Endometriosis: Understanding Your Body and Building Your Own Toolbox

This article is intended as a supportive information document and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is designed to provide information, ideas and avenues for further exploration so that women — and those supporting them — can become better informed and make their own choices.

This information may also be useful for parents, partners and other family members. Watching a daughter experience pain, uncertainty or difficulties with fertility can bring up fear, frustration, helplessness and anxiety of their own. Parents may therefore find some of the suggestions around emotional regulation, communication and calming the mind helpful in managing their own feelings while supporting someone they love.

Endometriosis can be difficult to live with. For some women, it means painful periods; for others, it can involve chronic pelvic pain, bowel or bladder symptoms, painful sex, fatigue, digestive problems, fertility difficulties or a combination of symptoms.

It does not mean that a woman cannot go on to live a happy, active and fulfilling life — or become a mother. Many women with endometriosis conceive naturally, while others benefit from fertility support. Don’t let the diagnosis become your identity or your destiny.

What actually is endometriosis?

Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb is found elsewhere in the body, most commonly around the ovaries, fallopian tubes and pelvic tissues. It can cause inflammation, pain, adhesions and, in some women, ovarian endometriomas.

It is a highly individual condition. The amount of endometriosis does not necessarily correspond to the amount of pain. Some women have extensive disease with relatively few symptoms, while others experience severe symptoms with comparatively little visible disease.

What should you look out for?

Possible signs include:

• Very painful periods or pelvic pain
• Pain beginning before the period arrives
• Heavy or prolonged bleeding
• Pain during or after sex
• Pain when opening your bowels
• Pain when urinating
• Bloating and digestive symptoms
• Ovulation pain
• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Lower back or leg pain
• Difficulty becoming pregnant
• Feeling faint or unwell around menstruation

These symptoms can have many possible causes, so they should not automatically be assumed to indicate endometriosis. Keeping a symptom and menstrual-cycle diary can be helpful when discussing your experiences with a healthcare professional.

Diagnosis: know your options

Endometriosis is difficult to diagnose, and delays remain a significant problem. Endometriosis UK has reported an average UK diagnostic delay of around 9 years and 4 months!

Diagnosis may involve a detailed history, examination and ultrasound. A normal scan does not necessarily exclude endometriosis. NICE guidance supports considering symptoms and imaging together, with laparoscopy used when clinically indicated rather than automatically being required for everyone.

MRI scans may involve a contrast dye, gadolinium. Please research this before going ahead, as it is possible to carry out some MRI scans without contrast dye. Ask the clinician arranging your scan whether contrast is necessary for your particular investigation and what the alternatives are.

If symptoms are persistent, severe or interfering with everyday life, asking for referral to a gynaecologist or specialist endometriosis service is reasonable.

The conventional medical toolbox

Conventional treatments generally aim to reduce pain, control symptoms and protect quality of life. Depending on the individual, these may include:

• Pain-relieving medication
• Hormonal contraception
• Progestogen treatment
• Other hormonal suppression treatments
• Specialist medicines such as GnRH antagonists
• Laparoscopic surgery, including removal of endometriosis where appropriate
• Fertility treatment, including IVF when appropriate
• Specialist multidisciplinary care

Treatment decisions should take account of symptoms, preferences and individual priorities.

If having children is important to you, make this part of the conversation from the beginning. Endometriosis is associated with fertility difficulties, but it does not automatically mean infertility. Many women conceive naturally, including some with significant disease, while others need additional support.

What else can you do?

Many women want to explore ways to support their bodies, reduce their symptom burden and improve their quality of life. An integrative or complementary approach may offer additional avenues to investigate alongside other care.

It need not be a choice between “natural” and “medical”. The question is: What combination of approaches works best for me?

Alternative and complementary sources of support

Endometriosis affects women differently. Some choose to investigate complementary therapies, nutritional support and mind–body approaches as part of a broader strategy for improving wellbeing.

BioReNu — bioresonance and integrative health

BioReNu offers an integrative approach to health, including bioresonance therapy.

Helen Stevens is listed in the Rayonex practitioner directory as a practitioner of bioresonance according to Paul Schmidt. Her background also includes EFT, NLP and yoga. She is based both in London and Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

Bioresonance practitioners use specialised devices based on the principle that the body’s electromagnetic frequencies can be assessed or influenced. If you are interested in this approach, contact BioReNu to discuss the services offered, the practitioner’s experience and whether the approach is suitable for your circumstances.

Contact: 07564 669393

Practitioner profile: Helen Stevens — BioReNu, Rayonex practitioner directory.

Other complementary approaches to investigate

• Nutritional therapy: Explore whether your diet provides adequate protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals, and whether particular foods appear to affect your symptoms.
• Pelvic-health physiotherapy: A specialist may help with pelvic-floor tension, movement difficulties and some forms of persistent pelvic pain.
• Acupuncture: Some women explore acupuncture for pain management and relaxation. Research into its effectiveness for endometriosis-related pain is continuing.
• Mind–body therapies: Meditation, guided visualisation, breathing exercises, hypnotherapy and relaxation may support emotional wellbeing and coping with persistent pain.
• EFT and counselling: Emotional support can be helpful when living with pain, uncertainty, fertility concerns or the impact of symptoms on relationships and everyday life.
• Massage and gentle movement: Approaches tailored to individual comfort may help with relaxation and general wellbeing.
• Kinesiology: Many women appreciate kinesiology as an opportunity to explore the connections between physical responses, emotional experiences and everyday stress. By combining muscle-response techniques with individual exploration and practical balancing methods, a session can offer a different perspective on patterns that may be affecting wellbeing.
• Integrative and functional practitioners: Dr Sarah Myhill, Dr Khush Mark, Lucy De Angeles and Wendy K Laidlaw offer different perspectives on nutrition, lifestyle and whole-person health.

A 2024 review by Desai, Strong and Ball, Holistic approaches to living well with endometriosis, examines a range of approaches, including nutrition, acupuncture, mind–body therapies and complementary treatments.

Read the review: https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.142586.2

These approaches vary in their evidence base. Practitioner information and personal experiences can be useful starting points for further investigation, but they should not be taken as proof that a treatment will work for everyone.

Kinesiology: exploring stress and the body’s responses

Kinesiology — sometimes called health kinesiology or energy kinesiology — uses muscle-response testing alongside questions and practical techniques intended to explore how a person responds to different physical or emotional stressors. It bypasses the brain and explores the bodily response, helpful for those who are often “in their head”.

How does kinesiology work?

In a session, a practitioner may ask you to hold an arm or another muscle in a comfortable position and apply light pressure while you gently resist. Within the kinesiology approach, changes in the muscle’s response are interpreted as possible clues to stress or imbalance.

Depending on their training and the particular method they use, the practitioner may then explore these responses and work with techniques such as:

• Gentle muscle work and movement
• Acupressure or meridian-point stimulation
• Breathing and relaxation exercises
• Visualisation
• Emotional stress exploration
• Other techniques intended to support balance and wellbeing

The underlying idea within complementary kinesiology is that the body may provide clues through changes in muscle response, helping the practitioner explore areas of stress that might otherwise be difficult to identify consciously.

Practitioners may use this process to guide a session towards particular physical, emotional or lifestyle themes.

How might it be useful when living with endometriosis?

Living with persistent pain can affect emotional wellbeing, sleep, stress levels, confidence and a person’s relationship with their body. Kinesiology may provide an opportunity to slow down, focus on bodily responses, explore emotional stress and practise relaxation. A session may also prompt useful questions about self-care, stress management or other forms of support.

These are supportive benefits, rather than a promise of a result. Kinesiology is a complementary approach to exploring ways to support someone with endometriosis.

If you choose to explore kinesiology, look for a suitably trained practitioner who listens to your concerns, explains their approach and fees clearly, respects boundaries whilst continuing to explore appropriate gynaecological care.

For an introduction to the methods and ideas used within this field, see the books by John F. Thie and John Diamond listed in the references below.

1. Nutrition

Good nutrition provides the raw materials your body needs for energy, hormone metabolism, immune function, tissue repair and general resilience.

Aim for a nutrient-dense diet that provides adequate:

• High-quality protein
• Omega-3-rich foods
• Vegetables and fruit that you tolerate well
• Healthy fats
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• B vitamins
• Vitamin D
• Calcium
• Fluids

Some women find that particular foods worsen their bloating, digestive symptoms or pain. Others report improvements when reducing ultra-processed foods, alcohol or specific trigger foods.

A food and symptom diary may help you identify your own patterns rather than following somebody else’s diet.

2. Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are involved in inflammatory pathways and are important components of cell membranes. Research has investigated their potential role in menstrual pain and endometriosis-related symptoms, although the evidence does not yet establish a definitive supplementation protocol for endometriosis.

Good food sources include oily fish such as:

• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Salmon
• Herring

Supplementation may be worth discussing with a suitably qualified practitioner, particularly if dietary intake is low. Consider individual circumstances and medication interactions; more is not necessarily better.

3. Look after the nervous system

Living with recurring pain can put the body into a state of constant alert. Pain can increase stress, stress can affect sleep, and poor sleep can make pain harder to manage.

The brain, nervous system, hormones, immune system and body are interconnected. Techniques that support relaxation and emotional regulation can therefore form a useful part of a broader approach to living with persistent pain.

Possibilities include:

• Meditation and mindfulness
• Breathing exercises
• Yoga or gentle movement
• Relaxation techniques
• Time in nature
• Massage
• Appropriate pelvic physiotherapy
• Acupuncture
• Guided visualisation
• Regular periods of genuine rest

Choose approaches that feel comfortable and adapt them to your energy levels and symptoms.

4. Don’t underestimate talking therapy

Psychological support can be valuable when pain affects relationships, work, sexuality, confidence or hopes for motherhood.

Counselling or psychotherapy may help women:

• Process the emotional impact of diagnosis
• Manage anxiety around symptoms
• Develop strategies for living with chronic pain
• Work with fear and uncertainty
• Improve self-compassion
• Address relationship difficulties
• Rebuild confidence
• Develop relaxation and sleep habits
• Maintain a sense of identity beyond the illness

Seeking emotional support does not mean that pain is imaginary or that the condition is psychological. It recognises that living with a persistent physical condition can affect every aspect of life.

5. Sleep is essential to wellbeing

Poor sleep and chronic pain can become a difficult cycle. Creating a consistent sleep routine, getting morning daylight, reducing evening stimulation, keeping the bedroom cool and dark, and developing a relaxing bedtime ritual may help.

If pain, anxiety, hormonal changes or digestive symptoms repeatedly disturb sleep, those issues deserve attention rather than simply accepting poor sleep as inevitable.

Who might you research?

There is a growing range of practitioners and educators taking broader approaches to women’s health.

Dr Sarah Myhill focuses on ecological medicine, nutrition, mitochondrial function and integrative approaches to chronic illness. https://www.drmyhill.co.uk/

Dr Khush Mark PhD works in naturopathic nutritional medicine and functional medicine, combining a scientific background with nutritional and lifestyle approaches. https://www.khushmark.com/

Lucy De Angeles, through Natural Born Healer, explores nutrition, personal history, lifestyle and emotional wellbeing from a whole-person perspective. https://www.naturalbornhealer.co.uk/

Wendy K Laidlaw focuses specifically on natural and naturopathic approaches to endometriosis, including nutrition, lifestyle, supplements and psychological wellbeing. https://www.wendyklaidlaw.com/

Build your own toolbox

Your personal toolbox might include:

• Medical care: Appropriate diagnosis, medication and surgery where indicated.
• Nutrition: A nourishing diet tailored to your individual needs and tolerances.
• Supplements: Where there is a sound reason to use them, including correcting nutritional deficiencies.
• Movement: Walking, stretching, yoga or pelvic-health physiotherapy suited to your circumstances.
• Nervous-system regulation: Breathing, meditation, relaxation and mindfulness.
• Emotional support: Counselling or psychotherapy when needed.
• Sleep: Making restorative sleep a priority.
• Relationships and sexuality: Open communication and support where pain has affected intimacy.
• Fertility planning: Discussing reproductive goals early rather than waiting until problems arise.
• Complementary approaches: Exploring therapies that interest you, while evaluating their evidence, cost and suitability.
• Self-education: Understanding your body and recognising patterns.

And perhaps most importantly: hope.

A diagnosis of endometriosis does not define you, nor mean your life has to revolve around illness. Women with endometriosis build careers, travel, have relationships, exercise, create businesses, dance, sing, laugh, fall in love and build fulfilling lives.

You may need to become more informed and proactive, or assemble a team around you rather than relying on a single practitioner, and find what works for you. You are not your diagnosis.

Do your own research

There is an enormous amount of information about endometriosis, and not all of it agrees. This is a reason to become more informed, not less.

Use clinical guidelines alongside independent practitioners, nutritional information, patient experiences and emerging research. When reading a study, consider who funded it, how many people participated, what outcomes were measured, what limitations were acknowledged and whether other research supports the findings.

Most importantly, don’t hand your health completely over to anyone else. Become an informed participant in your own healthcare.

The best toolbox is the one built around you — your symptoms, body, priorities, your fertility plans and the things that genuinely improve your quality of life.

The journey is often about finding enough things that allow you to get your life back. You have the right to explore your options, ask questions and build a support team that takes your experiences seriously.

References and Further Reading

The resources below provide a starting point for exploring endometriosis, diagnosis, treatment, nutrition and complementary approaches. They include clinical guidelines, published research, patient resources and practitioner information.

Understanding endometriosis, diagnosis and treatment

1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Endometriosis: diagnosis and management (NG73). Updated 2024.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73

Guidance covering symptoms, investigations, treatment options, surgery, fertility and referral to specialist services.

2. European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). ESHRE Guideline: Endometriosis. 2022.

https://academic.oup.com/hropen/article/2022/2/hoac009/6537540

A comprehensive guideline covering diagnosis, pain management, fertility and the evidence relating to diet, supplements and complementary approaches.

3. Endometriosis UK. Diagnosis and Access to Treatment.

https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/policy-campaigns/diagnosis-access-treatment

Information about diagnostic delays, access to treatment and the experiences of women living with endometriosis.

Nutrition and omega-3

4. ESHRE. Guideline on Endometriosis — Nutrition and complementary approaches. 2022.

https://www.eshre.eu/-/media/sitecore-files/Guidelines/Endometriosis/ESHRE-GUIDELINE-ENDOMETRIOSIS-2022_1.pdf

Reviews the available research on dietary interventions, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and other nutritional factors.

5. Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids as a potential treatment for reducing dysmenorrhoea pain: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Nutrition & Dietetics, 2023.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37545015/

Reviews research examining omega-3 supplementation and menstrual pain. The research concerns dysmenorrhoea more broadly, rather than exclusively endometriosis, so its findings should be interpreted in that context.

Holistic and complementary approaches

6. Desai, Strong and Ball. Holistic approaches to living well with endometriosis. 2024. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.142586.2

A review examining holistic approaches, including nutrition, acupuncture, mind–body therapies and complementary treatments.

7. Rayonex UK. Helen Stevens — BioReNu practitioner profile. https://rayonex.co.uk/practitioners/helen-stevens-biorenu/

Practitioner-directory information for readers wishing to learn more about BioReNu and its bioresonance approach.

Practitioner resources

8. Dr Sarah Myhill. Ecological medicine, nutrition and mitochondrial health. https://www.drmyhill.co.uk/

9. Dr Khush Mark. Naturopathic nutritional medicine and functional medicine. https://www.khushmark.com/

10. Natural Born Healer — Lucy De Angeles. Nutrition, lifestyle and whole-person wellbeing. https://www.naturalbornhealer.co.uk/

11. Wendy K Laidlaw — Heal Endometriosis Naturally. Natural and naturopathic approaches to endometriosis. https://www.wendyklaidlaw.com/

These practitioner resources represent their respective approaches and viewpoints. Their inclusion is intended to help readers explore different perspectives.

Kinesiology: books for further reading

12. Thie, John F., and Matthew Thie. Touch for Health: The Complete Edition: A Practical Guide to Natural Health with Acupressure Touch and Massage. DeVorss Publications, 2005. ISBN 978-0875168128.

An introductory and practical guide to the Touch for Health approach, including muscle testing, muscle balancing, acupressure and meridian concepts. A newer 50th-anniversary edition is also available.

Publisher information: https://devorss.com/products/touch-for-health-the-complete-edition-2

Bibliographic record: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101496014

13. Diamond, John. Your Body Doesn’t Lie: An Introduction to Behavioural Kinesiology. Eden Grove, 1997. ISBN 978-1870845250. Originally published in 1979 under a related title.

Diamond describes behavioural kinesiology and the use of muscle testing to explore responses to stress, emotions and environmental influences. This is the author’s account of the method and should be read as such.

Google Books bibliographic record: https://books.google.com/books/about/Your_Body_Doesn_t_Lie.html?hl=en&id=6UcqAAAACAAJ

British National Bibliography record: https://obnb.uk/p8149895-your-body-doesnt-lie-an-introduction-to-behavioural-kinesiology

Using these resources

Research into endometriosis is still developing. When investigating a dietary intervention, supplement or complementary therapy, look for original studies wherever possible. Consider the population studied, the intervention used, the outcomes measured and whether subsequent research supports the findings.

Patient experiences and practitioner insights can also help generate questions and identify approaches worth investigating. Keep a record of your symptoms, menstrual cycle, food intake, sleep, stress and any changes you make, so that you can identify patterns that are personally relevant.

The aim is to build an informed, individual toolbox — combining useful research, practical experience and an understanding of your own body.