Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common condition that affects as many as 2 million women in the UK, and it can causes pelvic pain, irregular bleeding, heavy periods, depression, fertility problems and more.

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a condition where the cells that normally line the womb grow outside of the womb, on other pelvic organs such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Because they are the same types of cells as those inside your womb, they grow every month and bleed during your period.

Because these cells are on the ovaries, fallopian tubes and elsewhere, the blood has nowhere to go, so this causes pain, scarring and swelling on the pelvic organs which can cause a lot of pelvic pain, back pain and fertility problems.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

Endometriosis symptoms vary from person to person, and they depend on how severe the endometriosis is.

• Pelvic pain, pain in the lower abdomen (tummy) or in the lower back
• Heavy or painful periods (menorrhagia)
• Irregular bleeding
• Fertility problems
• Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)

If you suffer from any of these symptoms and think that you may be suffering from endometriosis, it’s important to see your GP who will be able to run some tests, such as a hysteroscopy (where they look inside your womb with a little camera) to see if endometriosis is present.

What Causes Endometriosis?

The main cause behind endometriosis is unknown. However, there have been a few theories suggested:

• Genetics – Endometriosis tends to run in families, and can affect certain ethnic groups more than others
• Retrograde menstruation – When parts of the womb lining flows up through the fallopian tubes and embeds itself on the pelvic organs, instead of leaving the body as a period
• Immune system issues – Problems within the immune system
• Spreading of endometrium cells – Endometrium cells spreading through the body in either the bloodstream or lymphatic system

What is the Relationship Between Endometriosis and the Pelvic Floor?

Women who suffer from endometriosis may also have issues with their pelvic floor muscles, developing a pelvic floor dysfunction as a result. Women may experience hypersensitive fibres within their pelvic floor muscles and/or tissues - this can lead to more pain.

Treatment for Endometriosis

Endometriosis treatment depends on how bad the endometriosis is and whether or not you hope to have children in the future. In mild cases, the doctor may recommend things such as painkillers and hormone treatments.

• Painkillers - If you have mild pain, ibuprofen may be enough to manage it.
• Hormone treatments - Hormone treatments are not a cure, but can help manage the symptoms of endometriosis by; reducing menstrual flow, the growth of endometrial tissue, and pain during the menstrual cycle.
• Combined oral contraceptive pill - To be taken orally each day for 3-4 months, followed by a week break when you will have a light period. This pill contains oestrogen and progestogen which add to the levels that are naturally produced. The aim is to suppress ovulation, and thin the uterus lining to make periods shorter and lighter. This pill has an 80% success in managing pelvic pain from endometriosis. Oral contraceptives have even been proven to reduce the risk of endometriosis developing in the first place. Even for a year after the last time they were taken.
• Progestogen only LARC contraceptive pill - Often referred to as POP or mini-pill. This pill is a long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), meaning it can be delivered to the body through several methods which have lasting effects (3 months - 5 years) but are not permanent. This pill can be given through; an intrauterine system (IUS), which is a small plastic device fitted inside your womb for up to 5 years. Injections, which are delivered to the muscles in the bottom every 3 months. Or an implant, under the skin of you arm for 3 years. Progestogen aims to reverse the growth of endometrial tissue, and stop it from getting any worse.
• Testosterone derivatives - These drugs are now less commonly used due to their negative side effects; including swollen breasts, headaches, anxiety and an increased growth of body hair. The male hormone testosterone aims to decrease the natural production of oestrogen and progesterone to reduce endometriosis from spreading. It is commonly taken within the drugs Danazol and Gestrinone (Dimestriose) which aim to create conditions similar to menopause.

In more severe cases of endometriosis, the doctor may recommend surgery.

• Hysteroscopy: is a procedure used to examine the inside of the womb (uterus). It is carried out using a hysteroscope, which is a narrow telescope with a light and camera at the end. This procedure allows your doctor to diagnose and treat causes of abnormal bleeding. 
• Laporoscopy: this is a keyhole surgery technique - doctors will use a tiny camera to look inside the womb, and will use delicate instruments to destroy patches of endometriosis. This is successful in cases of mild endometriosis and has good success rates.
• Hysterectomy:  in more serious cases of endometriosis, hysterectomy is sometimes the only option, but it’s only used when other endometriosis treatment options have been exhausted.

If you suffer from chronic endometriosis pain or pelvic pain, you can help your muscles to relax and target pelvic pain with the pain programme on the Kegel8 Ultra – this helps to relax your muscles and on the new Kegel8 Ultra can even be used with skin electrodes if inserting a probe is painful.

Alleviate pelvic pain, or anal/vaginal discomfort (including tightness and endometriosis) with the help of the Kegel8 Ultra 20 & Amanda Savage!

Amanda Savage is one of the UK’s leading specialist pelvic floor and women’s health physiotherapists, who has worked in the field for over 20 years offering supervised pelvic floor muscle training and support for the recovery of pelvic organ prolapses, incontinence and pelvic surgeries. With post-graduate qualifications, including a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, she has also gained full membership of the Professional Network of Pelvic, Obstetric & Gynaecological Physiotherapy (POGP). As a Kegel8 ambassador, Amanda Savage has worked alongside us for many years in the development of our best-selling device, the Kegel8 Ultra 20 V2 Electronic Pelvic Toner, to ensure its efficacy. In addition, she has been integral to ensuring all supporting information and instructions are medically accurate so that the device is used correctly/effectively, and treatment is tailored to the specific condition of the user.

Find out more about Amanda Savage, her qualifications, experience, knowledge, and affiliations here. 

Comes complete with an easy exercise plan, created by Amanda Savage, to get results in 12 weeks!

If you’re suffering from pelvic pain, or anal or vaginal discomfort (including tightness and endometriosis), we understand just how debilitating it can be. The impact is has on both physical and emotional well-being should never be underestimated! However, thankfully, by performing regular pelvic floor exercise, we can alleviate some of this pain.

The vaginal walls are layered with pelvic floor muscles at the base and the sides, which need to have good tone and firmness to make the space feel supported. They must be able to contract strongly for bladder and bowel control when needed. However, the muscles only need to work just “enough” in everyday life to be part of our supportive posture. Indeed, muscles that work too much without being rested and stretched can become short or “tight”. Muscles that can’t “switch off” tire easily and, as a result, offer poor bladder control. In addition, muscles that are overworked can also become painful as well as make the pelvic organs feel compressed. This pain can be localised to just the vagina or sometimes felt in the surrounding abdomen and other parts of the pelvis. Pelvic floor muscles need to be able to properly relax to be able to fully empty the bladder and bowel and for sex to be comfortable.

Amanda Savage has segmented the treatment plan for pelvic pain included with your Kegel8 Ultra 20 into 3 areas: relaxation, pain relief and awareness. The aim is to relax the muscles and bring more blood flow to the area, then target the pain relief, and finally enable the user to find and feel their pelvic floor muscles. The first two sections specify the combination of programmes that should be used, and the final section details an 8-week exercise plan. The treatment plan has been specifically created for those suffering with pelvic pain or anal or vaginal discomfort (including tightness and endometriosis). Developed to improve strength and tone in the muscles so that they support the bladder and bowel without experiencing pain, discomfort or tiring easily, it also encourages the muscles to relax and activates helpful chemical reactions in the brain, which help to reduce pain.

So why opt to use an electronic device rather than performing the exercises yourself?

Well, it is thought that many women push downwards during independent pelvic floor exercises, which, rather than strengthening the muscles, can lead to further damage. In addition, it can be difficult to locate and target the correct muscles, making exercise less effective. The Kegel8 Ultra 20 V2 Electronic Pelvic Floor Toner can be used to exercise the pelvic floor muscles, increase blood flow to the area to improve healing, as well as relax the muscles. Removing the guesswork and essentially acting as a Sat-Nav for your pelvic floor muscles, it correctly targets and stimulates them. With 20 clinically proven pelvic floor exercise programmes which vary in frequency, intensity and duration, the Ultra 20 is proven to treat a variety of different conditions, including pelvic pain. And, in addition to tailored programmes, the specific 12-week exercise plans created by Amanda Savage advise exactly how the device should be used to depending upon your specific concern/condition.