common-25 to 50 percent of all women eventually develop them. Should those women have hysterectomies (surgery to remove the uterus, or womb)? Certainly not right away, says Jason Elias, a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine in New Paltz, New York.

"Unless a woman is bleeding so profusely that her health or life is threatened, I believe she should ask her surgeon to wait for 3 months, and during that time she should use natural means to attempt to reduce or eliminate her fibroids," he says.
Elias has seen dozens of cases in which fibroids have stopped growing, shrunk, or disappeared when a woman used alternative remedies. Here are some self-treatments that he suggests.

ACUPRESSURE: 10 Minutes of Hands-On Healing
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), chi is the life-force or energy that flows in currents, or meridians, throughout the body. The "liver chi" is understood to be both the organ itself and the energy system that controls the movement of the blood.
And, according to TCM, it is primarily "stagnant" liver chi that creates any kind of tumor or mass, including fibroids, Elias says. Stimulating the following acupressure points can help unblock stagnant liver chi and shrink fibroids, Elias says.

• LV3 is on the upper part of the foot between the big toe and the second toe, in the depression between the bones.
• LV14 is in the space between the ribs, two ribs from and directly below the nipple.
• CV 4 is in the exact middle of the body, halfway between the pubic bone and the navel.
• SP6 is approximately three thumb-widths above the inside ankle bone in a depression just to the side of the shinbone.
• SPI0 is on the inside of the knee, 2 ½ inches above the kneecap in the fleshy part of the bulge.

To work the points, sit in a chair and move from point to point, making circular movements with your thumb in a clockwise direction in and around the point for about 1 minute. Use pressure that's slightly painful but not so much so that you want to stop.

Work each point twice a day for at least 3 months. If your doctor confirms that your fibroids have shrunk or disappeared, continue stimulating the points to keep the fibroids from coming back.

FOOD: Avoid Eating Estrogen
The hormone estrogen "feeds" fibroids, says Elias, which is why they often vanish with menopause, when estrogen levels decrease. But you also feed yourself estrogen in foods such as red meat, poultry, dairy products, and eggs, which contain the synthetic estrogen routinely fed to animals that are grown for market.

"I believe high-estrogen foods should be avoided for the 3-month healing period and, ideally, thereafter," Elias says. One way to achieve this is to seek out organic, hormone-free dairy, eggs, meat, and poultry. Elias also asks his fibroid patients to avoid refined sugar, white flour, alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes, all of which stress the body and interfere with healing because they overwork the liver and lead to stagnation and fibroid growth.

FOOD: Have Lots of Fiber and Soy
Fiber helps the liver process and excrete excess estrogen, so Elias recommends emphasizing high-fiber foods such as whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruit. Also, concentrate on soybean products like soy milk, tofu, soy sauce, and miso (a flavorful soy paste). Soy is rich in natural estrogens called phytoestrogens, compounds that are 100 times weaker than synthetic estrogens, so they don't harm your body. But they do bind to estrogen receptor sites, preventing harmful synthetic estrogens from damaging your system, says Elias.

MAGNESIUM: Nourishment for the Muscle
A deficiency of the mineral magnesium is common among Americans, and it often creates stagnation in muscle tissue, such as the walls of the uterus, Elias says. Adequate amounts of the mineral relax muscle tissue, allowing a fresh flow of blood into the area. He recommends taking 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of supplemental magnesium a day.

B6 AND EVENING PRIMROSE OIL: To Process Estrogen
Elias suggests that women with fibroids take 100 milligrams a day of vitamin B6 and 1,000 milligrams a day of evening primrose oil, which supplies the essential fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Both of these supplements help the body process estrogen, he says.

MULTMTAMINIMINERAL SUPPLEMENT: To Boost Healing
Elias also recommends a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement to be sure that you're getting all the nutrients your body needs to heal. Follow the dosage recommendations on the label.

PROGESTERONE: To the Rescue
Progesterone cream contains natural progesterone, and supplying the body with more progesterone so that estrogen is not dominant can help heal fibroids, Elias says. Look for a cream that specifically lists progesterone, not wild yams, as an ingredient.
"I have been recommending this to my patients for 10 years, and it is quite safe," he says. Use the cream twice a day for about 15 days a month, from ovulation to the onset of menstruation. In the morning and again in the evening, rub Yz teaspoon of the cream into areas of soft skin, such as the insides of your thighs or your lower abdomen. Continue this process for at least 3 months. If your doctor confirms that your fibroids have shrunk or disappeared by that time, keep using the cream as a preventive measure.