Pelvic Health > Uterine Fibroids
Uterine Fibroids (Myomas, Leiomyomas)
~ What it is, why it happens, and how gentle, long-term TCM care can help ~
Fibroids are common growths in the uterus.
The good news is they are benign and do not spread like cancer. The difficult news is that they can cause a range of symptoms, from heavy periods and pelvic fullness to fertility challenges and pregnancy complications.
If fibroids are familiar to you, it is natural to ask why so few truly holistic, body-honouring options are available. Well, there are options, but they aren't discussed widely enough. This page explains what fibroids are, how they are commonly treated, and how thoughtful supportive care can help over the long term.
This page offers a deeper look at what Uterine Fibroids are, why they happen, and how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Massage Therapy can support long-term, body-honouring change.
If you're new to TCM, it might be helpful to start with the What is TCM? page, so you have context for the terms and concepts used here. Our Pelvic Health Overview page goes over what Pelvic Health is and what a healthy menstruation looks like.
Feel free to scroll down or jump to the section that feels most relevant to you today.
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Fibroids, also called myomas or leiomyomas, are non-cancerous lumps that form in or on the uterine wall
They range in size from tiny to quite large (sometimes grows 20cm or more!). Some people have a single fibroid; others have several. Small fibroids often show up by chance on an ultrasound. Larger ones are more likely to cause a sense of pressure or other symptoms.
Types of fibroids are named by location. A fibroid inside the uterine cavity can affect bleeding and fertility. Fibroids in the wall or on the outer surface may press on surrounding structures or create a feeling of fullness.
What Causes Uterine Fibroids?
Western medicine points to hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, genetic tendency, body weight, and factors like early menstruation or race.
Those factors matter, but they do not explain everything. In practice, fibroids form for a mix of biological, lifestyle, and personal reasons. We attend to all of that when offering support.
Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids
Fun fact: Fibroids themselves do not have nerves, so they are not painful on their own.
So why you feel symptoms? What you feel comes from how the fibroid affects nearby tissue or alters your bleeding. Symptoms vary by person, and by the fibroid’s size and position.
Common symptoms include:
Heavy or prolonged periods
Pelvic pressure or a sense of fullness
Fatigue from blood loss
Irregular cycles
Infertility or recurrent miscarriage in some cases
Frequent need to urinate or constipation
Pain with sex or low back pain
Symptoms may be constant for some people, or come and go for others. They can worsen with certain activities and ease with others.
How Do I Know If I Have Uterine Fibroids?
Small fibroids often go unnoticed and are found incidentally during an ultrasound.
Larger fibroids may be felt as a firm, round mass in the lower abdomen on physical exam.
An ultrasound is the usual way to confirm the diagnosis; MRI is used in some situations. That said, you do not need a formal diagnosis to begin supportive care. If your periods have changed, you feel persistent pelvic tension, or something simply feels off, that is a valid reason to seek attentive care.
Fibroids, Fertility and Pregnancy: What To Expect
Fibroids can affect fertility and pregnancy depending on size and location.
Possible impacts include difficulty conceiving, miscarriage, preterm labour, placental issues, and postpartum bleeding.
If pregnancy is a plan for you, addressing fibroids earlier rather than later is often wise. Supportive care can be offered alongside medical fertility pathways.
What's Normally Offered For Fibroids?
In general, Western Medicine offers following treatment options for Uterine Fibroids depending on the size, locations, and overall symptoms.
Conservative: Wait & see. if the fibroids are small and not causing any symptoms, you might be told to just leave them alone
Hormone Therapy: to reduce or stop bleeding or shrink fibroids temporarily
Uterine Abrasion: to burn the fibroids with heat and make them "die"
Uterine Fibroid Embolization: to block the blood flow that supply fibroids
Surgery: to remove fibroids or, in some cases, the uterus itself
These options can be appropriate and even necessary for some cases. A common frustration is that they may not address what allowed the fibroid to form in the first place. Supportive care can sit alongside medical treatment to lessen symptoms, support recovery, and help reduce recurrence.
TCM View Of Uterine Fibroids
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees fibroids as an entry point to understanding root imbalances. In other words, rather than focusing only on treating what is happening, TCM investigates why it has happened (what allowed it to happen in the first place) and treats that accordingly. TCM also considers each person’s unique circumstances and constitution. This means two people with fibroids of the same size and location might receive different herbal prescriptions, acupuncture points, or dietary recommendations.
Here are some ways TCM treats uterine fibroids based on common patterns (what’s pattern?):
Liver Qi Stagnation: susceptible to stress and anger; symptoms may include PMS, dizziness, menstrual cramps, IBS
Blood stasis: menstruation with brown spotting, large blood clots, stabbing pain, or symptoms following miscarriage or birth
External factors: exposure of the perineum to cold or dampness, such as swimming or damp/humid climates
Spleen deficiency: fatigue, anxiety or worry, pale menstrual blood, bloating, loose stools
Dampness/Phlegm: weak digestion failing to metabolize fluids, which can turn into new growth
Often more than one of these causes is present. Treatment is offered strategically to address the most pressing concerns, especially pain and bleeding, then to tackle underlying imbalances accordingly.
When there is underlying weakness, we help rebuild what the body is lacking, or the issues will return. When the body is creating new growth that shouldn’t be there, it’s trying to congeal something with the resources available. We respect what the body has been trying to do, and by balancing it, we gently encourage your body to release it.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Fibroids
Herbal medicine is one of the main pillars of treatment for uterine fibroids.
Herbs provide a daily dose of therapy you give yourself. They nourish the body while helping to release what it’s holding onto.
Herbs in TCM aren’t just chosen because they ease pain—they’re selected to match your pattern and bring your body back into harmony.
For example, two people with similar pain may need completely different herbal prescriptions. One might need warming and circulating herbs; another may require cooling and soothing herbs. That’s the beauty of Chinese herbal medicine, it’s adaptable, dynamic, and tailored to your body’s story.
A daily dose of herbs can ease pain and bring the whole body back into balance steadily over time.
Curious about herbs? We invite you to explore on the Chinese Herbal Medicine page.
Peristeam (Vaginal Steam/Yoni Steam) for Fibroids
Peristeam, also known as vaginal or yoni steam, is a gentle, traditional practice involving sitting over warm herbal steam directed toward the perineum.
It may sound unusual at first, especially if you’re hearing about it for the first time, but across many cultures, this was once common pelvic and uterine care.
It’s not always the extreme, expensive, “newer” approach that brings the results you desire. Sometimes the answer lies in the wisdom of tradition.
You might have heard scary stories about burns from peristeam, but such risks can come with anything. It’s often not the steam itself that’s harmful, but how it’s done.
When used appropriately (not too hot, with herbs matched to your cycle and overall “patterns”, and for the right duration), peristeam can:
Improve circulation in the uterus
Support the release of infection and inflammation
clear external factors or excess damp/phlegm
Nourish pelvic region
Help with scar tissue
It’s not a magic solution on its own, but when offered as part of a customized treatment plan with other TCM care, it can be a powerful, comforting addition to your fibroid self-care routine.
More guidance can be found on our Peristeam page, and a Fall 2025 Peristeam blog series are in the works.
Acupuncture For Fibroids
Acupuncture is like an OS update for your body and mind.
Used for centuries to ease menstrual discomfort, it works by improving blood flow, calming the nervous system, releasing pain-easing substances, supporting immunity, and helping your body reset inflammatory and hormonal imbalances.
In TCM, we treat across the whole cycle—not just the bleeding days. Weekly sessions support each phase as it leads to the next, helping your body prepare for menstruation without usual drama. Each session targets a different phase of your cycle.
Your menstrual pain care is best started throughout the month, not only when you have pain.
You don’t need to live at the clinic forever. We aim for change that sticks.
We invite you to explore more on our Acupuncture page.
Feeling ready to work with your cycle instead of fighting it? You’re welcome to begin at your own pace. Some start with a Discovery Call to get a feel for the care, while others jump into treatment when they’re ready.
Chinese Dietary Therapy for Fibroids
Chinese Medicine Dietary Therapy is based on TCM’s understanding of food and the person’s condition.
What you eat matters, but in TCM, how and when you eat is just as important.
For example, cold, raw foods (like smoothies, salads, iced coffee) may seem harmless or even favoured in Western society, but they can cool the uterus and hinder circulation. They can also weaken digestion, which supports all body and mind functions. That’s not what we want before a big monthly event like menstruation nor when you are working on fibroids.
Warm, cooked foods, gentle spices like ginger and cinnamon, and eating in a calm environment help your body feel safe enough to let go.
More importantly, we consider the state in which you eat your food—this is the “how.”
You don’t have to give up everything, but making proactive choices about what you invite into your body plays a significant role in helping menstrual pain. It’s also about creating a clearer signal and minimizing noise so your body can focus on healing and respond better to treatment.
You can read more on our TCM Diet Therapy page.
Pelvic/Uterine Massage (Mercier Therapy) for Uterine Fibroids
The uterus isn’t rigidly fixed inside the pelvis. Like your shoulder muscles, it’s supported by soft tissue and fascia that shift with posture, stress, surgery, or injury. It needs to move to serve its purpose and be pain free.
Over time, tension, adhesions, or lack of mobility can restrict blood flow and create stasis, and vice versa.
While mobilizing the pelvic organs or supporting the integrity and blood/lymph flow itself is not a cure for fibroids, it can provide some benefits.
Pelvic massage (sometimes called uterine massage) helps:
Restore natural mobility to the uterus
Ease scar tissue or fascial restrictions
Encourage blood and lymph circulation
Reduce chronic pelvic pain
Support healthy, pain-free menstruation
Calm the nervous system
Help you connect with your own body
This work is gentle and slow. It’s not about forcing change but inviting softness and reconnection into a part of the body often ignored until it hurts. At Tsumugi Healing Arts, Pelvic massage is offered as Mercier Therapy.
More details are available on our Pelvic Massage (Mercier Therapy) page.
Healing Timeline
A common benchmark for pelvic work is three consecutive symptom-free cycles: no severe cramps, no flooding, and no draining fatigue. For fibroids, a reduction in its size. Reaching that can take several months of consistent care plus supportive habits at home. Larger or long-standing fibroids may extend that timeline. Patience is needed, but steady progress is common.
As a guideline, three months of continuous treatment is considered one course, but depending on severity and how much time you spend on self-care outside the clinic (herbs, diet, lifestyle), two or three courses might be necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes.
While the cycle is suppressed, we can still support your body’s root imbalances.
Some people work with us while coming off hormonal contraceptives.
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Most people see improvement within 1–3 cycles, though deeper healing can take longer.
That’s why we treat month by month, not just the days of pain.
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You don’t have to, but we generally recommend herbs (along with lifestyle and nutrition) as part of treatment for pelvic health. When we’re trying to rebalance cycles or hormones, herbs can help us move the needle more efficiently. We’ll always take your comfort and preferences into account.
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No.
You don’t need a diagnosis or referral to come in. If something just feels “off”, whether it’s heavy periods, digestive changes, or pelvic tension,, you’re welcome here. You don’t need a label to deserve care.
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Yes!
TCM shines in preventative care. If you’re approaching your 40s (or earlier) and want to support your body before symptoms appear, we can absolutely help. We’ll focus on nourishing your system and creating balance now, so your transition into (peri)menopause is as smooth as possible.
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Not at all.
You can absolutely receive treatment while on hormonal birth control. That said, it can be tricky to track menstrual changes or measure improvements while you’re not cycling naturally. If you and your prescribing doctor decide to stop it, we’ll support your body gently through that process, only when you’re ready.
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Not at all!
Our approach is integrative and collaborative. You can use both.
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Supportive care focuses on addressing the reasons fibroids formed and reducing symptoms. In some cases size can reduce with consistent work, but very large or problematic fibroids may require integrative medical pathways. When surgery or procedures are needed, supportive care can help before and after to improve recovery and resilience.
Thankfully, fibroids are benign, but for some it can cause symptoms and affect their quality of life. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
If you’re feeling ready to begin your journey toward pain-free, body-honouring care for your fibroids, we’re here to support you.
Care at Tsumugi is collaborative. We work as partners, walking with you, step by step, toward the kind of change that lasts.