Acupuncture Support

Dear M,

You can find descriptions of the posture in the FAQ section on the homepage. Acupuncture is useful for many ailments, but will not affect your prolapse at all. It’s not only that the uterus is gone, but also the broadest and most supportive connections to the pelvis have been removed. Clearing energy channels cannot remedy such a situation.

In a very real sense, M, you now have a disability and it would be wise to start planning how best to support your health from here forward. Lifting and all other actions that steeply raise intraabdominal pressure should be strictly avoided. Perhaps external supports like the V-brace and V2 supporter (Google will bring up both) will give you relief and the postural work may also be of some value to you. Tai chi and acupuncture may help your overall state of well being, but you need to have both an understanding of your condition and realistic expectations so you know how to plan.

Wishing you well,

Christine

Dear Margaret,

Thank you so much for your message. Post-surgical women have been contacting me for three years since the book was published and I’ve tried very hard to gain a clear understanding of what is possible. I’m very encouraged for you and grateful that you will continue to keep us posted on your progress.

Christine

Hi Margret,

As a final year student acupuncturist with a bladder/urethra prolpase I found you're post really interesting.

I'm sorry to hear about your 2nd degree vaginal prolpase and the surgeries you've had to endure and will try answer some of you're question's regarding people's finding's about acupuncture and tcm for prolapse.

If it's ok i'll also take this opportunity to update the women from the group on what i've found out as i said i'd do weeks ago (ooops- sorry!)

Well i've been to approx six acupuncturists in four years because i didn't stay with people i didn't find very good and becuase of moving countries.

None had any experience of reversing prolapse, while all thought acupuncture could be usefull for this. One acupuncturist worked with a woman for a few years and there were no changes in her prolapse and she subsequently decided on surgery.

My most recent acupuncturist is the one woth the most expertise, A TCM doctor, trained in bejing hospital where she also taught,and i've seen her for about a year with no changes to my prolpase. (I do find it very usefull for general health, colds etc..)

Through my study i've learnt all the points for prolapse of rectum, uterus, bladder etc and those appropriate to me have been used.

I've also asked each of my very well trained teachers what their conclusion is on reversing prolapse and half of them said they didn't think it could reverse it, the other half didn't know either way.

Then just recently i went to a seminar with one of TCM's most brilliant teachers in the west Giovanni Moccacio (author of most TCM students textbooks in the west) and i asked him in lecture-break could acupunture/ acupuncture and herbs reverse prolpase.

He said "maybe" if it was a very mild prolapse. Otherwise "no" he really didn't think so.

I've been trying to find prolapse trials in the accredited acupuncture journals and have only come across the one on rectal prolapse,(a brief) but these trials i've been told are often quite unscientific with small sample groups,and i have yet to purchase and read the rectal one.

I think there is a chance of change possibly* with very intense work of maybe ten treatments over ten days such as i saw described in a case studies book for prolapse treatment. This work pulled out all the stops using about 6 different methods of treatment (many not even done in the west such as vaginal chinese-herb steaming).

But who can pay those prices or have that sort of time and/ or go to a practitioner with the same expertise to give that a shot.

When i go to china next year perhaps i'll find out differently but so far i don't think acupuncture with a regular acupuncturist on a normal time frame is going to reverse prolapse at all.

However i do think it is great for many of the associated problems such as the pressure (bearing down) feeling and back pain that you said you had relief from.

Whilst in the cases of those who've had surgery such as you'rs i agree with Christine when she said "but also the broadest and most supportive connections to the pelvis have been removed. Clearing energy channels cannot remedy such a situation"

You also asked about qi gong and tai qi. I sat in on one tai qi class and found that many of the moves involved these half squats which i think would put a lot of pressure on the pelvic area.

But i've started qi gong classes in the last few weeks and find them enjoyable, relaxing and invigorating.

The standing default posture of qi gong is a bended knee as if sitting with a straightened back and i ran this past my osteopath (who loves christine's book) and she said it is fine for prolapse and that the slight belly posture would be unsuitabe with the slight knee bend.

In September i start a intensive course in medical qi gong and of course i'll find out what i can for our situation at that.

I look forward to hearing how you progress with you're treatment's and you're future studies and eventual practice. It'll be great to talk to another woman investigating the use's of acupuncture for prolapses and the (sometime) accompanying problems of prolapse.

And i'm sorry that overall i didn't have more positive news about acupuncture than i do so far.

Best Wishes

Anne-helen

When I discovered my prolapse last December I immediately turned to a very capable acupuntcurist who trained in China and who was convinced she could reverse my prolapse through intense frequent treatments. She rarely gets to treat anyone for prolapsein the US though in China she constantly did with success. However, once I read Christine's book, saw her video, and became a user of this comforting forum, I realized that probably what she thought was success was more due to the fact that the Chinese women she worked with already practiced a lot of the postures we are working on all their lives--especially squatting for toileting. My experience with acupuncture has been positive for many other conditions which I have but not necessarily for prolapse. It can get costly in a hurry. My biggest challenge is getting this 67 year old body to relearn proper posture! I'm trying and it does help. However the sitting posture is the biggest challenge for me because my legs aren't used to supporting my body in a sitting position!!!

Thank you for taking the time to share all of this info.