If you have ever doubled over from menstrual cramps that feel like labor pains, bled so heavily that you are afraid to leave the house, or struggled with mysterious pelvic pressure that no one seems to take seriously, you are not alone—and it is not all in your head. You might be dealing with uterine fibroids, a common yet often misunderstood condition affecting millions of women.
While conventional treatments often focus on managing symptoms or surgically removing fibroids, a chiropractic neurology approach looks deeper. We ask: What is happening neurologically, metabolically, and structurally that causes these growths to develop—and come back?
Today, we will break down what uterine fibroids are, who they affect, why they tend to recur, and how integrative therapies like fascial release and nutritional interventions may help support the brain-body system naturally.
What Are Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids, or leiomyomas, are noncancerous tumors that grow in or around the uterus. They are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue and vary in size—from as small as a pea to as large as a melon.
Fibroids can grow:
- Intramurally (within the muscular wall)
- Subserosally (on the outer wall)
- Submucosally (protruding into the uterine cavity)
- Pedunculated (on a stalk inside or outside the uterus)
While not malignant, they can severely impact quality of life—causing pain, heavy bleeding, infertility, frequent urination, and even neurological symptoms like referred pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, or dysautonomia.
Who Is Most Affected?
Fibroids are extremely common—up to 70–80% of women will develop them by age 50. However, not everyone experiences symptoms.
Higher-risk populations include:
- Black women, who are 2–3 times more likely to develop fibroids, with earlier onset and more severe symptoms [2]
- Women aged 30–50
- Those with a family history
- People with high estrogen exposure (early menstruation, hormone therapy, obesity)
These tumors are hormone-sensitive, particularly to estrogen and progesterone, which is why they often grow during reproductive years and shrink after menopause.
What Else Are Fibroids Linked To?
Fibroids do not exist in a vacuum—they are often part of a broader picture. Research links them with:
- Metabolic syndrome and obesity
- Estrogen dominance
- Chronic inflammation
- Gut microbiota imbalance
- Pelvic congestion and lymphatic stagnation
- Autonomic nervous system dysregulation
This complex interplay between hormones, immune function, connective tissue, and neurological signaling is why a one-size-fits-all approach often fails.
Standard Treatment Options
Conventional treatment depends on symptoms, size, and a woman’s desire for future fertility.
Medical therapies include:
- Hormonal birth control (to reduce bleeding)
- GnRH agonists (to shrink fibroids temporarily)
- Tranexamic acid (to reduce bleeding)
Surgical options include:
- Myomectomy (removal of fibroids, uterus intact)
- Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus)
- Uterine artery embolization (blocks blood flow to fibroids)
While often effective in the short term, many of these options carry risks or side effects. And crucially—they do not address the root cause.
Recurrence rates are high: up to 60% of fibroids grow back within 5 years after myomectomy.
How Chiropractic Neurology Looks at Fibroids
Chiropractic neurology brings a different lens. Rather than focusing solely on the uterus, we zoom out to examine how the brain, fascia, viscera, and hormones communicate and influence one another.
From this lens, fibroids may be viewed as the downstream result of:
- Neuro-immune dysregulation
- Fascial and lymphatic stagnation
- Chronic sympathetic dominance
- Hormonal imbalances stemming from poor brain-gut signaling
So how do we treat that?
Fascial Work: The Role of Structural Tension
Fascia is the body’s connective tissue matrix—it wraps organs, muscles, and nerves. When tight or dehydrated, fascia can restrict circulation, lymph flow, and nerve conduction. According to research from Carla Stecco and Robert Schleip, fascia is also neurologically rich and responsive to stress and hormonal cues.
Manual fascial therapies (including myofascial release, visceral manipulation, and lymphatic drainage) can:
- Improve pelvic blood flow
- Reduce sympathetic tension
- Decrease pressure on uterine tissue
- Mobilize the fascia of the uterus, bladder, and bowel
- Regulate autonomic input to pelvic organs
We often see that clients with fibroids also have fascial restrictions from old injuries, C-sections, or postural distortions—especially in the diaphragm, pelvic floor, or lumbar spine, where sympathetic ganglia live.
Gentle release techniques in these areas help restore balance between the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) systems, reducing the internal stress load that fuels fibroid growth.
Visceral Therapy: Mobilizing the Uterus
Visceral manipulation is a gentle hands-on technique to release restrictions in the abdominal organs. Jean-Pierre Barral, the founder of this method, describes how the uterus can become “stuck” due to scar tissue, postural compression, or trauma.
When the uterus loses mobility, it may:
- Become congested with lymphatic fluid
- Disrupt nearby nerve signaling
- Impair venous drainage
- Interfere with bowel or bladder function
Regular visceral work can restore the natural mobility of the uterus and surrounding ligaments, easing pressure and enhancing circulation.
Nutrition for Fibroid Support
Nutritional therapy is a cornerstone of any root-cause approach to fibroids. Key goals include reducing estrogen dominance, supporting detox pathways, and calming inflammation.
Anti-Inflammatory and Hormone-Balancing Nutrients:
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower): Support estrogen metabolism via DIM and sulforaphane
- Omega-3s (fish oil, flax): Lower inflammation and prostaglandin overproduction
- Magnesium: Supports muscle relaxation and hormone balance
- Vitamin D: Deficiency is linked to increased fibroid risk [5]
Herbal Support:
- Castor oil packs: Applied externally to support lymphatic flow and detox
- Chasteberry (Vitex): May help regulate progesterone and luteinizing hormone
- Turmeric/curcumin: Anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects on fibroid cells
Functional testing (e.g., DUTCH hormone test, GI-MAP, or micronutrient analysis) can provide clarity on what is driving hormonal imbalance in each individual.
Nervous System Support and the Brain-Fibroid Link
Chronic stress and trauma have been shown to dysregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, leading to irregular cycles and excess estrogen. Many women with fibroids are in a sympathetic-dominant state—constantly running on adrenaline.
Chiropractic neurology uses non-invasive brain-based therapies to:
- Calm limbic overactivation
- Improve vagal tone
- Support hypothalamic-pituitary function
- Reduce the brain’s “threat response” to pelvic signals
Tools like neurofeedback, gaze stabilization exercises, vagus nerve stimulation, and HRV biofeedback can shift the nervous system into a more parasympathetic state—allowing the body to rest, digest, and heal.
Your Next Steps: A Holistic Plan
If you are struggling with fibroids and do not want to jump straight to surgery, you are not out of options.
A chiropractic neurology-informed care plan might include:
- Fascial and visceral manual therapy
- A personalized anti-inflammatory nutrition plan
- Hormonal and gut testing
- Neurological exercises to calm the stress response
- Movement and breathwork to mobilize lymph and fascia
By supporting the body from the inside out, this approach aims not just to shrink fibroids, but to create an environment where they are less likely to return.
You Do Not Have to Suffer in Silence
Too many women have been told their only options are birth control or surgery. But your body is speaking—through pain, pressure, and fatigue—and it deserves to be heard.
By addressing the neurological, fascial, and metabolic roots of fibroids, we can help your system restore balance—gently, naturally, and sustainably.
If you or someone you love is suffering from uterine fibroids and you would like to learn how chiropractic neurology and fascial work can help, contact the team at Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center today. We look forward to hearing from you.
Written by Sophie Hose, DC, MS, DACNB, CCSP
Peer-Reviewed Sources:
- Baird, D. D., Dunson, D. B., Hill, M. C., Cousins, D., & Schectman, J. M. (2003). High cumulative incidence of uterine leiomyoma in black and white women: Ultrasound evidence. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 188(1), 100–107. https://doi.org/10.1067/mob.2003.99
- Laughlin-Tommaso, S. K., Jacoby, V. L., & Myers, E. R. (2017). Disparities in fibroid incidence, prognosis, and management. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 44(1), 81–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2016.11.002
- Pritts, E. A., Parker, W. H., & Olive, D. L. (2009). Fibroids and infertility: An updated systematic review of the evidence. Fertility and Sterility, 91(4), 1215–1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.01.051
- Schleip, R., & Müller, D. G. (2013). Training principles for fascial connective tissues: Scientific foundation and suggested practical applications. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 17(1), 103–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2012.06.007
- Sabry, M., & Al-Hendy, A. (2012). Vitamin D3 as a novel therapeutic option for uterine fibroids. Medical Hypotheses, 79(4), 403–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.06.014