Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can cause severe pain in the pelvis and make it harder to get pregnant. Endometriosis can start at a person’s first menstrual period and last until menopause (WHO, Mar 2023).
In the UK, around 1.5 million women, approximately 1 in 10 women, and those assigned female at birth are currently living with the condition, regardless of race or ethnicity.
The prevalence of endometriosis in women with infertility can be as high as to 30–50%. Endometriosis is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK. Sadly, on average it takes 8 years from onset of symptoms to get a diagnosis. Endometriosis costs the UK economy £8.2bn a year in treatment, loss of work and healthcare costs. The cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no definite cure.
The symptoms of endometriosis can vary, some women are significantly affected, while other women might not have any noticeable symptoms.
Some common symptoms of endometriosis are:
- pain in your lower tummy or back (pelvic pain) – usually worse during your period
- period pain that stops you doing your normal activities
- pain during or after sex
- pain when peeing or pooing during your period
- feeling sick, constipation, diarrhoea, or blood in your pee or poo during your period
- difficulty getting pregnant
You may also have heavy periods. You might use lots of pads or tampons, or you may bleed through to your clothes. For some women, endometriosis can have a big impact on their life and may sometimes lead to depression.
Different research and studies are showing that acupuncture is an effective and safe method of relieving dysmenorrhea, shortening the pain duration, and improving wellbeing and quality of life in women with endometriosis-associated pain (Shaung Li, et al, 2023), and Giese, Kwon, Armour (2023) in their research showed positive results concluding that Acupuncture can help and resulted in clinically relevant improvements in pelvic pain.
At YOLO Acupuncture, Nottingham, we do a lot of work with women who suffer from endometriosis and PCOS to help alleviate their pain and discuss in detail how lifestyle, diet and exercise changes can help. We are also willing to review scan results and blood tests to discuss with each patient individually these results.
