Diagnosed with Endometriosis, Now What?
Endometriosis, you finally have a “name” for why your body has been experiencing all of these symptoms. It has likely taken many years to reach this point coupled with a rollercoaster of emotions, symptoms, testing, and referrals to MANY medical providers. With over 176 million people also diagnosed with endometriosis you are not alone, but you may feel lost on where to begin the healing journey. In this blog post, we’ll take the guessing away and provide you with a plan. Starting with how to build a support team, manage pain, and address your lifestyle habits to ultimately help you tackle your endo diagnosis!
Build a Support Team
You will want to surround yourself with a team of experts that specialize in treating endometriosis. Endometriosis can be complex to manage and have put you at a higher risk of developing other underlying/chronic conditions. Listed below is the recommended team of experts to best support and manage your symptoms.
General PCP or OB/Gyn- assists in recognizing and initially managing symptoms, but ultimately should refer and work alongside a surgeon specialized in removal on endometriosis lesions/adhesions.
Surgeon - surgical removal of adhesions may be the best option for you. A skilled surgeon will be able to guide you if surgery is a recommended next step in managing symptoms.
Pelvic Health Physical Therapist - assist with managing pelvic or abdominal pain before or after surgery using hands on manual therapy to reduce restrictions in muscles and surrounding tissues.
Nutritionist - assist with diet modifications to eliminate inflammation in the body
Pain Management - provide strategies to manage chronic pain
Mental Health Therapist - guide you in healing your mind-body connection
If you don’t know where to begin your search for an expert, Nancy’s Nook is a great starting point to search for a health professional in your area. It can also be helpful to ask one of your trusted healthcare providers for recommendations as they work with plenty of these providers on a regular basis!
Manage Flare Ups and Pain
Regular maintenance is important with a chronic condition like endometriosis. By establishing and maintaining regular appointments with a specialized Pelvic Floor PT, you can decrease the amount and severity of flare ups as well as feel more equipped to manage flare ups on your own, too! Some of the things that Physical Therapy will focus on are:
Address muscle or tissue pain through physical therapy, heat or abdominal massage. Chronic pain symptoms can lead to restricted tissues or adhesions. Hands on treatment can help improve blood flow to the tissues or break up the restricted tissue for more pain free movement.
Calm down your nervous system through yoga, meditation or progressive relaxation. Pain signals are often triggered by stress and inflammation. These practices above are great strategies to help reduce the body feeling it is in threat and promote more experiences in which your body feels safe.
Determine the best exercise to help you stay active and healthy without putting excess stress on your body. In working with you, your PT can help you find workouts and exercise that you love and will help you feel better in your body!
Build a strong exercise routine, this does not mean it has to be aggressive in nature! Exercise improves blood flow to the tissues and can help other symptoms associated with an endometriosis such as constipation, fatigue, and mood changes
Lifestyle
Lifestyle factors such as your diet, sleep, mental health, and exercise routines can all play a role in managing your diagnosis. Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to just do these things when you’re in the middle of a flare up. Maintaining these healthy habits as best you can in your daily life can help prevent more frequent and more intense symptoms! Some of our top tips for better lifestyle habits include:
Add in supplements that have anti inflammatory (fish oil, magnesium or vitamin D) or antihistamine properties (Quercetin). The addition of supplements can be a great compliment to an anti-inflammatory diet and stress reduction practices.
Optimize your sleep hygiene by reducing electronics 1 hour before bed and promote a dark/cool and quiet environment
Reduce inflammation in your diet by cutting back on eating or drinking items such as sugar, alcohol, dairy, wheat, and acidic foods. These dietary triggers can irritate an already inflamed system which makes your body more susceptible to pain. Try to include plenty of healthy protein, fats, and leafy green veggies!
Build a social support system with those who have a similar story. Local or online support groups can help you share your journey with those who also understand. Allowing you a safe space to release emotions, build resilience or gain advice from others.
Conclusion:
Managing symptoms related to endometriosis requires an entire mind - body approach. These recommendations may feel daunting at first, but if you break your healing journey down step by step, you will eventually be in the driver’s seat of managing your symptoms. If you are interested in learning a few more strategies for alleviating pelvic pain, check out our YouTube video here. Subscribe, like or comment as we post new videos with pelvic health content weekly!
References
Home. NancysNookEndo. (2022, February 11). Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://nancysnookendo.com/
Drummond, J. (2020) Outsmart Endometriosis: Relieve Your Symptoms and Get Your Career Back on Track. Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press.