Acupuncture for Endometriosis & Adenomyosis in London
Evidence-informed pain relief and cycle support for endometriosis and adenomyosis — used alongside, not instead of, your medical care.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus — on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or pelvic lining — where it responds to the menstrual cycle in the same way the womb lining does, but has nowhere to go. This can cause inflammation, scarring, and pain. Adenomyosis, a related condition, occurs when this tissue grows into the muscle wall of the uterus itself.
Common signs
- Painful periods, often with dark blood and clotting
- Spotting before periods, which can be an early diagnostic indicator
- Pelvic nodules or masses, sometimes detectable on imaging
- Irregular basal body temperature (BBT) patterns
- Difficulty conceiving — endometriosis is one of the more common causes of infertility, though the exact mechanism isn’t fully understood
Symptoms vary widely — some women have severe pain, others have almost none, which is part of why diagnosis is often delayed. Endometriosis is confirmed by laparoscopy or MRI, inferred from ultrasound, or suspected from symptom patterns alone.
What is adenomyosis, and how is it different from endometriosis?
Adenomyosis is a closely related but distinct condition, in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows into the muscular wall of the uterus itself, rather than outside the uterus as in endometriosis. This causes the womb to thicken and often enlarge, and it’s a common cause of heavy, painful periods. The two conditions frequently overlap — it’s possible to have both — and they’re often treated with a similar acupuncture approach, though the clinical picture and diagnostic route differ.
Common signs of adenomyosis
- Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia), often more pronounced than in endometriosis alone
- Severe period pain (dysmenorrhea), which may worsen with age
- Chronic pelvic pain, not always confined to menstruation
- Prolonged periods or bleeding between periods (metrorrhagia)
- Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
- An enlarged, tender uterus, sometimes noticeable as pelvic pressure or bloating
Adenomyosis is most often diagnosed by transvaginal ultrasound or MRI, and — like endometriosis — is most common in women of reproductive age, though it can affect fertility and pregnancy in some cases.
What the research says about acupuncture and endometriosis
Acupuncture for endometriosis-related pain is one of the more heavily studied areas in reproductive acupuncture, with multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in the last decade. The overall picture is genuinely encouraging on pain, though we’d rather give you the nuanced version than the headline version.
Pain reduction across multiple meta-analyses
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis pooling 14 randomised controlled trials and 793 patients found that acupuncture produced significant reductions in pain severity and improved clinical response rates compared with control treatments, alongside reductions in CA-125 (a blood marker sometimes elevated in endometriosis). [1] An earlier 2017 meta-analysis of 10 trials and 589 patients reported similar pain-reducing effects. [2]
What the more rigorous reviews add
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis, registered with PROSPERO and following Cochrane- standard methodology, took a more cautious view: it found acupuncture may improve quality of life, but described the evidence on pain specifically compared with usual care as still uncertain, and recommended acupuncture be considered particularly for women who haven’t responded fully to other treatments. [3] A separate review of acupuncture and moxibustion covering 15 trials and over 1,000 patients reached a similar conclusion — low-to-moderate certainty evidence of benefit, with a call for larger, better-designed studies before firmer conclusions can be drawn. [4]
In short: most trials point the same direction — reduced pain, improved quality of life — but trial sizes are often small and not all are placebo-controlled, which is why the most careful reviews stop short of calling the evidence definitive.
Fertility and IVF support
The picture for endometriosis-related fertility is more mixed. Chinese herbal medicine has shown a possible role in reducing recurrence and supporting conception after endometriosis surgery in some Chinese clinical research, though this evidence is less robust than the pain data above. For IVF specifically, results are inconsistent — for example, one pilot randomised controlled trial found acupuncture given around embryo transfer did not measurably change endometrial thickness or hormone levels during the IVF cycle. [5] We think it’s important to flag this rather than only cite the positive studies: acupuncture alongside IVF is reasonable and low-risk, but shouldn’t be sold as a guaranteed fertility boost in endometriosis specifically.
Our honest view: the evidence for acupuncture reducing endometriosis-related pain is some of the better-supported evidence in reproductive acupuncture, particularly for women who haven’t found full relief through medication alone. The evidence for acupuncture directly improving fertility or IVF outcomes in endometriosis specifically is weaker and more mixed, so we frame that as a supportive, wellbeing-focused addition to your fertility plan rather than a treatment with proven effect on pregnancy rates.
What the research says about acupuncture and adenomyosis specifically
Adenomyosis has a much smaller dedicated research base than endometriosis, and we think that’s worth being upfront about. A formal systematic review and meta-analysis protocol was registered in 2021 to evaluate acupuncture’s efficacy and safety for adenomyosis specifically, reflecting that a rigorous, pooled review of this evidence base is a relatively recent undertaking rather than an established, long-settled conclusion. [6] Smaller individual trials point in a positive direction — for example, one clinical trial found wrist-ankle acupuncture reduced pain during high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for adenomyosis more effectively than standard pain injection in the initial minutes after treatment. [7]
In practice, because adenomyosis shares so much clinical overlap with endometriosis — dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, and a Chinese medicine pattern of uterine blood stagnation — we generally apply the same evidence-informed acupuncture approach to both, while being clear that the standalone adenomyosis evidence base is thinner and still developing compared to endometriosis.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective
In Chinese medicine, both endometriosis and adenomyosis are understood through a similar lens of blood stagnation in the uterus. When the menstrual blood and lining aren’t shed cleanly, they can clot and accumulate, contributing to pain, heavy bleeding, and inflammation. Treatment aims to encourage a free-flowing, less painful, less clotted period — supporting the body’s own processes rather than working against your medical treatment. For adenomyosis specifically, treatment often also focuses on managing heavy bleeding alongside pain, given how central menorrhagia tends to be to the clinical picture.
Acupuncture alongside your medical treatment
Acupuncture is commonly and safely used alongside conventional endometriosis and adenomyosis treatment — painkillers, hormonal therapy (such as the pill, the hormonal coil, or GnRH agonists), procedures such as HIFU or uterine artery embolisation, or before and after surgery. It isn’t a replacement for surgical or hormonal management where that’s clinically indicated, but many patients find that combining approaches gives better day-to-day pain control and quality of life than medication alone.
Your personalised treatment plan
Every case of endometriosis or adenomyosis presents differently, so we begin with a thorough consultation — symptom pattern, menstrual history, diagnostic results if you have them, and current medical treatment — before building a tailored acupuncture and, where appropriate, herbal medicine plan. Most patients attend weekly initially, with treatment reviewed as your symptoms and cycle respond.
Why patients choose The London Acupuncture Clinic
- 20+ years in practice, with a specialism in fertility and gynaecological health
- 15,000+ patients treated for fertility and gynaecological conditions
- Over 100 years of combined practitioner experience
- Three London locations — Marylebone (Wimpole Street), Chiswick and Windsor
What our patients say
“Before seeing them, my pain was so severe during my period that I often couldn’t walk and sometimes needed an ambulance. Since starting acupuncture with them, everything has changed. I have my normal life back and I am mobile again.” — Chloe, London
Endometriosis FAQ
Can acupuncture actually reduce endometriosis pain?
Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses have found acupuncture reduces endometriosis-related pain compared with control treatments. The strongest, most methodologically careful reviews are a little more cautious, describing the evidence as promising but not fully conclusive, and recommend acupuncture particularly for women who haven’t had full relief from other treatments.
Can acupuncture cure endometriosis?
No. Endometriosis is a structural, hormone-driven condition, and acupuncture isn’t a cure. What the evidence supports is a role in reducing pain and improving quality of life alongside your medical treatment, not replacing surgery or hormonal therapy where these are clinically needed.
Can I have acupuncture alongside hormonal treatment or after surgery?
Yes. Acupuncture is commonly used alongside pain medication, hormonal therapies such as the pill or GnRH agonists, and before or after surgery. We’ll ask about your current treatment so sessions complement rather than duplicate your medical care.
How many sessions will I need?
Most patients start with weekly sessions and then less frequently, and it typically takes several cycles to assess the impact on pain and bleeding pattern. Ongoing treatment frequency is adjusted based on how your symptoms respond. We usually hope to see significant change within three cycles.
I don’t have a formal diagnosis yet but suspect endometriosis or adenomyosis — can you still help?
Yes, we regularly see patients with strongly suggestive symptoms who are still waiting for or considering a laparoscopy or MRI. We can support your symptoms in the meantime, though we’d also encourage you to pursue formal diagnosis, since it affects the full range of treatment options available to you. Unfortunately, endometriosis sufferers have historically often had difficulty in getting fully investigated and diagnosed. So this is an are where we have seen many clients over the years
