Myoma of the uterus is a very frequently diagnosed disease afflicting some 20~30 percent of women more than 30 years old. Although myoma of the uterus is a benign tumor and can be treated easily with surgery nowadays, uncomfortable symptoms may remain even after surgery. Moreover, there is the risk of recurrence. This bears consideration because in Japan, with a rapidly aging population and low birth rate, women have become an increasingly important labor force and will remain so in the future. However, there has been little research assessing the lifestyles of women diagnosed with myoma of the uterus with an aim to help prevent the onset and recurrence of the condition.
From the perspective of oriental medicine, chronic diseases are considered to be the result of one’s physical condition become unbalanced, leading to health disorders. The purpose of the current research project is to apply this concept to examine the impact of lifestyle and the balance on the autonomic nerves of patients with myoma of the uterus, through employing Ryodoraku measurements.
Methods
The subjects for this study included four patients who were followed in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic and one patient who was followed in an acupuncture and moxibustion clinic, treated for edema and lower back pain. Two of the patients were treated with surgery. Concerning gathering data about the subjects, a combination of data-collecting employing medical records of histories, personal documents pertaining to daily life data – such as waking and sleeping times, diet, and exercise covering a span of about two weeks – and interviews were used. Recorded data included information such as occupations, family relationships, and how the patients felt about their present lives and important life events from before being diagnosed until the present.
Aside from disease histories, and uncomfortable symptoms or signs being confirmed through medical records and interviews, the physical condition of the subjects was also measured through Ryodoraku – a technique developed by Dr. Nakatani Yoshio that employs a machine to measure the electric potential difference of meridians on the skin in order to ascertain physical strength and the balance of the autonomic nerve system. Among healthy people the scores range from 40 to 60 μA. The relationships among the medical records, uncomfortable symptoms or signs, the results of the Ryodoraku measurements, and the daily life data were analyzed by time-series on an individual basis. The common factors among the lifestyles of all subjects were also analyzed.
Results
The ages of the five subjects ranged from 47 to 58 years old. Their symptoms and signs, self-care for said symptoms and signs, how they felt about their present lives, and the results of the Ryodoraku measurements are given in Table 1. Symptoms and signs included algomenorrhea, constipation, edema of the lower leg, and experiencing feelings of cold, among others. All of the subjects also had other health problems in addition to myoma of the uterus. With the exception of subject E, their lifestyles were all characterized by hard schedules replete with their occupations and daily activities for their small children. The Ryodoraku scores revealed that their bodies were unbalanced. Further, the three subjects who had not been treated with surgery all showed low Kidney Meridian scores.
Conclusions
The results showed that the hard work characterizing the subjects’ lifestyles influenced their daily lives in many ways, such as diet, rest, exercise and physical condition. Therefore, more support from their families or others is necessary in order to maintain their physical status. Researchers reflected on the results with the subjects in order to help them recognize the relationships between their health problems and their daily lives after interviews. However, the demanding lives of these women, which included not only their occupations but also such matters as housework and taking care of small children obviously affected their private time for relaxation and reflection. Their lives were difficult to maintain in their present situation.
Physical symptoms are affected by personal lifestyle and are also reflected in an individual’s Ryodoraku measurements. Programs need to be designed for women in the prime of their careers that can facilitate their understanding of the relationships among symptoms and signs, lifestyles and the visualization of their physical strength and balance of their autonomic nerve system through Ryodoraku measurements.
| Table 1 Subject Data | |||||||||||||||||
| Subject (Age of diagnosed) | Symptoms and Signs | Self-care for Symptoms and Signs | How they Felt about Their Present Life | Treatment concerning Myoma of the Uterus: Charts Measured through Ryodoraku |
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| A (43 yrs.) |
Without algomenorrhea; feelings of cold since youth. Hypertension | Treated with surgery due to serious anemia. Taking ginger, sweet hot beverage made from fermented rice. | Had to work hard every day when children were little. |
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| B (32 yrs.) |
With algomenorrhea; continual migraine. Diagnosed with antiarrhythm at 26 yrs. Hemiplegia owing to brain infarction after birth of second child. Anemia; polyp of the colon; edema of lower leg. Hospitalized due to cardiac failure. | Taking medicine for algomenorrhea & continual migraine. Had treatment in hospital when health disorder occurred. | Worked as care worker before brain infarction. Too busy every day to consider self-health condition. Time of meals was irregular. Husband helped with childcare, but hard schedule unalleviated. | Followed in obstetrics and gynecology clinic. Low Kidney Meridian score. Left side of body unbalanced. | |||||||||||||
| C (42 yrs.) |
Constipation, feelings of cold, headache, submucosal tumor of stomach at 39 yrs. Surgery for ectopic pancreas at 42 yrs. Myoma of the uterus and left ovarian cyst diagnosed at same time. | Taking many more fresh vegetables and dried vegetables every other day. | Moved every 3~4 years due to husband’s work transfers. Lacked time to consider self-health condition when children were little. Felt every day like a ball rolling continuously; put off prioritizing health. |
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| D (43 yrs.) |
Serious algomenorrhea since menarche. Diagnosed with endometriosis in 20s, treated with hormone replacement therapy. Pregnant with twins at 31 yrs; serious toxemia of pregnancy. Had cesarean section in 25th week: one twin dead, other born as premature infant. Hydatidiform mole diagnosed at 43yrs. | Enduring serious algomenorrhea due to not having knowledge to treat it. | Irregular lifestyle due to working time. Although retired, every day still busy with childcare. However, certainly took three meals. |
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| E (46 yrs.) |
Most meals taken outside because of hard work and schedule. Unwilling marriage. Diagnosed with myoma of the uterus right after marriage. | Previously took traditional Chinese medicine before menstruation began. Taking drug store medication when feeling uncomfortable. | Had negative thinking; did not enjoy work and family life until diagnosed with myoma of the uterus. Happier doing outside activities rather than staying at home with husband even on weekends. |
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