What physical procedures are contraindicated for uterine fibroids?

Briefly about the formation and causes of fibroid development

Under the influence of ovarian hormones, foci of atypical cells appear in the myometrium, which have a predisposition to rapid and uncontrolled growth. Small tumors often do not provoke the appearance of clinical symptoms and therefore do not affect the usual rhythm of a woman’s life. With large and medium-sized fibroids, symptoms arise that require attention.

As the disease progresses, the nodes disrupt the contractility of the uterus, which provokes prolonged and heavy menstrual blood loss. As the nodular formations grow, they cause compression of adjacent organs, causing urinary retention and constipation; swelling forms on the woman’s legs.

Attention! A dangerous complication of uterine fibroids is torsion of the node. The woman begins to bleed profusely, threatening peritonitis. This is an acute situation requiring surgical intervention.

In general, the reasons for the development of fibroids are as follows:

• PCOS – polycystic ovary syndrome;
• diabetes;
• disorders of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland;
• smoking;
• drinking alcoholic beverages in excessive quantities;
• endometrial injuries received during curettage of the uterine cavity;
• chronic inflammatory processes affecting the female genital organs;
• genetic predisposition.

The main factor that increases the risk of developing the disease is hormonal imbalance, the cause of which is an artificially terminated pregnancy. Also, the impetus for the development of a tumor is a woman’s uncontrolled use of oral contraceptives.

Rules for living with fibroids

After identifying the first suspicions of the development of the disease, a woman should think about the need to review her usual lifestyle and diet. It is important to know that uterine fibroids are safe if you control their course and prevent progress.

In order not to aggravate the course of the disease, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for future life with fibroids:

• Myoma is not cancer, but the degeneration of a hormonally dependent benign tumor into a malignant one, occurring in no more than 1% of cases. The reason for this is the patient’s excessive panic. Small uterine fibroids are not an indication for surgery; removal is necessary if the tumor grows. With timely intervention, only the node is removed, and the woman’s reproductive ability is preserved.
• Self-medication should not be allowed. It is prohibited to use dietary supplements and folk remedies. Herbs will not help get rid of a uterine node. In the absence of medical supervision, the node will grow.
• Alcohol consumption is prohibited. Alcohol provokes the degeneration of fibroid cells into malignant ones, and smoking has the same effect.
• Uncontrolled hormone intake. Women with uterine fibroids are prohibited from taking COCs - combined oral contraceptives - without a doctor's prescription. Medicines in this group, if the doses are incorrectly determined, disrupt hormonal levels and provoke tumor growth.

A woman should follow these rules if she has uterine fibroids, regardless of the size of the tumor. If the doctor is confident in the need for an operation, it is impossible to refuse it. If carried out in a timely manner, the intervention is not dangerous; the surgeon removes only the myomatous node without affecting the uterus.

Basic restrictions

The list of main restrictions that a woman should remember includes:

• do not lift anything heavier than 3 kg, avoid physical exertion and extreme fatigue;
• control your emotional well-being;
• ensure the prevention of unwanted pregnancy, the optimal means of protection are condoms, the use of COCs is unacceptable;
• do not drink a lot of water before bed, because liquid causes swelling;
• refuse some cosmetic and therapeutic and prophylactic procedures if they are on the list of prohibited ones for fibroids.

The list of prohibitions for women with uterine fibroids is extensive, but only compliance with these rules will prevent the progressive growth of formation and avoid serious problems.

Sport

Strength exercises and heavy lifting are not recommended for uterine fibroids. Also, you should not pump up your abs, because such exercises create additional stress on the pelvic organs. Against the background of such activities, the blood flow of the uterus is disrupted, and there is a risk of torsion of the fibroid stalk and its separation.

Sports are not considered an absolute contraindication for fibroids; light and moderate physical activity is permissible to control body weight. If the fibroids are large or medium in size, the possibility of performing exercises should be discussed with a gynecologist.

The list of exercises included in the list of permitted exercises for fibroids includes:

• therapeutic exercises;
• yoga;
• swimming with elements of water aerobics;
• Kegel exercises for the muscles of the intimate area - with caution.

The frequency, duration and load for training is determined individually. It is forbidden to exercise on days of menstrual bleeding. It is permissible to twist the hoop for small myomatous tumors, but you need to choose equipment without weights and massage elements. If the tumor has reached a large size, this method of combating excess weight should be abandoned.

Warming up

Menstrual bleeding in women with uterine fibroids is characterized by abundance and duration, and bleeding from the genital tract can occur not only on the days of menstruation, but also in the middle of the cycle. The appearance of such symptoms is associated with impaired contractility of the muscular layer of the uterus damaged by the neoplasm. Overheating of the body can aggravate the course of the disease, causing increased blood flow to the tumor. Such exposure is dangerous due to serious bleeding.

The list of contraindications associated with warming up includes:

• you can’t take a steam bath or sauna;
• Long-term hot baths are not recommended;
• Don't let your feet float;
• It is forbidden to use a heating pad, placing it on the lower abdomen.

Attention! Taking a bath with a comfortable water temperature is prohibited if there is heavy bleeding from the genital tract. Prolonged exposure to heat will increase blood flow to the pelvic organs, blood loss will become massive, so it is impossible to heat the tumor.

Doctors do not recommend that women be exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Sunbathing is permissible during periods of reduced solar activity (before 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m.). Even during safe periods of time, you need to use active means for safe tanning. Visiting a solarium is prohibited and exposure to artificial rays can provoke the degeneration of a benign tumor into sarcoma.

Physiotherapy

Despite the fact that physiotherapy methods are actively used to treat uterine fibroids, some procedures are included in the list of prohibited ones. If myomatous nodes are detected, massage of the buttocks, thighs and lumbar region is prohibited. Such actions provoke activation of blood supply in the pelvic organs.

It is not recommended to attend physiotherapy procedures, the effect of which is associated with ultrasound, electrophoresis and heating. Such devices provide vibration pressure on the pelvic organs.

When prescribing physical procedures, the doctor takes into account that fibroids are a hormone-dependent tumor, the development of which is activated against the background of the active production of female sex hormones. Accordingly, in order for the treatment not to cause harm to the body, it is necessary to use procedures that do not affect the production of estrogen, such as:

• galvanization - a method based on the effect of current on human tissue;
• balneotherapy – treatment with mud;
• magnetotherapy – based on the use of a static magnetic field;
• radon baths - the water contains radon;
• baths with iodine-bromine salts;
• Pearl baths are a hydromassage procedure characterized by a gentle effect.

Attention! Carrying out many physical procedures for myomatous nodes in the uterus is prohibited. The use of such methods of influence is possible in consultation with a doctor. The decision is determined individually, after considering the balance of harm and benefit.

Cosmetic procedures

Cosmetic procedures must be selected with caution. For example, to combat unwanted hair on the body, you can use laser hair removal, but excluding contact with the area of ​​​​the neoplasm. Laser hair removal in the bikini area is unacceptable.

RF lifting is a popular technique for restoring skin elasticity in women over 35 years of age. The procedure helps get rid of fat and cellulite in the abdomen and thighs, and eliminates wrinkles on the face. Such procedures are not recommended for fibroids.

Attention! Wrapping procedures that provoke an increase in body temperature are prohibited; for example, honey insulated with film can provide warmth. Heat exposure is dangerous.

If you have uterine fibroids, you should not resort to cosmetic procedures that provide figure modeling; the following are prohibited:

• lymphatic drainage;
• myostimulation;
• pneumomassage.

Such techniques increase pressure and activate blood supply in the uterine area; such conditions provoke intensive growth of myomatous formation.

No less popular is cupping abdominal massage. This method is used to get rid of fat deposits in a problem area of ​​a woman’s body. Using the method is unacceptable; placing cups on the stomach is dangerous, because the devices provoke blood flow to the area of ​​the anterior abdominal wall.

Alcohol and smoking

If you have uterine fibroids, you should not drink alcohol, and you also need to get rid of nicotine addiction. The influence of substances contained in alcoholic beverages and nicotine is dangerous for the patient; the risk of the formation becoming malignant increases. Wine and beer are especially prohibited - these drinks contain phytoestrogens, which are reminiscent in structure of female sex hormones. Drinking such drinks can provoke active growth of the tumor.

Stress

The female body is susceptible to stress, at such moments a sufficient amount of hormones are released into the blood. Ensuring the production of active components. Against this background, menstrual cycle disorders appear. Considering the psychosomatics of the disease called uterine fibroids, we can say that the cause of the disease lies in the woman’s dissatisfaction with her own life. By nature, a woman is the keeper of the hearth, her goal is to take care of the family and children. Now the situation has changed, girls are forced to move up the career ladder, becoming breadwinners. Postponing the birth of your first child. As gynecologists say, the first late birth is the main reason for the increase in the incidence of serious female diseases.

Flu shot

Uterine fibroids are not included in the list of main contraindications in the list of recommendations for the use of the influenza vaccine. The connection between the introduction of the vaccine and the disease has not been established. The vaccine contains no live virus, so the drug is considered safe. Some experts recommend postponing the administration of the vaccine during menstrual bleeding, this is due to a decrease in the protective properties of the immune system; the reaction that occurs these days can be acute.

Tampons for fibroids

What to use for uterine fibroids during menstrual bleeding, pads or tampons, a woman must decide for herself. Gynecologists do not express their recommendations on this matter, but it must be taken into account that in the first 3 days of the cycle, menstruation can be quite heavy; this must be taken into account when choosing hygiene products.

Tampons for fibroids are also used to treat the disease, but their effectiveness is questionable. Gynecologists have different opinions about the effectiveness of Chinese medicine, but all doctors confirm that this method of treatment can only be used as a supplement to medication.

Collagen for fibroids

Collagen is contained in vitamin A and is an antioxidant; it protects the woman’s body from various infections and accelerates the cleansing of the uterus from toxins released by the neoplasm. With constant use, the restoration of the connective tissue of the uterus, in which fibroids are located, is accelerated. The valuable substance can be obtained from food or purchased in a pharmacy, vitamin A tablets.

Attention! There is an opinion that collagen in fibroids should be used to prevent the degeneration of tumor cells into malignant ones.

Taking progesterone

The therapeutic course for uterine fibroids often includes progesterone, but the effectiveness of such treatment methods has not been proven, so it can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor in standardized doses. Uncontrolled use is unacceptable, because it is impossible to control the level of the substance in the body on your own.

What physical procedures are useful?

Among the many different methods of physical treatment, procedures that are not associated with increased blood circulation are used for auxiliary therapy for fibroids. There are several types that can be prescribed for antitumor treatment:

• electrophoresis;
• magnetic therapy;
• radon and iodine-bromine baths;
• interference effect.

The listed techniques are widely used in medical practice for an anti-inflammatory effect and as a restorative therapy after surgery.

Electrophoresis for fibroids

When asked whether electrophoresis can be done for fibroids, the gynecologist will give a positive answer. The procedure has nothing to do with increasing blood circulation in the pelvic organs, does not warm up the tissue and does not dilate blood vessels. The action of electrophoresis is based on the movement of charged particles (ions) to the electrodes.

This method of physiotherapy is prescribed during the period when the fibroid is not growing and its size is small. The procedure is not performed during menstruation. To obtain a pronounced effect, you need to complete the full course prescribed by your doctor.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Fabric pads made from natural fibers are impregnated with a medicinal solution. When treating fibroids, substances containing iodine ions are prescribed: sodium or potassium iodides.
2. The pads are placed on the lower abdomen and lower back of the sick woman. Plate electrodes are installed on top of the gaskets.
3. Current is supplied to the electrodes from a special apparatus. It is important to set the current strength so that the ions begin to move inside the human body. At the same time, a slight tingling sensation should be felt on the skin. But you should not try to endure discomfort, because this will not speed up the procedure and will not help more ions get to the diseased organs.
4. The duration of the procedure is about 15 minutes.

Can uterine fibroids interfere with the treatment of chondrosis?

In general, uterine fibroids and chondrosis are two diseases that have no relationship with each other, but aggravate each other’s treatment. Along with medications, the basis for the treatment of osteochondrosis of any part of the spine consists of warming up, massages and other physiotherapeutic procedures, which cannot be done with fibroids. It is unacceptable to use warming ointments, rubs, lotions and patches when the process is localized in the lumbar region. Such restrictions complicate the treatment of pathology. A treatment regimen for osteochondrosis due to a tumor process in a woman’s uterus is developed by a doctor on an individual basis.

Uterine fibroids of small and medium sizes are dangerous for the patient only if the listed rules are not followed. Deviation from the described recommendations can provoke rapid growth of the tumor with its subsequent degeneration into malignant one. In general, the disease does not pose a threat to the patient’s life and can be treated conservatively if the patient monitors his health and listens to the opinions of doctors.

This article is posted for educational purposes only and does not constitute scientific material or professional medical advice. Always trust your doctor first!

Application of electrophoresis in gynecology

In modern medicine, there is a fairly large mass of diseases in the gynecological field. What this is connected with, medicine cannot determine. A fairly common disease is uterine fibroids, which occurs in women over 35 years of age. In this case, as a rule, there are 2 methods of treatment - conservative, which includes physical therapy, and surgical.

Are electrophoresis procedures allowed for uterine fibroids? The answer is clear - it is not only allowed, but, on the contrary, has indications for this disease. If a specialist prescribes a method of conservative treatment, it often consists of the following main aspects:

1. Hormonal therapy as a basic one.
2. Diet therapy as an auxiliary method.
3. Physiotherapy as an auxiliary method (including electrophoresis).

Such therapy alone will not be able to cope with the tumor. However, prescribed treatment in the early stages significantly increases the effectiveness of hormonal treatment. The body's sensitivity to medications increases. Stressful situations and depression are eliminated, which in turn can provoke an acceleration in the growth of fibroids.