Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition that affects about 1 in 10 women during their reproductive years, roughly from their teens to late 40s. According to Endometrois.org, an international educational forum, some 176 million women worldwide suffer from this painful disorder. Although not dangerous, it creates problems and is a major cause of female infertility.

Complications

Endometriosis occurs when tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus also grows outside of your uterus. The tissue forms clumps known as implants. They usually grow on the fallopian tubes or ovaries, and sometimes on other organs in the pelvic region. Cells in the implants cause the tissue to act as if it were still in the uterus. It swells, thickens, breaks down, and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. But the blood, which has no way to leave your body, pools up and causes inflammation in surrounding tissue. Eventually, adhesions and scars develop. The often result is pain as the tissue continues to swell each month with the woman’s menstrual cycle. As the tissue swells, it creates a pull on the adhesions surrounding the tissue causing severe endometriosis pain in some women.

Infertility

It’s not known exactly why women with endometriosis have more difficulty conceiving than women in general do. One likely cause is the scar tissue formed at the site of the implants. Scar tissue acts as a straight jacket surrounding the delicate tissues and organs of the female reproductive system and can block the fallopian tubes or restrict ovulation. Blocked fallopian tubes and disrupted ovulation prevent the egg from entering the uterus to be fertilized, making it harder to become pregnant.

The risk of endometriosis infertility, temporary or permanent, depends on the severity of the endometriosis. Women with moderate to severe endometriosis have more difficulty conceiving than women with mild endometriosis have.

Cause

The cause of endometriosis infertility is unknown. It might be inherited, or it might be a result of a genetic flaw in the immune system. There may be a connection to the female hormone estrogen. Women have high levels of estrogen during their reproductive years. When estrogen levels drop following menopause, signs of endometriosis disappear.

Symptoms

Signs of endometriosis include:

• Pain in the lower stomach a week or two before the menstrual period

• Menstrual periods with heavy bleeding, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, or nausea

• Painful intercourse

• Painful bowel movements

Treatment

Traditional treatment for endometriosis infertility includes medications to control pain or stop the endometriosis from getting worse, and surgery to remove the adhesions and endometrial tissue. However, medications often only mask the true cause of the pain and surgery to remove adhesions or endometrial tissue is a major cause of additional adhesion formation. Recently, a physical therapy called the Wurn Technique®, has been shown in peer-reviewed medical journals to break down the scar tissue at the site of endometrial implants without surgery or drugs. This hands-on therapy has also shown success in opening blocked fallopian tubes, and increasing natural fertility rates. Unlike surgery and drugs, this therapy does not result in any adverse side effects.