March is Endometriosis Awareness Month by Dr. Hailey Jackson
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, so it is only fitting to share a few things you need to know about endometriosis.Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition where endometrial tissue grows outside of the uterus. These lesions produce their own estrogen.
It is estimated to affect 1/10 women.
Symptoms include painful periods, painful ovulation, pain during or after sexual intercourse, heavy bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, and infertility, and can impact on general physical, mental, and social well being. Additionally, 9/10 women with endometriosis experience GI related symptoms, the most common being bloating.
Average time to diagnosis is 6-10 years; diagnosis is made via exploratory surgery, and gold standard treatment is surgical excision of endometrial tissue, though there are conservative options to manage the pain.
While pelvic PTs don’t treat the actual endometrial tissue, we can certainly help manage the symptoms correlated with endometriosis, such as constipation, bloating, chronic pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, and abdominal pain. Studies clearly demonstrate a correlation between chronic, period related pelvic pain and abdominal myofascial restriction. 
And just a note about pain— severe pain is never normal, even if it is period related, and should not keep you from participating in your daily activities. If you are experiencing severe pain, please address this with your provider, as this condition should be treated sooner rather than later due to the impact on quality of life it brings. For a more info, be sure to call 903-962-2600, follow @thepowerfulpelvis on Instagram, or learn more at www.txpelvichealth.com.
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