Outside the Operating Room - The Efficiency of Physiotherapy for Endometriosis: A Narrative Review

Endometriosis is a widespread gynaecological condition burdening millions of women globally, with chronic pelvic pain as a primary symptom, followed by dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, fatigue, and emotional distress. Confirmation of diagnosis is usually delayed for years, leaving the patient in a stressful stage, both physically as well as emotionally. The pain is often complex and can be an excessive burden on women of reproductive age. It demands a broad-based management in addition to traditional medical and surgical options. This narrative review aims to consolidate the current literature available one challenges associated with the diagnosis of Endometriosis-Related Pelvic Pain (ERPP) and to assess the efficiency of women’s health physiotherapy as a domain of care. A review was performed on available literature, focusing on the diagnosis of endometriosis and the effect of physical therapy management, including pelvic floor rehabilitation, manual therapy, and condition-specific exercises to reduce pelvic distress and related musculoskeletal impairment. The review exhibits that physical therapy is an essential adjunct to the traditional medical and surgical approach. It specifically focusses on pain caused by musculoskeletal dysfunctions, and various modalities are shown to result on signifi cant reduction of pain intensity, which helps to ameliorate sexual dysfunction, and improves the overall well-being for women suffering from endometriosis. ERPF affects quality of life, sexual functioning and activities of daily living. Combining physical therapy with traditional medical management can complement existing interventions to reduce treatment disparities, enabling a multidimensional and impactful approach for addressing chronic pelvic pain in females with this condition.