Endometriosis rarely affects just one part of your life. It can cause pelvic pain, painful periods, bloating and bowel symptoms. You might feel pain during sex, and exercise might be difficult. You could feel tired, have interrupted sleep, and feel real effects of the mental load of dealing with all these symptoms.
That’s why endometriosis care doesn’t always begin and end with medication or surgery.
For some women, bringing dietetics, physiotherapy and psychology into their care can help manage different parts of the condition and make everyday life a little easier.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. It affects around one in seven Australian women and girls.
Some women experience severe period pain, others persistent pelvic pain, bowel or bladder symptoms, pain during sex, fertility concerns or fatigue. And often, several of these things are happening all at once. Treatment for endometriosis therefore, needs to reflect the woman experiencing it.
Medical and surgical treatments are part of endometriosis care, but it’s also important to recognise the role of multidisciplinary care, including physiotherapy, psychology and dietary support.
Endometriosis can leave you feeling bloated, uncomfortable and unsure which foods are going to agree with you. This means eating can become surprisingly complicated.
Women with endometriosis can experience gastrointestinal symptoms including bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and pain with bowel movements. Some also have conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome alongside endometriosis.
Our Grace dietitian Kristy Wiseman, will look at what is actually happening for you, rather than handing you a generic list of foods to avoid. She can help you identify patterns with food and symptoms, and ensure you get the nutrients you need along the way.
Pelvic physiotherapy can help when endometriosis is accompanied by pelvic pain, pain during sex or difficulties with your bladder or bowels. When you’ve experienced pain for a long time, muscles around the pelvis can become tight, guarded or overactive.
This protective response can become part of the pain cycle. A pelvic health physiotherapist can assess how your pelvic floor and surrounding muscles are functioning and tailor treatment to what your body needs. This might include relaxation and breathing techniques, movement and exercise, hands-on treatment, advice around bladder and bowel habits, or strategies to gradually make everyday activities and sex more comfortable.
There is nothing “all in your head” about endometriosis pain. Over time, it can affect how you feel.
It’s the stress of not knowing when a flare-up will happen again or the worry of missing work. It’s having to cancel plans or finding yourself explaining the pain to people who can’t see it. Your relationships are impacted, and fertility concerns add another layer. It can feel exhausting.
Psychological support from our Gold Coast psychologists can help you work through the emotional impact of living with endometriosis, while also giving you practical strategies for managing stress, pain and difficult periods.
At Grace Private, we have a multidisciplinary team to help you manage your endo. Your care can involve different types of support. A physio may help with pelvic pain, a dietitian with gut symptoms and a psychologist with the emotional side of living with endometriosis.
You might need some of this support, or none at all. The important thing is finding what helps you manage your symptoms and feel better from day to day.
At Grace Private, our approach to women’s health brings together gynaecologists and allied health professionals, including physiotherapy, psychology and dietetics. If endometriosis symptoms are getting in the way of everyday life, talk to the team at Grace Private about support that’s right for you.
