A couple of months ago, I was asked to contribute an article to the journal of our Swiss TCM Professional Organization, TCM-FVS. It was to be about Endometriosis and how it can be treated with Tui Na Massage. I went through the process of researching the current available research and treatment methods for Endometriosis in biomedicine, as well as my own knowledge and experience in treating this condition.

First of all, to understand the word Endometriosis, we must understand its Latin-Greek description. Endo as a prefix, means “inner” or “within,” Metr- is “uterus,” together they refer to the inner lining of the uterus. Osis as a suffix to any word means “disease” or “abnormal.” It helps to have studied medical terminology in university. Endometrium refers to the inner lining of the Uterus. Therefore, Endometriosis refers to abnormal endometrial lining. In a healthy human uterus, the endometrium thickens and sheds with every menstrual cycle, flowing through the cervix, into the vagina and out of the body. In Endometriosis, some hypothesize that there is an incomplete or even a backflow of menstrual blood, causing a stasis of blood not only in the Uterus, but also on the organs surrounding the Uterus, like the uterine tubes, ovaries, rectum or intestines. When the endometrium does not completely shed but remains stagnant in the Uterus, this is called Adenomyosis, not Endometriosis. The most common symptom for both conditions is pain, before or during menses, dysmenorrhea, or even with sexual intercourse, dyspareunia. There are finally other newer hypotheses being suggested. I say finally because this hypothesis is almost a 100-years old proposed by Sampson and has not been proven or unproven; therefore, hasn’t/ shouldn’t even be elevated to theory status but is often falsely stated. It is the oldest of the hypotheses, as Endometriosis has been ignored as a condition in biomedical field for a long time and many observe the reasons to be a neglect of female-health issues, not taking women-s health complains as serious health conditions.

In Chinese Medicine, conditions such as Endometriosis, which is by no means the only female uro-genital condition, have mostly to do with stagnation; stagnation of Qi, Blood, Dampness, Phlegm. These cause blockage in flow and can result in physical masses, when not brought into motion over a long period of time. For Chinese Medicine, the result of the stagnation is only one part of the picture; we ask the questions of how and why, the process of which this stagnation is occurring. If we were to view the body like a river, flowing with water, nourishing and creating little ecosystems wherever it flows; then the Uterus would be one of these areas of movement and life. Like in a river, if the amount of energy and water is lacking, there will be too little movement and nourishment; thereby, causing stasis and/ or deficiency. Sometimes in a river, we also find debris from upstream, garbage that shouldn’t be there but is, which can cause blockage and changes in flow, as well as change the environment within the river. This is also what can happen in our bodies, as such we maintain regular flow of Qi and Blood in the body with Tui Na Massage, Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine.

In my research, observation and experience about treating people with Endometriosis, I have found that every person’s story is different, as such needs an individually-tailored strategy. I have also found that we in our modern society tend to look outward, instead of inward for answers and solutions; we try to find the info about our own bodies outside us, instead of within us. So often the clues and answers are right there within us, we just have to take time to connect, listen and feel, in order to understand.

I have attached the article I wrote in English, which appeared in German in the June 2025 Yin Yang TCM Fachmagazin. But before you read it, place your hands on your abdomen and connect with your being inwards.
 
 


 
Image by SimonLeeMaryan on Pixabay

As a 17-year-old in my last year of secondary school, my English teacher made us debate the topic of abortion. She, Mrs. Narayanan, who was a Catholic, placed the girl who sat next to me and myself on the side of pro-abortion. Till that point in time, I had not taken a stance on the issue, as many teenagers are at that age with life issues. I was brought up in the Catholic faith; I went to Sunday mass and religious classes with bible study and of the such. In one of those classes, at primary school age, we were even shown a video about what happens to the “unborn child” in utero, with the agenda to steer us in the direction of being against abortion. Anyway, as my fellow student and I gathered the points of debate for abortion, I started to realize how unfavorable things were for the woman, who would be pregnant and needed/ wanted an abortion. By the end of that class and our debate, I was convinced that the stigma, rules and laws made by societies around the world to outlaw abortion were unfair to women; I joined the camp of Pro-Choice of the individual from that day onward, thanks to Mrs. Narayanan, which I do not imagine was her intention of the debate. Within the years that followed, I watched a movie about Roe v. Wade, a true account of Roe’s life, her experience in the system when she wanted to have an abortion, was declined, fought with her lawyers for the change in the law and how abortion came to be a constitutional right in the USA in 1973.

Fast forward 31 years to 2022, I was appalled when Roe v. Wade was overturned in the USA. I am stunned to hear that there are still places in Europe, where I was led to believe, like in North America, which champion the rights of women and humans, which still do not honor the rights of a woman to abort, if she chooses to. I risk sounding political, which I am sorry if I offend anyone, but how can we say that we care about human rights and do not allow women to choose what they see fit to do with their own bodies? I grew up in a restrictive, even oppressive political environment, where if one did not agree with the powers that be in the country, one would be censored, jailed or even killed for speaking up. I have often heard comments of the backward, uncivilized manner in which we live and treat living beings, humans and animals included, in parts of Asia, spoken by Westerners. When I hear of how some countries in Europe and parts of the USA that still curb the rights of women to choose in 2024 as to what should happen with their bodies, I am appalled. I am disgusted by the hypocrisy and the lousy lip-service paid to women’s and human rights.

I am aware that with the right to choose, as with a democratic style of government, one has to have the ability to think for one’s self as well as to have the availability of information to the individual; in order for us to make the “right” choices for ourselves, we must be able to access the “right” information. About a year ago, as I was preparing for our Women’s Health project at ICM, I asked myself, “What actually happens to a woman’s body when she takes oral contraception?” I do not use oral contraception myself but I know of many women, friends and patients, who do; I am aware of its effects on many women’s bodies and minds, and through Chinese Medicine aid them in finding balance in their body-minds. As I researched, I realized that many of the women I knew, who shared their menstrual cycle patterns with me or what they thought was a menstrual cycle, were not aware that they were not having a menstrual bleed when they took the Pill. The official, scientific term for the bleeding provoked when the hormones of the Pill are stopped, is “withdrawal bleeding.” “Withdrawal” as in the state that one experiences when one gets off drugs. Many of the women I know, who take oral contraception, are not even aware that they do not have a menstrual cycle. Many of them began the Pill as teenagers, when at the gynecologist, maybe even for the very first time, were told that if they didn’t want acne or to “regulate” their menstrual cycle and at the same time not get pregnant, they should take the Pill. This is not “informed consent;” they were not informed that they aren’t actually having a menstrual cycle or that there may be side-effects to hormonal contraception use. It was just given to them by those “trusted” individuals in a white-coat, telling them that this is their “best” option to make life “easier” and have clear skin.

In this age of information, we have to take back the autonomy of our own bodies into our own hands, which we somehow or another gave away to those whom we think know more than we do about our own bodies. We need to research what is best for our health and make the best choices for our own bodies, female or male or otherwise. Our health practitioners can only be guides and offer us possibilities for treatment. The final say lays with us. We are the ones who will live with the consequences of any action or procedure done onto our bodies, whether we like it or not. As a health practitioner, I can only provide treatment possibilities, within the scope of my practice, with the best interest of the individual client. A person’s health journey is theirs to walk, I am simply accompanying them, aiding them as best I can on their way. Sometimes it means I can only hold their hand for part of the way, sometimes it means I can carry them with my treatments part of the way. Ultimately, they need to walk their path.

This Thursday, June 20, 2024 is the Summer Solstice and the (almost) Full-Moon. It is the day I have chosen to present our Women’s Life Phases - Menstruation talk. It is meant as a way to honor women and provide a space for information and exchange with other women especially on some very, till now hidden theme of menstruation. All are welcome, even men or others. Join us!




Image by ICM
    

​As I sat on the sofa one day at the end of the 1990s, in between studies and work at university in the US, I heard a talk on TV given by a "Holistic" medical physician. Her name is Dr. Christiane Northrup. First of all, I had not even known that a Holistic medical doctor even existed at that point in time, so I listened. Her talk was about the book she had written a few years earlier entitled, " Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom." She asked a very awakening question that touched me deeply and I am paraphrasing it, "How would it be if a girl is taught at a very young age that her menstrual cycle which she would experience from puberty onward is her ability to bring life into the world and that it is something special?" I thought to myself, "Wow! How would that have been for me if I had heard this at that point in time?" 
 
The experience of my personal menarche came back to me in that moment. No adult in my family had explained to me what the menstrual period was; my sisters sort of tried but not really as they themselves were teenagers. The first I heard was from other girls my age or a little older. They told me all sorts of strange things that invoked fear, "bleeding from below that can come at anytime," "pain!" and "blood stains all over your clothes." The only adult who did talk to us about the menstrual period was a female educator, hired by the school system and menstrual hygiene company to explain to us, by showing us a video of what happens anatomically, marking the calendar monthly, how to wear a pad or possibly a tampon and giving out free samples of menstrual pads to us 10-11-year-olds; I am sure this was a strategy to ensure that we, pre-pubescent girls, would buy and favor their brand of sanitary hygiene products for the rest of our menstruating years. No one mentioned how special it was, or anything about life-giving. I wasn't welcomed into womanhood, I felt like it was more of hiding my femaleness, being more segregated from the males of my society and definitely no sign of honoring me being a woman. Almost a feeling of shame, if I am honest about it. I did not receive a special ritual or celebration of entering womanhood, as in many traditional cultures. It was kept as quiet as possible. When my menarche came, it was a little uncomfortable for me to tell my mom that it had begun. I had the free samples sanitary pads from years earlier to use, but I did tell her in whispers and she provided me with more. But there was no more talk about how it was, her own experience of menses or anything else. 
 
After Dr. Christiane Northrup's talk, which also focused on other themes of being a woman, I knew that if I ever had children, especially females one, I would be open to explaining and sharing my experiences of menstruation; to explain to them how special it is that they have a monthly bleeding that prepares our women bodies to bring life into the world and how this connects us to the Earth, as well as all life on Earth. Also, to welcome them into the circle of Women and celebrate their Womanhood. I do not have female children but that has not stopped me from sharing with my young men about menses and our bodies, female and male. If this information doesn't come from me, who will share it with them? 
I realized that I did not want a repeat of misinformation and ignorance, like I experienced as a teenager, because the adults around me were too ashamed to discuss their/our bodies. I also share this with my patients, some are young girls coming into womanhood and others are grown women, mothers or grandmothers, entering the "changing years." We speak openly about menstruation and other phases in life that women go through, our experiences and that we do not have to accept pain or discomfort as 'normal'; there are Chinese medical plants, (acu)points and practices that help create smoother menstrual flow. I believe that through bringing light to these very important life themes, we dispel these archaic ideas of shame of our bodies. Our bodies are as natural as nature is.
 
This year at ICM, we have decided to honor and give space to Womanhood. We will be launching our Women-Life-Phases project - to inform, create consciousness, to honor Womanhood and provide healing support through Chinese Medicine, as well as other healing modalities. This does not mean we don't give space to males, that may be our next project for the coming years. It is our way of creating balance that has been lacking in our society/world for a while. It is also quite ironic that this comes at our 15th anniversary year, almost as if ICM is at its "coming of age." Watch out for info coming up on our website, in the form of live presentations, pamphlets, info sheets and who knows what else.  
 
 
 
 
Image by Anna Shvets on pexels.com