Endometriosis
Endometriosis affects 1 in 9 people assigned female at birth, and Persistent Pelvic Pain affects 1 in 5 people assigned female at birth, making these conditions incredibly common. Despite this high incidence, little is known about these conditions, leading to delays in diagnosis of often 7+ years!
Delays in diagnosis, often mean delays in the development of an appropriate treatment plan, this unfortunately means many struggle for years to get the help that they need!
At The Pelvic Studio, we are here to change that! We are experts in treating persistent pelvic pain and can form a vital part of your multi-disciplinary management team. We can help you to develop a treatment plan to help combat your pelvic pain. This treatment plan involves a multi-modal holistic approach.
Delays in an Endometriosis diagnosis may be due to the assumption that all pain associated with menstruation is 'normal', when in fact, it is not.
To help us help you, here is a breakdown of what is considered "normal" period pain:
- Pain that is only present in the first 1-2 days of your period
- Period pain that is easily managed with over-the-counter pain medication
Ultimately a “normal” level of period pain does not impact your quality of life! In other words, it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your day to day life, exercising or having sex.
Endo often co-exists with overactive muscles, and bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction.
This is where pelvic physiotherapy comes in!
Pelvic health physiotherapy can address any and all muscular contributors and teach you how to improve your bladder, bowel and sexual health, which is why it is a great addition to your multidisciplinary team.
What is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis or 'Endo' is a whole-body condition in which endometrial cells (cells that are similar to those that line the inside of the uterus) are found outside of the uterus, such as on the bladder and bowel. In some endo patients, this can go hand in hand with pelvic pain, abdominal bloating/discomfort and severe period pain.
What are some of the potential symptoms of Endometriosis?
- Pain that ''stops you" on or around your period
- Heavy bleeding or irregular bleeding
- Pain in the low back/pelvic region that can also radiate down into the leg
- Pain during or after sex
- Fatigue
- Bladder frequency &/or urgency
- Pain with bladder filling and/or emptying
- Pain with bowel movements
- Pain on or around ovulation
How Pelvic Physiotherapy Can Help!
Pelvic Physiotherapy can help in a number of ways for patients who have been diagnosed or are on the way to a diagnosis of Endometriosis.
Assessment
Your pelvic physiotherapist will perform a thorough assessment to help identify specific factors that are contributing to your symptoms.
We assess your posture, alignment, range of motion, how you move, think, breathe, and your lifestyle.
With your explicit consent we can assess your body both internally and externally. Your internal pelvic floor and deep hip muscles can be assessed via ultrasound or via a vaginal examination. During a vaginal examination we also assess your pelvic nerves for correct sensation and/or the presence of heightened sensitivity.
Managing pain
Persistent pelvic pain (which can often go hand in hand with Endometriosis) is complex and multifactorial in nature.
Pelvic pain if often influenced not only by biomechanical factors (i.e. how you move) but also by psychosocial factors, such as how you feel, your beliefs, mind-set, past experiences and any specific contextual factors. Pelvic physiotherapy aims to address both the body and the mind to help you achieve positive outcomes. We often work closely with other members of your health team, such as your psychologist, specialist and GP.
Physiotherapy management can involve:
Education
Our biggest tool as health professionals is education, so you should expect plenty of knowledge to empower you, as you navigate treatment for your endometriosis.
Manual Therapy
If indicated and appropriate, external and internal manual therapy may be performed to address muscular tension
Exercise Rehabilitation
Prescription of tailored and progressive home exercises, to stabilize, tone, strengthen and/or lengthen. These may be Pilates, functional/gym, stretching, ball release or yoga inspired exercises that are suited to your individual needs.
Group Classes
We offer 1:1 / 2:1 or 4:1 group exercise rehab sessions at our on-site exercise studio. These sessions may involve our Pilates reformer beds, gym-based equipment, cables machines, weights, bands and/or balance equipment.
