Yoga For Endometriosis. Four short videos.

NHS definition: “Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.”

That’s a very short concise description, however the longer version is vast, it’s debilitating, unique to the individual and can be incredibly destructive for many women of varying ages.

Endometriosis is a complex and sophisticated condition that interacts with multiple organ systems in the body. There are MANY different variables that can accelerate or contribute to it, these factors can vary from person to person.

The lining of the womb is made up of endometrial cells, endometriosis is when those cells live outside of the womb, they respond to hormones as and when we do as part of our menstrual cycle but where normally you’d have a period and shed, as these cells are outside of the womb, they’ve got nowhere to go, they become inflamed, which in turn causes immense pain.

First things first. I’d like to make it clear I’m not an expert. I don’t have endometriosis, yet I’ve taught many women over many years who do. No two stories and symptoms are the same but the effects on their lives are very similar.

I’m not a doctor, or a Holistic “heeler” (I say flippantly as I don’t believe in them), neither am I a naturopath (I’d highly recommend you seek out a reputable bachelor qualified naturopath and / or nutritionist that specialises in women’s health to complement your conventional medical path) - but working with women in a health setting for over 20 years has given me a good insight into the multitude of medical problems women face on a daily basis, more often than not suffering in silence.

This is my “layman’s terms” findings of a subject I’ve studied not only from several years of conversations but also by constantly keeping myself up to date on medical journals, articles, podcasts etc.. does that make me an expert - no. But I have a vested interest in making my clients yoga “journey” as informed as possible, so I’m simply sharing my findings.

Endo, does not discriminate. It does not favour the brave or the weak, yet on the positive side, it unknowingly, creates courage, determination and strength. Although perhaps it doesn’t feel like that whilst in the throes of pain and uncertainty.

Many woman can go through life never being aware they have endometriosis but those that know, KNOW.

Most definitions skim over the brutal facts, even the above NHS definition fails to mention that endometriosis can be found in various places, the bowel, the bladder and even on the lungs, sometimes, adhering or fusing internal organs together like glue.

Women often suffer in silence, putting it down to “life”, or heavy period pain. It can be crippling, whilst still having to “show up” and live, “get on with it” as though they’re “just experiencing period pain”.

Endometriosis is not simply a painful period, albeit painful periods can be equally debilitating and is often not “normal” so get them checked out.

Talking about endometriosis from my point of view is tricky, as I certainly do not want to downplay those days where you struggle to get out of bed from pain, loss or endless operations and simplify the way you feel by saying “just do a bit of yoga to make you better”……….moreover I want to use this platform to take some positive steps towards help relieve stress, help with pain management and direct you to counselling and perhaps acceptance if that’s what's needed.

Many women do not know what Endometriosis is, it’s not something that’s widely discussed in most circles, but is should be. It certainly should be discussed at school, in fact a whole array of women’s health subjects should be taught on the National Curriculum. Late diagnosis is sadly common, often due to the lack of awareness. One misconception/ urban myth is that pregnancy cures endometriosis, unfortunately, that’s not the case.

I’m an advocate for convention health avenues, however the GP route doesn’t always work where women’s health is concerned, unless you strike gold with one that specialises in this subject.

Not only do GP’s not have the time to diagnose correctly but the diagnosis criteria is a tad conflicting. GP’s are looking for a red flag, an overt deficiency or obvious problem that may impact your health, in order to reach that red flag criteria you need to be pretty much bed bound.

So how do you push to get diagnosed?

Well that’s just it, the ladies I’ve spoken to had to push with some ferocity.

The first port of call is a GP to refer you to a specialist Gynaecologist, there isn’t a blood test to detect Endometriosis. Initially, the GP will most likely direct you to have an Ultrasound. However, endometriosis is incredibly difficult to detect from an ultrasound. Many women have numerous ultrasounds to be told there’s nothing wrong with them.

The good news is, just like the menopause, after many years of slow research, the subject is getting more traction in the medical world but it’s taking time. Transvaginal ultrasound has recently stepped up a notch so hopefully this will mean progress in taking this non invasive route for diagnosis in the near future. Suffice to say early diagnosis is imperative but it’s often missed this way.

If you do prefer this route of diagnosis, I’d highly recommend seeking out a specialist you knows how to detect Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, or PCOS (which I’ll cover in another post), which are notoriously difficult to see. The sonographer needs to be highly skilled in that area, did they scan someones knee before scanning your vagina?”, which tends to happen in a public hospital setting. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost. If this is not an option, keep pushing for a second or third opinion, until you’re satisfied with the outcome.

The only definitive diagnosis is surgery in the way of a Laparoscapy (key hole), where they, discover the cells, and in turn burn (ablation) or scrape away the tissue. The advantage of this being, diagnosis and treatment can occur at the same time, depending on how much is found and where it’s located. This can be a positive, successful procedure for many women and one to most certainly push for. But yet again, there’s a long wait list and some GP’s are hesitant to refer.

Many women find relief from this procedure and will only have to have it once, however there are of course, women that have had many of these procedures, whilst the relief is essential it might be temporary.

Let’s not forget the fact that women often do all this quietly, holding down a full time job and juggling life, no wonder stress can play a huge role and exacerbate the condition! Mentally this can be as draining as physically.

TRIGGER WARNING - FERTILITY.

The cruel side effect of Endometriosis is it can effect your fertility. This isn’t the case for everyone, so don’t be disheartened, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no option to have a beautiful family but it may mean you need to take a different supported route. Again, early diagnosis is imperative, so go get pushy.

A Hysterectomy is sometimes the last option which is an incredibly difficult decision to make but often something to consider if it’s the only way to be free. It can be a liberating “cure” for some. It is a major operation physically as it is psychologically. Removal of the womb can mean freedom from this debilitating pain but it will only cure endometriosis if it’s isolated to that area. As mentioned before, Endometriosis cells can move to the bowel, bladder or even lungs, that said it will very much reduce the pain if it doesn't cure it completely, it is an essential yet brave move for many.

The resilience and strength of women never ceases to amaze me!

So, those are some, definitely not all, but some of the harsh hard cold facts….

But what else can you do?

My own eyes roll when I say “lifestyle”. As if women don’t go through enough and then they’re judged and patronised about their “lifestyle”. Endometriosis doesn’t occur because of something you’ve ate, or a few late night parties. Go to the parties, eat the pizza (albeit make it gluten-free) ! The lifestyle implementations, I’m suggesting are for your pain management, to make day to day a little easier whilst seeking out your medical programme.

Check what are your stress triggers other than the Endo itself. The more stressed you are the more that can add to your pain. Endometriosis is essentially an inflammatory disease, so try looking for foods that might add to or exacerbate that inflammatory response.

Good nutrition won’t necessary fix endometriosis but it can really help your responses to it. There maybe a few nutrients you’re lacking in, that also might be adding to any hormonal imbalance, which in turn can be a bitch for your nervous system/response systems.

Seek a naturopath or an integrated women’s health GP and ask for some general bloods to determine this.

We need nutrients in order to make our hormones, when we get stressed out we chew through our nutrients at an alarming rate. If we have poor gut health we might not absorb or abstract all our nutrients from our food. So the foundations to produce hormones could be compromised.

Breathe, there are many breathing techniques that can calm and nourish your vagus nerve - the captain of the ship of your parasympathetic nervous system.

Supplements could help, I’m not a prolific pill popper, most of what we are lacking can be found in our diet but that’s not the reality of life, so good supplements can help, there are evidence based benefits to taking pre and probiotics, anti-inflammatory supplements EFA’s, fish oils, zinc, B vitamins and magnesium. Magnesium especially can help as a relaxant for both sleep and regulate your bowels if you’re also plagued by irritable bowel syndrome, which is also common with endometriosis, more likely due to the stress but also if you’ve had many surgeries and are dealing with that and the pinching sensation of scar tissue or adhesions on the bowel.

Yoga for Endo

Yoga. Of course I’m going to recommend yoga. Now here’s the thing. I don’t like a lot of yoga. From an ex Ashtanga devotee, I wouldn’t recommend starting a strong dynamic practice, it can cause more stress than it heels. I equally wouldn’t recommend Yin, despite this being heralded as calm yoga, those strong long holds can be detrimental to your connective tissue and lengthen ligaments around the pelvis that don’t spring back into place to support us. Your lower back is probably in pain too, which won’t be conducive to Yin or Dynamic Yoga, unless it’s with a highly experienced teacher (Unfortunately many are not).

Movement, whether yoga or otherwise is essential. Find a yoga flow that suits your body for the times you have energy and a restorative flow for the times you need nurturing. Adapt your movement to your cycle. Circulation is the key with Endometriosis. Now here’s the plug to my four videos (No bells and whistles, no lighting technician or hair and make-up, it’s just me myself and I) to suit your cycle. I’d also recommend incorporating weights or a little resistance training in to your monthly routine if you can, perhaps swimming and walking too. HIIT workouts or running might not be tolerable but try to commit to move your body as much as you can.

If you’re feeling up to it a little Myofascial Release can help to relieve pain, create circulation, hydrate and release the velcro effect of the scar tissue and /or adhesions. You could seek out a specialist pelvic physio for this, or try my techniques here.

MFR YOGA

However you chose to tackle your Endometriosis, know that there is support out there for you. Don’t suffer in silence and don’t settle for anything less than the best.

It’s estimated that more than One Million women suffer from Endometriosis in the UK alone! That’s a huge statistic, your knowledge is your power, just know you’re not on your own.

Here’s a few links to help point you in the right direction. If any readers have any further useful avenues or positive stories, I’d love for you to share them below.

Good luck!

MY YOGA VIDEOS : https://juliarose.gumroad.com/l/wgojez

THE HARPER CLINIC: https://theharperclinic.com

WOMENS HEALTH RESEARCH CHARITY: https://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/what-we-do/research/

NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/

SUPPLEMENTS: https://www.wildnutrition.com

Please consult your doctor before practising this flow.

Requires 2 blocks, a blanket and a bolster but they're not essential.

A practice for when you have your period, to ease period pain/endometriosis pain. Creating circulation and realise.

No experience necessary.