Common, but not normal
Many women with endometriosis spent years being told that “period pain is normal” before they were diagnosed. It is estimated to affect around one in ten women of reproductive age — and yet it is still rarely talked about.
Endometriosis happens when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it: on the ovaries, the peritoneum, the bowel, the bladder. This tissue responds to the hormones of the cycle and causes inflammation, pain and sometimes adhesions. It can cause severe period pain, pain during sex, pain when opening your bowels or passing urine, fatigue and difficulty conceiving.
Diagnosing and treating endometriosis is medical. What we offer is complementary: helping your body cope with the effects of the condition, side by side with your gynaecologist.
What may be at the root of the pain
In endometriosis, pain does not come only from the lesions. Other layers add up — and some of them can be worked on:
- A guarding pelvic floor. Years of pain make the pelvic muscles stay contracted, which adds pain during sex, in the bladder and in the bowel.
- Adhesions and visceral mobility. Inflammation and surgery can restrict how the organs move and create areas of tension.
- Laparoscopy scars. Even small ones can become stuck and sensitive.
- Bowels. Bloating, constipation or diarrhoea are common and add to the discomfort.
- A sensitised nervous system. Chronic pain makes the body more reactive; stress and poor sleep feed the cycle.
How we can help
In the first session we listen to your story, your tests and the treatment you are having, and assess posture, breathing, abdominal mobility and — with your consent — the pelvic floor.
Pelvic physiotherapy can help reduce muscle tension and pain during sex. Visceral osteopathy gently works on the mobility of tissues and scars. Acupuncture may be a complement for pain management and general wellbeing. None of these therapies treats the disease itself, but many women notice an improvement in their quality of life. If you are going through fertility treatment, we coordinate with your medical team.
What you can do now
- Breathing and pelvic relaxation. Slow breaths, letting your perineum soften as you breathe in, help break the pain–tension cycle.
- Warmth and gentle movement on painful days, rather than complete rest.
- A symptom diary. Recording pain, cycle, bowels and food helps in medical appointments and shows you what makes things worse.
If this sounds like you, get in touch. You are not alone.