By Schuyler Corrigan

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March 24, 2023

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At Richmond Natural Medicine, we provide care and education for a wide variety of women’s health issues, and one that we see fairly often is endometriosis. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that endometriosis affects roughly 10% (190 million) of reproductive-age women and girls globally (1,2). Endometriosis is a disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing chronic pain and/or infertility along with the development of scar tissue. Unfortunately, the symptoms associated with endometriosis are also symptoms associated with other imbalances, often leading to a long delay between the time painful symptoms develop and a confident diagnosis. 

 

Symptoms can start to occur at puberty due to the hormonal changes and onset of menstruation which can start to show as irregular or painful and heavy. Many young females have different and possibly irregular cycles at menarche (first period), so it will commonly take a few cycles to understand and observe true abnormalities to the menstrual cycle. Some women will deal with the period abnormalities for years and only when they are trying to conceive will they notice if fertility is an issue and that is when many diagnoses are made

Symptoms of Endometriosis:

• severe and chronic pelvic pain
• dysmenorrhea (severe and frequent menstrual cramps)
• dyspareunia (painful intercourse)
• dysuria (painful urination)
• abdominal bloating and nausea
• infertility 
• fatigue

 

Endometriosis is commonly an estrogen-dominant condition that presents with uterine lining tissue located on other organs outside of the uterus and has symptoms of heavy, painful menses and infertility. Diagnosis may include ultrasound and a minor surgical procedure called laparoscopy. Endometriosis can have a hereditary component making it more likely to occur if a family member on either side has had it.

The Naturopathic Approach to Endometriosis 

Naturopathic doctors will  look into the root of the concerns and not just the symptoms as they happen to present themselves. They may start with the basics of establishing a diet that promotes appropriate blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity. Starting by addressing diet and lifestyle can help to establish a strong framework on which they can stack improvements. This step isn’t always the same for everyone as we all have different nutrition needs, but the common goal is to reawaken your body’s response to food in order to support a more balanced hormonal picture.

The liver is one of the main organs that process hormones and with age and overloading on the liver (with medications, caffeine, alcohol, etc.), we have a more difficult time metabolizing hormones- especially when they are in excess within our bodies. This can lead to a worsening of symptoms including irregular cycles, hair loss, and acne. Naturopathic doctors can support liver pathways, commonly with supplements, herbs and nutrition suggestions, to promote good hormonal metabolism.

The main goals in endometriosis are to reduce inflammation, promote liver detox pathways, and decrease overall estrogen load.

 

A good starting point for reducing inflammation is, again, through diet and lifestyle because if the gut is inflamed and unhappy, it will start to show in other aspects of our health. There are many foods that can cause or worsen inflammation such as processed foods, trans fats, sugar, etc., and since symptoms of endometriosis tend to worsen with inflammation, it is important to eliminate those culprits to allow for healing of the gut and lessen symptoms such as pain, weight gain, or heavy periods.

 

Improving the liver’s detox pathways is important in helping to process high estrogen levels. A part of this is, of course, decreasing overall estrogenic activity, but also supporting the pathways through which estrogen is metabolized out of the body. Unfortunately, we are constantly surrounded by exogenous estrogens in our environment, food, and products, and making little lifestyle changes to avoid these pathways as best as we can help to support lowering your body’s overall estrogen load

 

If you are struggling with a diagnosis of endometriosis, or need support with hormone balance and women’s health, consider consulting with Dr. Viktoriya Thompson for a personalized approach to finding balance

 

References: 

 

1. Zondervan KT, Becker CM, Missmer SA. Endometriosis. N Engl J Med 2020; 382:1244-56
2. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis