Vaginal steaming
I am imagining your face now… Are you having slightly lifted eyebrows and widely opened eyes as you see the title of this post? Well, you are not alone because that was my reaction when I first heard the term ‘vaginal steaming’. Vaginal steaming (or 좌욕 in Korean) has centuries of history as a treatment method.
Vaginal steaming is sitting on a steaming chair ,which is the modern style, but it used to be a pot of boiling water that often contains different kinds of herbs depending on the patient's health concern. This treatment usually lasts about 15-20 minutes.
What are the benefits?
Reducing menstrual symptoms such as bloating, cramps, fatigue, menorrhagia (heavy bleeding)
Boosting fertility
Healing after childbirth (Lochia)
Treating hemorrhoids
Reducing stress
How does vaginal steaming relieve menstrual symptoms? Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that coldness can bring a lot of harms in the human body. When there’s coldness in the abdomen or uterus or genital part it can obstruct blood circulation and that appears as pain which eventually leads to physical fatigue. Therefore applying warmth relieves pain & coldness, promotes blood circulation and boosts uterine health.
How does vaginal steaming help with postnatal recovery? Lochia is the vaginal discharge you have after giving birth. It contains a mix of blood, mucus and uterine tissue. It has a stale, musty odor like menstrual period discharge and can last several weeks. Lochia is heavy at first but most cases gradually subside to a lighter flow until it’s gone. What happens if it doesn’t get discharged and remains in the uterus? Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests that it can cause blood coagulation in the uterus that causes pain and discomfort then possibly uterine diseases in the future. With vaginal steaming, applying warmth with appropriate herbs can promote emitting lochia and promotes qi and blood circulation for uterine health. As it promotes blood circulation it can speed up the recovery for vaginal tissue tears that may occur during labor. It is beneficial not only for moms with vaginal delivery but also for c-section. C-section mom’s cervix may not have been dilated as much as vaginal delivery mom, so the amount of remaining lochia may be greater, and it can take longer to discharge all the lochia.
I am licensed in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which means that I do both acupuncture and prescribe medicinal herbs. When it comes to prescribing which herbs to use in vaginal steaming, I carefully choose the appropriate herbs that benefit the patient’s health history and current symptoms. I use a company that is located in northern California. I like their products because they have a rigorous testing and cleaning method that they put all their herbs through.
Vaginal steaming is extremely helpful for patients with hemorrhoids because the warmth of the steam can relax the muscles and tissues around the anal sphincter and that can reduce the pain and discomfort. Also the warm steam widens the blood vessels around the anal sphincter. Therefore it promotes blood circulation and that’s how it reduces the swelling of blood vessels.
Do you have painful periods? Have you recently given birth? Do you have hemorrhoids?
Vaginal steaming will be very helpful for you. Call me at (425) 202-5060 to book an appointment.
