Ovarian Cysts, Overview and Treatment Using Traditional Chinese Medicine

What Are Ovarian Cysts?

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that form on or inside the ovaries. They are common in women who ovulate.

There are two common types of ovarian cysts:

1. Follicle Cysts: During a typical menstrual cycle, the ovaries release an egg each month. This egg develops within a small sac known as a follicle. Once the egg reaches maturity, the follicle ruptures to release it. Failure of the follicle to release the egg may lead to its enlargement into a cyst. Follicle cysts commonly do not exhibit symptoms and typically resolve within one to three menstrual cycles.
2. Corpus Luteum Cysts: After the follicle breaks and releases the egg, the follicle sac quickly shrinks into an endocrine structure called the corpus luteum. If the sac doesn’t shrink, it reseals itself after the egg is released, and fluid builds up inside, forming the corpus luteum cyst. Most corpus luteum cysts disappear on their own in a few weeks.

Those two types of cysts usually do not need treatment, but if cysts form frequently or do not go away, certain treatments may be needed for those individuals.

There are 3 types of complex ovarian cysts that are not related to the menstrual cycle:

1. Dermoid Cysts: Dermoid cysts form from the reproductive cells in the ovary. They can contain tissues like hair, skin, or teeth. They can cause torsion, infection, and rupture, but they rarely cause cancer.
2. Cystadenoma Cysts: Cystadenoma cysts contain ovarian tissues with mucus or fluid.
3. Endometriomas Cysts: Endometriomas are caused by endometriosis. The endometrial tissue grows in or on the ovary. These cysts can be varied in size and filled with blood. With each month’s menstrual cycle, bleeding happens within the ovary. The endometriomas may grow in size and can impact fertility. Unlike the common type of ovarian cyst, endometriomas do not resolve on their own and need some form of medical or surgical treatment at some point. Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and Chinese herbs, can successfully treat endometriomas.
4. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): A hormonal disorder causing enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges. This condition will affect fertility and require treatment. Please see our PCOS article.

Most ovarian cysts are benign, especially before menopause. It is rare, but ovarian cysts can be malignant especially in older women. For this reason, you should always have cysts checked by a doctor.

Ovarian Cyst Symptoms

• Feeling of pressure, swelling, tingling pain, or dull pain in the lower abdominal area. Those symptoms can come and go.
• When the ovarian cyst ruptures, sudden severe sharp pain and bleeding will occur.
• When the ovarian cyst makes the ovary or fallopian tube twist, a rare but serious condition called ovarian torsion will happen. The sharp pain with nausea and vomiting will be expected.
• The ovarian cyst ruptures and ovarian torsion needs medical attention immediately. The surgical procedures must be performed right away.

Some symptoms that may associated with ovarian cysts:

• Pelvic pain
• Lower back pain
• Thigh pain
• Intercourse pain
• Painful menstruation
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding
• Weight gain

The Treatment for Ovarian Cysts

Most women with ovarian cysts do not need treatment. However, they need to have a follow-up exam like an ultrasound to monitor the cyst’s changes. The cyst will most likely disappear in a few weeks or in a few months or not grow bigger.

In certain cases, if the ovarian cyst keeps growing bigger or the size of the cyst is too big, a surgical procedure will be the possible solution to prevent ovarian cyst rupture and ovarian torsion.

For women facing persistent ovarian cysts that do not resolve on their own, tend to grow larger, occur frequently, or develop endometriomas requiring medical attention, Chinese medicine emerges as a viable option. Its high success rate in addressing the root cause of these issues makes it a compelling choice for treatment.

Furthermore, to enhance reproductive health and boost fertility, it is crucial to invest time in treating ovarian cysts with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

TCM Treatment for Ovarian Cysts

In terms of traditional Chinese medicine theory, the root cause of ovarian cysts includes hormonal imbalance, metabolic disorder, and the accumulation of toxins. When stress hurts the liver Qi, it can cause liver Qi stagnation. This will affect the Qi flow around the reproductive organs (the liver meridian goes around that area) and result in hormonal imbalance. That can explain why patients who have ovarian cysts often suffer from painful menstruation, intercourse pain and abnormal vaginal bleeding.

The stagnated liver Qi will invade the spleen Qi and cause weakness. The spleen has a crucial function of controlling metabolism, including water metabolism.

Once the spleen Qi gets weakened, water metabolism slows down within our body, resulting in water retention. As time goes by, water retention turns to phlegm or mucus toxin. When the mucus toxin is deposited in the ovary, it forms the ovarian cyst.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatment focus on releasing liver Qi stagnation and enhancing spleen Qi. They help regulate hormones, speed up metabolism, and remove phlegm or mucus toxin. The goal of treatment is not only to help absorb the cyst but also to prevent its recurrence.

The treatment phase requires 3 to 4 months. Even though, in most cases, the cyst will disappear earlier than this time frame, we encourage patients to complete the treatment course. After all, the purpose of treatment is to regain health. The organs that work for us every day need time to repair and recover.

If you have ovarian cyst issues and want to consider Traditional Chinese medicine treatment, please contact Dr. Feng Liang to discuss the treatment. Dr. Liang can be reached at (212) 779-0468.