Adenomyosis - Wokingham, Berkshire

On this page

1. What is adenomyosis?
2. Symptoms of adenomyosis
3. Causes of adenomyosis
4. Adenomyosis in traditional Chinese medicine
5. Chinese herbal medicine for adenomyosis
6. Acupuncture for adenomyosis
7. Self-care for adenomyosis
8. Commonly asked questions
9. References

1. What is adenomyosis?

Adenomyosis is a chronic gynaecological condition in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus (the endometrium) grows into the muscular wall of the uterus (the myometrium). Unlike endometriosis — where endometrial-like tissue grows outside the uterus — adenomyosis involves invasion into the uterine muscle itself, causing the uterus to become enlarged, tender and dysfunctional. It is estimated to affect around 1 in 10 women, though because it shares symptoms with other conditions and requires specialist imaging to diagnose accurately, it is significantly under-diagnosed — many women suffer for years before receiving a correct diagnosis.

Adenomyosis is associated with some of the most severe period pain experienced by women, often described as excruciating and incapacitating. Conventional management options — hormonal contraceptives, the Mirena coil, GnRH analogues and ultimately hysterectomy — can manage symptoms but carry their own limitations and side effects. Chinese herbal medicine, which has been used to treat blood stasis conditions of the uterus for thousands of years, offers a meaningful natural approach that can substantially reduce pain, regulate bleeding and improve quality of life.

I treat adenomyosis at my clinics in Wokingham, Berkshire and offer online herbal consultations for patients who cannot attend in person. Adenomyosis frequently coexists with fibroids and endometriosis, and I am experienced in treating all three conditions together.

2. Symptoms of adenomyosis

Adenomyosis can cause a wide range of symptoms that fluctuate with the menstrual cycle and worsen progressively over time. The most common include:

1. Severe period pain (dysmenorrhoea) — the hallmark symptom of adenomyosis. Pain is typically severe, cramping and begins several days before menstruation, peaking during the heaviest days of bleeding. It is often described as significantly worse than “normal” period pain and may be debilitating, preventing attendance at work or school
2. Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) — prolonged, very heavy periods often with large clots, leading to chronic iron deficiency anaemia and profound fatigue
3. Chronic pelvic pain — a persistent aching or pressure in the pelvis that may be present throughout the month, not only during menstruation
4. Enlarged, tender uterus — the uterus may be two to three times its normal size, causing a feeling of heaviness and abdominal bloating
5. Painful intercourse (dyspareunia) — deep pelvic pain during or after sex, which can significantly impact relationships and quality of life
6. Spotting between periods — irregular light bleeding or spotting outside of the main menstrual period
7. Bladder and bowel pressure — an enlarged uterus can press on adjacent structures, causing urinary frequency or bowel discomfort
8. Fatigue and mood disturbance — chronic pain and heavy blood loss both contribute to significant fatigue, anxiety and depression
9. Fertility difficulties — adenomyosis can impair uterine receptivity and is associated with increased risk of miscarriage and difficulties with IVF implantation

Adenomyosis frequently coexists with other conditions including uterine fibroids, endometriosis and PCOS, and the combination of conditions can significantly compound symptom severity.

3. Causes of adenomyosis

The precise cause of adenomyosis is not fully understood in Western medicine. The leading theories suggest that it involves disruption of the boundary between the endometrium and the myometrium, allowing endometrial cells to invade the muscle layer. This disruption may be triggered by uterine trauma (such as surgery, including caesarean section or dilation and curettage), hormonal factors including oestrogen dominance, chronic inflammation of the uterine lining, and genetic predisposition. Like fibroids, adenomyosis is oestrogen-dependent and tends to worsen during the reproductive years and improve after the menopause.

Chronic stress plays a significant role in worsening adenomyosis symptoms. It increases systemic inflammation, disrupts hormonal balance and, in TCM terms, exacerbates the Liver Qi stagnation and blood stasis that underlie the condition.

4. Adenomyosis in traditional Chinese medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), adenomyosis falls within the categories of Tong Jing (dysmenorrhoea), Yue Jing Guo Duo (menorrhagia) and Zheng Jia (uterine masses). The fundamental pathology, as in fibroids and endometriosis, is blood stasis in the uterus — the accumulation of stagnant blood that cannot be properly cleared with each menstrual cycle and which becomes embedded within the uterine wall. The invasive, deeply embedded nature of the endometrial tissue in adenomyosis corresponds in TCM to a more severe and deep-seated blood stasis than is seen in surface conditions. The specific patterns most commonly encountered are:

Qi stagnation and blood stasis

The most prevalent pattern, driven by chronic stress, emotional suppression, frustration or overwork causing Liver Qi stagnation that then obstructs the free circulation of blood in the uterus. Severe cramping pain that is worse with pressure, dark blood with clots, breast tenderness before periods, irritability and a wiry pulse are characteristic. The pain typically begins before menstruation and is at its worst on the first one to two days of the period, reflecting the difficulty the body has in moving the stagnant blood.

Cold stagnation in the uterus

Where internal cold — from a constitutional cold tendency, exposure to cold environments during menstruation, excessive consumption of cold and raw foods, or a general Yang deficiency — combines with blood stasis to create a cold-type obstruction in the uterus. The pain in this pattern has a distinctive cold, fixed quality, is relieved by warmth (hot water bottles, baths) and is accompanied by cold extremities, pale or dark blood with clots, and a general feeling of cold in the lower abdomen. This is a very commonly seen pattern in adenomyosis and responds particularly well to moxibustion alongside herbal treatment.

Kidney deficiency with blood stasis

Where underlying Kidney deficiency — either Kidney Yang (cold pattern with lower back pain, fatigue and cold) or Kidney Yin (with night sweats, heat and dryness) — creates a constitutional weakness that allows blood stasis to develop and persist in the uterus. This pattern is more common in women who have had adenomyosis for many years and in those with concurrent fertility problems.

Qi and blood deficiency with stasis

In women who have suffered heavy menstrual bleeding for years, chronic depletion of Qi and blood creates a paradox: the body is too weak to effectively clear the stasis that is causing the bleeding. This pattern requires careful treatment that tonifies deficiency whilst simultaneously moving stasis, and tends to require a longer course of treatment.

5. Chinese herbal medicine for adenomyosis

Chinese herbal medicine treats adenomyosis by promoting blood circulation and resolving the deep blood stasis embedded in the uterine wall, reducing the local inflammatory environment that perpetuates the condition, regulating oestrogen and progesterone balance, relieving pain and reducing menstrual blood loss. The treatment approach closely parallels that used for fibroids and endometriosis, with formulas adjusted to match the specific TCM pattern of each individual patient.

Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan (Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill) is the foundational formula for blood stasis conditions of the uterus and is widely used for adenomyosis. Research has confirmed its anti-inflammatory effects, its ability to inhibit the proliferation of ectopic endometrial cells and its capacity to reduce uterine volume and dysmenorrhoea severity. For the cold stagnation pattern, formulas with warming herbs such as Wen Jing Tang (Warm the Menses Decoction) are used — incorporating warming herbs such as Wu Zhu Yu (Evodia), Gui Zhi (Cinnamon twig) and Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) alongside blood-moving herbs to both warm the uterine channels and dissolve the cold-type stasis. For severe pain with significant blood stasis, stronger blood-moving formulas incorporating herbs such as Yan Hu Suo (Corydalis rhizome — one of the most potent analgesic herbs in the TCM materia medica), San Leng (Sparganium) and E Zhu (Curcuma zedoaria) may be used to provide more immediate pain relief alongside the longer-term constitutional treatment.

The proprietary formula Dan’e Fukang Decoction has been specifically studied for adenomyosis. A clinical trial of 210 patients comparing it directly with conventional Western medicine treatments (dienogest and goserelin + Mirena) found it was markedly effective in alleviating pain and produced significantly fewer adverse reactions than the hormonal treatments.

As with fibroids, treatment follows the menstrual cycle — more strongly moving formulas in the premenstrual and menstrual phase to help clear stasis and relieve pain, and more tonifying, building formulas in the follicular phase to replenish the Qi and blood lost through heavy periods and strengthen the body’s resilience. This cycle-phase approach is a distinctive and powerful feature of TCM gynaecological treatment.

The herbs I prescribe are pharmaceutical-grade granules from Sun Ten in Taiwan, tested to the highest international quality and safety standards. Always consult a qualified Chinese herbalist registered with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM), and inform your gynaecologist of all treatments you are using.

6. Acupuncture for adenomyosis

Acupuncture is a highly effective complementary treatment for adenomyosis and is particularly valuable for pain management. It reduces adenomyosis-associated pain by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins (the inflammatory chemicals responsible for uterine cramping), promoting the release of endorphins and enkephalins (the body’s own pain-relieving chemicals), improving pelvic blood circulation and reducing the sympathetic nervous system activation that amplifies pain perception.

Moxibustion — the application of warming heat from burning mugwort over specific abdominal and lower back acupuncture points — is particularly effective for the cold stagnation pattern of adenomyosis, which is one of the most common presentations I see in clinical practice. Warming the uterine channels with moxibustion directly addresses the cold-type obstruction, provides immediate pain relief during the menstrual phase and, over successive cycles, helps to gradually warm and disperse the deeply embedded stasis.

Acupuncture also addresses the significant psychological burden that adenomyosis carries. The chronic, severe nature of the pain, combined with years of being dismissed or misdiagnosed, means many women with adenomyosis carry significant levels of anxiety, depression and stress, which themselves worsen the condition. Treating the whole person — body, mind and hormonal system — is where TCM has a particular advantage over purely symptomatic approaches.

7. Self-care for adenomyosis

Heat therapy during menstruation

Applying a hot water bottle or heat pad to the lower abdomen and lower back during menstruation is one of the most effective immediate pain relief measures for adenomyosis — particularly for the cold stagnation pattern where heat directly addresses the underlying pathology. In TCM, warmth moves stagnation and cold consolidates it, so keeping the pelvic area warm during and around the period is actively therapeutic, not just palliative. This is why many women with adenomyosis instinctively reach for warmth — their bodies are telling them exactly what they need.

Diet to reduce inflammation and oestrogen dominance

Reducing foods that generate heat, inflammation and dampness — alcohol, spicy foods, dairy, refined sugar and processed foods — is particularly important for adenomyosis. An anti-inflammatory diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish, flaxseeds, walnuts), cruciferous vegetables, berries, turmeric and ginger helps reduce the prostaglandin production that drives cramping and inflammation. Avoiding cold and raw foods during menstruation is strongly recommended in TCM, as cold foods constrict the uterine vessels and worsen cramping. For detailed dietary guidance, see Chinese food therapy.

Manage stress and rest during menstruation

Chronic stress aggravates Liver Qi stagnation and worsens period pain significantly. Many women with adenomyosis find that periods are substantially more painful during times of high stress. Actively scheduling rest during the premenstrual and menstrual phase — rather than pushing through — allows the body to complete the menstrual clearing process more effectively and reduces pain. Gentle movement such as yoga or walking is preferable to vigorous exercise during the heaviest days of bleeding.

Address iron deficiency

Chronic heavy bleeding from adenomyosis almost universally leads to iron deficiency anaemia. This perpetuates fatigue, reduces the body’s capacity to recover between cycles and, in TCM terms, deepens the Qi and blood deficiency that makes the stasis harder to clear. Getting iron levels tested and addressing deficiency through dietary and supplementary measures is an important part of the overall management plan.

8. Commonly asked questions about Chinese herbal medicine for adenomyosis

Can Chinese herbal medicine cure adenomyosis?

Adenomyosis is a structural condition — the endometrial tissue embedded within the uterine muscle cannot be “cured” without surgery. However, Chinese herbal medicine can produce substantial and sustained improvements in all the major symptoms — pain, bleeding, pelvic discomfort and fatigue — and can significantly reduce the condition’s impact on daily life. Many women I treat with adenomyosis go from being incapacitated for several days each month to managing their cycles with minimal disruption. For women approaching the menopause, TCM can also be used to manage the transition through to natural resolution of adenomyosis symptoms that occurs at that time.

How quickly does treatment work for adenomyosis pain?

Many patients notice a reduction in period pain within the first one to two treatment cycles. Acupuncture in the premenstrual phase can provide particularly immediate benefit to pain levels in the subsequent period. For the cold stagnation pattern, moxibustion combined with herbs often produces the most rapid pain relief. Full improvement in bleeding volume and pain severity typically develops progressively over three to six months of treatment.

Can I use Chinese herbal medicine alongside the Mirena coil or hormonal treatment?

Yes — many women use Chinese herbal medicine alongside the Mirena coil or other hormonal management, finding that the combination gives better symptom control than either approach alone. Always inform your gynaecologist and herbalist of all treatments you are using so that your care can be properly coordinated.

Is adenomyosis linked to fertility problems?

Yes — adenomyosis can impair uterine receptivity and is associated with increased risk of miscarriage and reduced IVF success rates. Chinese herbal medicine can support fertility in women with adenomyosis by improving uterine blood flow, reducing inflammation in the uterine wall and improving the hormonal environment for implantation. See the fertility problems section for more information on how I can help.

How much does treatment cost?

Full pricing is on the treatment prices page. Chinese herbal medicine consultations start from £50, with bespoke herbal prescriptions at £35 per week. Online consultations are also available at the same rate.

References

Wang L, Yang R. Comparing the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicine with Western medicine on adenomyosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Journal of Surgery. 2024;47(1):578–580. doi: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2023.09.145.

Li Y, et al. Effectiveness and safety of adjuvant therapy of Chinese herbal medicine for adenomyosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103130.

Xiao Z, et al. Comparative analysis of the clinical efficacy of conservative treatment for adenomyosis using traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. 2025;44:106. doi: 10.1186/s41043-025-00852-z.

Zhang Z, et al. Traditional Chinese medicine prescription Guizhi Fuling Pills in the treatment of endometriosis. International Journal of Medical Sciences. 2021;18(11):2401–2410. doi: 10.7150/ijms.55799.

Dong P, Ling L, Hu L. Systematic review and meta-analysis of traditional Chinese medicine compound in treating infertility caused by endometriosis. Annals of Palliative Medicine. 2021;10(12):12631–12642. doi: 10.21037/apm-21-3269.