What physical treatments are acceptable for uterine endometriosis. Physiotherapy for endometriosis: types, effectiveness, contraindications. Physiotherapy for the treatment of endometriosis
![What physical treatments are acceptable for uterine endometriosis. Physiotherapy for endometriosis: types, effectiveness, contraindications. Physiotherapy for the treatment of endometriosis](https://i0.wp.com/venerologia03.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Skipidarnye-vanny-300x158.jpg)
Endometriosis is a disease of the female body. Young women are most often affected. The development of pathology negatively affects reproduction. Various means are used to treat endometriosis: medications, surgery (if necessary), herbal and hirudotherapy treatment. Therapeutic baths for endometriosis are also effective.
Any physiotherapeutic procedure should be carried out without thermal factors. Baths help reduce pain and strengthen the body.
Regular use of radon therapy (general baths or local rinsing) can give a noticeable sedative effect. It allows you to achieve remission for 6-10 months. The duration depends on the development of the pathology. The doctor prescribes the procedures, and he also regulates their duration and quantity.
Types of therapeutic baths
For endometriosis, any warming sessions (hot baths, showers), except for a dry sauna, are contraindicated. Exposure to heat should be gentle and as short as possible.
Radon baths
A therapeutic therapy in which the patient is immersed in special mineral water saturated with radon. It is an inert gas that disintegrates on contact with water. The reaction is accompanied by intense α-radiation.
Particles of the substance gradually settle on the skin, and a-radiation activates the process of ionization of protein molecules located in the dermis. As a result, toxic oxygen metabolites and hydroperoxides are formed. Penetrating through the skin into the body, radon has analgesic, metabolic, immunostimulating and calming effects against inflammatory processes caused by endometriosis.
Radon waters can be used in the form of full baths, gynecological irrigation performed in the abdominal area, or microenemas. The temperature of the waters used for all these sessions should be moderate (maximum +36°C).
Turpentine baths
Turpentine is diluted in water (in the bath), and the patient is immersed in it. The effectiveness of the procedure is given by the properties of the substance. Turpentine is a mixture of several essential oils obtained from natural resins of coniferous plants.
There are several types of turpentine sessions:
![](https://i1.wp.com/venerologia03.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Skipidarnye-vanny-300x158.jpg)
Turpentine baths help improve blood circulation; some doctors recommend them for uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and high blood pressure.
Important: you can use baths of this type at home, but only after the consent of the therapist (he will determine the duration of the course of treatment and its safety).
They are part of the balneotherapy system. The active element - iodine - has an effect on microcirculation, improves the properties of vessel walls, affects lipid metabolism and the general properties of the blood. Iodine can reduce inflammation and stimulate the process of natural regeneration.
Bromine, the second of the active elements, acts directly on areas of the nervous system, enhancing the inhibition processes inherent in the brain. Reduces the tone of tense muscles, normalizes unstable blood pressure.
Indications for use
Balneotherapy is used as a method of safely eliminating the symptoms of endometriosis. It includes the use of healing (iodine-bromine or radon) solutions. Radon can strengthen the nervous system and relieve pain. Radon baths are used in tandem along with enemas and irrigation.
Indications for the use of radon procedures:
![](https://i1.wp.com/venerologia03.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Ozhirenie-1-300x150.jpg)
Also for chronic inflammation associated with hormonal neoplasms (fibroma, endometriosis).
Turpentine baths are used for endometriosis along with such pathologies as:
- cold allergy;
- varicose veins, spider veins (on the legs);
- excess weight;
- osteochondrosis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- stretch marks;
- diabetes;
- cold.
Indications for the use of iodine-bromine baths for pathologies of the following systems:
![](https://i1.wp.com/venerologia03.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Diskenezii-300x190.jpg)
Preparation and technique of the procedure
How are baths used:
- Radonovaya. First you need to pour 200 ml of fresh water at the required temperature. 100 ml (in accordance with established rules) of radon solution is added there. Mix thoroughly and the patient is immersed in the prepared solution, up to the level of his nipples. The duration of the procedure is determined by the doctor (they last 12-15 minutes). After the bath, the patient is dried with a towel (gently, without rubbing) and rests for 30-60 minutes.
- Turpentine. Before the procedure, you must visit a specialist. Turpentine is an active substance and can cause harm. It is important to carefully measure the water temperature. At the beginning of the procedure, it should be approximately +37°C. The patient is immersed in the prepared turpentine solution and gradually increases the initial temperature. For a white bath - maximum +38...+39°C, for a yellow bath - up to +40...+42°C.
To prepare the solution, you will need the following: dilute the turpentine separately with hot water, mix, and only then pour it into a bath filled with water. The dosage will be indicated in the attached instructions and adjusted by the doctor. The duration of therapy varies from 5-20 minutes. The first sessions are the shortest.
It is important to monitor your condition and heart rate.
3. Iodine-bromine. There are enough natural sources of healing waters. Nearby there are sanatoriums offering medical procedures. In addition, you can make an artificial bath.
The first step is to create a stock solution: dissolve 100 g of sodium (potassium iodide) and 250 g of potassium (sodium bromide) in 1 liter of water. 100 ml of the resulting solution is enough for a bath. Ready-made iodine-bromine salt is available for sale. The water temperature should be a maximum of +37°C, the duration of therapy should be 15 minutes (or less).
Contraindications and side effects
What contraindications are there for such procedures?
Radon procedures:
![](https://i1.wp.com/venerologia03.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Epilepsiya-250x175.jpg)
Turpentine procedures:
- heart diseases;
- tuberculosis;
- haemorrhoids;
- hypertension;
- eczema;
- scabies;
- psoriasis;
- allergic reaction;
- menstruation (wait it out).
Iodine-bromine procedures:
![](https://i2.wp.com/venerologia03.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Snizhenie-immuniteta-300x180.jpg)
Article last updated 12/07/2019
Endometriosis is a disease in which the endometrium (the inner layer of the uterus) grows outside the uterus. The pathology is more common in young women of childbearing age, which jeopardizes reproductive function. Treatment of the disease is effective with an integrated approach and timely detection of disorders. Doctors often prescribe physical therapy for endometriosis.
It is effective in an integrated approach, but is rarely used as an independent therapeutic method. Only an experienced gynecologist can prescribe treatment procedures based on test results and a thorough examination.
Endometriosis is treated through drug therapy, surgery and supportive measures. Physiotherapy is indispensable in relieving inflammation, eliminating pain and accelerating the recovery process after surgery. A well-chosen combination of methods guarantees the preservation of a woman’s reproductive function.
Physiotherapy procedures prescribed for endometriosis are characterized by numerous advantages. The method is completely safe and harmless, you can influence a certain area of the body, for example the lower abdomen, the procedures do not cause discomfort, pain or discomfort. The maximum effect can be achieved by combining hormonal and physiotherapeutic treatment. Physiotherapy procedures are prescribed independently in a number of cases, namely when:
- intolerance to hormonal drugs;
- the patient’s young age;
- relief of pain in the pelvis;
- prevention of adhesions.
Endometriosis cannot always be treated with physical therapy. If the growth of the endometrium has entered the last stage, you cannot do physical exercises or thermal procedures. They are also prohibited if the endometrium develops in the abdominal cavity; such indications are a reason for performing a surgical operation. Mental and nervous disorders are also included in the list of contraindications.
Types of physiotherapy for endometriosis
Physiotherapeutic procedures are divided into two large groups - natural (hydrotherapy, climatotherapy and balneotherapy) and artificial (ultrasound, light therapy, magnetic therapy, etc.). The choice of direction depends on the patient’s age, the nature of the problem, and the presence of contraindications. Most often used today:
- Therapy using magnets. A woman's body is exposed to alternating magnetic fields with low frequencies. As a result, blood circulation accelerates, biochemical reactions are restored, and metabolism is normalized. A course of magnetic therapy for endometriosis allows you to regulate the menstrual cycle, relieve pain, and eliminate swelling.
- Electrophoresis for endometriosis. The body is affected by low-frequency pulse currents. Also, special preparations are introduced into the tissues, which do not cause allergies, but have a local and restorative effect. Electrophoresis with Lidase or Hydrocartisone stimulates the processes of regeneration and restoration of hormonal levels.
- Laser and ultrasound treatment. This type of therapy is extremely effective during rehabilitation after surgery to remove endometriosis. Laser and ultrasonic flow relieve pain, relieve swelling, and eliminate inflammatory processes. The technique also has an excellent bactericidal effect.
- Balneotherapy. Iodine-bromine and radon baths for endometriosis have an excellent effect on the nervous system, increase immunity and relieve pain. They have a restorative, sedative and hypotensive effect.
- Hydrotherapy. Pine baths and bischofite for endometriosis are used in courses lasting 4 months. They have a relaxing effect, relieve pain and spasms, and soothe.
- Exercise therapy. Physical activity for endometriosis should be selected by an experienced physical therapist. Physical therapy exercises can be practiced at an early stage of pathology development. Kegel exercises, which strengthen the pelvic floor and lower abdomen, are very popular.
To ensure that physical therapy does not harm your health, it is necessary to study in advance all possible risks, consequences and complications, and discuss them with your doctor. Failure to follow simple rules can reduce the entire positive effect to zero.
Women's views on physiotherapy for endometriosis
To understand how effective physiotherapy is for gynecological pathologies, in particular endometriosis, it is necessary to study the reviews of those who have already experienced ultrasound, balneology, electrophoresis and other areas of physiotherapy on themselves:
"I am 27 years old. I began to experience pain, vaginal discharge, and discomfort during sexual intercourse. I went to the doctor, tests and an ultrasound were prescribed. As a result, stage 2 endometriosis was diagnosed. At first I was prescribed hormone treatment. After 6 months of treatment the situation has not changed. Then the decision was made to carry out the operation. Afterwards, to speed up recovery, the doctor recommended taking an ultrasound course. I did so. During the control examination, no pathology was detected. Now my husband and I are planning a pregnancy.”
“I was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 22. The disease was just developing, so the doctor prescribed pills and ultrasound. The treatment did not help, but the disease did not develop. At the age of 25, I decided to have surgery because I really wanted a child, and the disease prevented conception. After surgery, I again resorted to physical therapy. This time I attended electrophoresis with zinc preparations. This time everything worked out. Within 4 months I managed to get pregnant.”
“In my opinion, physical therapy is a waste of time and money. I did not feel any positive effect from magnetic therapy after removal of endometriosis. The recovery and rehabilitation period lasted about two months. Pain and discharge did not bother me, but I do not attribute this to exposure to the magnetic field. A couple of years later the situation repeated itself. The growth of the endometrium began to cause me physical discomfort again. Ultimately, I decided to completely remove the uterus and appendages. At that time I was 37 years old. I don't regret the decision I made. I feel good".
Physiotherapeutic treatment is used to prevent relapses, as well as in cases where other methods cannot be used or are not very effective. The main advantages of physical therapy include the following:
- it is safe if the method is chosen correctly;
- not accompanied by unpleasant or painful sensations, even relaxes;
- can be combined with other treatments or added during the procedure for effectiveness;
- it's relatively inexpensive.
Physiotherapy for endometriosis primarily helps relieve pain. This allows you to improve the quality of life of a woman and improve her intimate relationships. Physiotherapy often normalizes the menstrual cycle, restores reproductive function, and prevents the progression of the adhesive process.
Main indications for prescribing a course:
- . This can be confirmed during surgery or based only on complaints and non-invasive examinations. Physiotherapy helps to somewhat slow down the progression of the disease, reduce the likelihood of adhesions, and “gives a break” from hormonal medications. It is recommended to use electrophoresis with iodine, therapeutic baths, and low-frequency pulsed current therapy.
- Treatment of teenage girls. Physiotherapy replaces the use of painkillers and hormonal drugs, at least for some period of time. Electrotherapy and therapeutic baths (coniferous, bischofite, iodide-bromine, radon) are recommended.
- As an alternative treatment for women with intolerance to hormonal drugs. It is recommended to use electrophoresis with iodine, pulsed currents, and medicinal baths.
- Reducing the severity of pelvic pain. Can be used in breaks between hormonal treatment, after surgery. Pulsed currents, electrophoresis with iodine, balneotherapy, and hydrotherapy are usually used. Radon therapy is especially effective, the effect of which lasts up to six months.
- To prevent adhesions, including after operations. In the latter case, physiotherapy can be started from the first day - magnetic therapy, laser therapy, EF radiation.
- With the progression of endometriosis. The influence of resort factors is recommended - climatic, balneo-, hydrotherapy, psycho- and kinesitherapy. Such methods increase the likelihood of pregnancy and regulate the menstrual cycle.
Contraindications to physiotherapy:
- the presence of endometrioid cysts - it is believed that this may affect their malignancy;
- advanced (stage 3-4) endometriosis - in this case, physiotherapy will not be effective, it is indicated only after radical surgical treatment;
- mental illnesses that require treatment with psychotropic drugs.
What can and cannot be done from physical procedures:
- Magnetotherapy. The main effect in endometriosis is the influence of low and high frequencies of magnetic fields. This has a beneficial effect on cellular metabolism, improves the functioning of enzymes, and stimulates blood circulation. In general, there will be a general strengthening effect and increased immunity. The impact can be carried out locally on the pelvic area or on the whole body, and can be combined with other methods.
Magnetic therapy cannot be performed in the following cases: hypertension, epilepsy, blood diseases, exhaustion, fever.
- Electrophoresis. The therapeutic effect is due to the effect of electric current, which improves the penetration of drugs deep into tissues, creating locally high concentrations. During the procedure, high concentrations of the drug can be quickly delivered to the affected area. The course usually ranges from 10 to 15 sessions. One procedure lasts about 20 minutes. Solutions of Lidase, Magnesia, Hydrocortisone and others are usually used to treat endometriosis.
- Hirudotherapy. Modern medicinal leeches are a safe and effective method of treatment, including gynecological diseases. The organisms are specially grown and then used once, which prevents the transmission of infections. The procedure has its own list of contraindications. Leeches, when sucking, leave microbites through which biological active substances enter the woman’s body.
![](https://i0.wp.com/ginekologiya.online/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/girudoterapiya-pri-endometrioze.jpg)
During the procedure, leeches are placed on the skin or mucous membranes (applied to the vaginal vaults and even to the cervix), usually no more than 10 pieces, and in the first procedures less. Each individual pierces the skin to a depth of about 1-2 ml and consumes up to 20 ml of blood.
As soon as saturation occurs, the leech falls off. If you need to finish the procedure earlier, apply a napkin with iodine or salt.
![](https://i1.wp.com/ginekologiya.online/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/gif.gif)
Hirudotherapy for endometriosis helps remove blood stagnation and has an anti-inflammatory and immunogenic effect. This leads to a decrease in the severity of pain and normalization of the menstrual cycle.
- Balneotherapy. The use of radon, iodine-bromine, and pine baths is effective. The first are the most effective; this is how the body is exposed to radioactive water enriched with the radon isotope. The use of microenemas for vaginal and rectal irrigation is considered even more effective, with the disintegration of particles occurring in close proximity to pathological foci. Not used for blood diseases and under 18 years of age.
Iodine-bromine baths saturate the body with the appropriate microelements, resulting in an anti-inflammatory, sedative effect, improving the functioning of the thyroid gland and metabolism. Coniferous baths have a relaxing effect, improve the functioning of the nervous system, strengthen the immune system, improve blood properties and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Laser and ultrasound exposure used to speed up rehabilitation in the postoperative period, to prevent the formation of adhesions both immediately after the intervention and some time after it. There is a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, which accelerates tissue healing.
![](https://i0.wp.com/ginekologiya.online/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ultrazvukoterpiya.gif)
It is contraindicated to use physical procedures for endometriosis, which cause an increase in estrogen levels, thereby provoking the progression of the disease:
- healing mud;
- baths and saunas.
Read more in our article about physical treatment for endometriosis.
Read in this article
The benefits of physical therapy for endometriosis
Physiotherapeutic treatment is used as an auxiliary treatment - as a prevention of relapse, as well as in cases where other methods cannot be used or are not very effective. Considering that knowledge about endometriosis is constantly expanding, approaches and methods of therapy are changing somewhat.
The main advantages of physiotherapy for endometriosis include the following:
- the impact on the body is carried out within the physiological framework, since such factors are elements of the environment;
- physiotherapy is, first of all, the safety of treatment if the method is chosen correctly;
- the treatment is not accompanied by any unpleasant or painful sensations, but on the contrary, it often helps to relax;
- you can act locally without affecting other organs and tissues;
- physical effects can be combined with other types of treatment or medications can be added during the procedure for effectiveness;
- it's relatively inexpensive.
Physiotherapy for endometriosis primarily helps relieve pain, which is the main complaint with the disease. This allows you to improve the quality of life of a woman and improve her intimate relationships. Physiotherapy often normalizes the menstrual cycle, restores reproductive function, and prevents the progression of the adhesive process. In combination, a woman may even forget for a while that she suffers from endometriosis.
When is physiotherapy prescribed for endometriosis?
The main indications for the use of physiotherapeutic procedures are certain situations.
Initial stages of endometriosis
This can be confirmed during surgery or comes only from complaints and non-invasive examinations. Physiotherapy helps to somewhat slow down the progression of the disease, reduce the likelihood of adhesions, and “take a break” from hormonal medications. It is recommended to use electrophoresis with iodine, therapeutic baths, and low-frequency pulsed current therapy.
Treatment of teenage girls
Physiotherapy in this case benefits from the fact that it replaces the use of painkillers and hormonal drugs, at least for some period of time. Electrotherapy and therapeutic baths (coniferous, bischofite, iodide-bromine, radon) are recommended.
![](https://i0.wp.com/ginekologiya.online/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/radonovaya-vanna-1024x749.jpg)
![](https://i0.wp.com/ginekologiya.online/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/appraat-elektroforez-300x300.jpg)
As an alternative treatment for women intolerant to hormonal drugs
For example, this is possible due to pronounced side effects during therapy. It is recommended to use electrophoresis with iodine, pulsed currents, and medicinal baths.
Reducing the severity of pelvic pain
You can use physiotherapy during breaks from hormonal treatment, after surgery. Pulsed currents, electrophoresis with iodine, balneotherapy, and hydrotherapy are usually used. Radon therapy is especially effective, the effect of which lasts up to six months.
To prevent adhesions, including after operations
Especially after operations, physiotherapy can be started from the first day - magnetic therapy, laser therapy, EF radiation.
With the progression of endometriosis
The influence of resort factors is recommended - climatic, balneo-, hydrotherapy, and psycho- and kinesitherapy is also useful. Such methods increase the likelihood of pregnancy and regulate the menstrual cycle.
Contraindications to physiotherapy
There are a number of situations when you should not do physical therapy for endomethyrosis. These include the following:
- the presence of endometrioid cysts - it is believed that this may affect their malignancy;
- advanced (stage 3-4) endometriosis - in this case, physiotherapy will not be effective, it is indicated only after radical surgical treatment;
- mental illness against the background of existing problems with endometriosis, which require treatment with psychotropic drugs.
What can and cannot be done from physical procedures
In each clinical case, the prescription of physiotherapy for endometriosis should be carried out by a doctor, since depending on the stage and manifestations, the range of possible methods may vary.
Magnetotherapy
The main effect of magnetic therapy for endometriosis is the influence of low and high frequencies of magnetic fields. This has a beneficial effect on cellular metabolism, improves the functioning of enzymes, and stimulates blood circulation. In general, there is a general strengthening effect, increasing immunity.
Magnetic therapy can be used both in the postoperative period. The same goes for the breaks between hormonal treatments. The effect can be carried out locally on the pelvic area or on the whole body.
Magnetic therapy provides the following effects:
- relieves pain;
- has an anti-inflammatory effect;
- prevents the formation of adhesions;
- improves tissue nutrition;
- relieves swelling.
Magnetic therapy can be combined with other methods. The procedure does not cause discomfort and does not have any toxic effects on the body.
Magnetic therapy cannot be performed in the following cases:
- for hypertension;
- epilepsy;
- blood diseases;
- exhaustion;
- with fever.
Electrophoresis
The therapeutic effect is due to the effect of electric current, which improves the penetration of drugs deep into tissues, creating locally high concentrations. Electrophoresis for endometriosis can quickly deliver high concentrations of the drug to the affected area.
The procedure is as follows way:
- Electrodes with gauze attached to them are applied to the skin.
- The latter are soaked in the necessary healing solution.
- After turning on the device, weak currents penetrate through the layers of the skin and deliver the drug to the very depths of the tissues.
The course usually ranges from 10 to 15 sessions. One procedure lasts about 20 minutes.
Solutions of Lidase, Magnesia, Hydrocortisone and others are usually used to treat endometriosis.
Hirudotherapy
Modern medicinal leeches are a safe and effective method of treatment, including gynecological diseases. For use, these organisms are specially grown and then used once, which prevents the transmission of infections. On the eve of hirudotherapy, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since the procedure has its own list of contraindications.
Leeches, when sucking, leave microbites through which biological active substances enter the woman’s body:
- hirudin - affects the properties of blood, prevents the formation of clots;
- hyaluronidase - increases the availability of drugs that are used in complex treatment;
- histamine-like substances - relieve swelling and inflammation;
- healing mud;
- exposure to warm paraffin and sand;
- hydrogen sulfide, sodium chloride, sulfide baths;
- diathermy, inductothermy, exposure to ultra- and ultra-high frequency currents;
- massage of the lumbosacral region;
- baths and saunas.
During the procedure, leeches are placed on the skin or mucous membranes (effectively applied to the vaginal vaults and even the cervix), usually no more than 10 pieces, and less during the first procedures. Each individual pierces the skin to a depth of about 1-2 ml and consumes up to 20 ml of blood.
As soon as the leech is saturated, it falls off on its own. If you need to finish the procedure earlier, apply a napkin with iodine or salt, after which the individual crawls away on its own.
For some time, a little blood may ooze from the bite site, so a bandage is applied to this area.
Hirudotherapy for endometriosis helps remove blood stagnation and has an anti-inflammatory and immunogenic effect. This leads to a decrease in the severity of pain and normalization of the menstrual cycle.
Watch this video about the use of hirudotherapy in gynecology:
Balneotherapy
For endometriosis, the use of radon, iodine-bromine baths, as well as coniferous baths is effective. In each case, a different method is chosen. The most effective is the use of radon baths, in which the woman’s body is exposed to radioactive water enriched with the radon isotope.
The use of microenemas for vaginal and rectal irrigation is considered even more effective, with the disintegration of particles occurring in close proximity to pathological areas. Not used for blood diseases and in childhood/adolescence.
Iodine-bromine baths saturate the body with the appropriate microelements, resulting in an anti-inflammatory, sedative effect, improving the functioning of the thyroid gland and metabolism.
Coniferous baths have a relaxing effect, improve the functioning of the nervous system, strengthen the immune system, improve blood properties and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Laser and ultrasound
Laser and ultrasound effects are used to speed up rehabilitation in the postoperative period, to prevent the formation of adhesions both immediately after the intervention and some time after it. There is a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, which accelerates tissue healing.
What physiotherapy procedures are contraindicated for endometriosis?
The use of physiotherapy for endometriosis is contraindicated, as it causes an increase in the level of estrogen in the blood, thereby provoking the progression of the disease. These methods include the following:
Physical therapy is widely used for endometriosis. This therapeutic practice helps reduce the progression of the disease during periods free from taking hormonal drugs, and is also the main type of treatment for adolescents and women who, for a number of reasons, cannot use drug therapy.
In each clinical case, the method of physiotherapy is selected individually. Some of the effective ones are radon exposure, hirudotherapy, and magnetotherapy.
Useful video
Watch this video about the use of physiotherapy in gynecology:
Endometriosis is considered one of the most common diseases of the female genital area. Treatment of this disease is among the priority issues of gynecology. Physiotherapy for endometriosis is an important aspect of the fight against this disease. According to WHO, the pathology is most often detected in young women, which is reflected in the increase in the birth rate in many countries of the world. In addition, despite its benign basis, the disease is considered by many specialists as a transition period to the emergence of oncological problems.
Read in this article
Features of the course of the disease and its types
When a patient exhibits rapid growth of the endometrium outside the uterus, the patient is said to have developed. Modern medicine does not yet have a clear explanation of the causes of this pathology. Most experts agree that the development of endometriosis is based on a malfunction of a woman’s immune system. A genetic component to this disease cannot be ruled out: if the mother had a history of growth in the abdominal cavity, then in 15–18% of cases the daughter will have the same pathology.
Gynecologists divide this disease into genital, that is, involving the woman’s genitals, and extragenital endometriosis. Most often in practical medicine, an external process occurs, and internal proliferation of the epithelium in the thickness of the walls of the uterus accounts for no more than 3 - 5% of cases.
Based on the classification of pathology, treatment is prescribed, which includes a whole range of measures to combat this disease.
How is endometrial growth in the female genital area treated?
The modern view of the treatment of pathology involves a combination of drug therapy, surgical interventions and various additional treatment methods. Physiotherapy for endometriosis is usually used to relieve inflammation and accelerate tissue regeneration after operations.
There are several vectors for combating this disease:
- Most experts advocate a prompt solution to the problem with the subsequent use of hormones and biostimulants.
- The method of combined use of physiotherapeutic methods of treatment, hormonal drugs and hyperbaric oxygenation has the right to life.
- A separate direction in the treatment of excessive endometrial growth is the combined use of biostimulants, proteolytic enzymes and hormonal agents. In this case, physiotherapy for endometriosis in special resorts is also recommended.
- One of the latest trends in the treatment of this pathological process is called complementary therapy, that is, the widespread use of folk remedies, medicinal plants, etc.
All of the listed methods of treating this female disease are aimed at restoring the reproductive function of the fair sex. In addition, it is very important to prevent the transition of a benign process to a malignant oncological one. Physiotherapy is included in almost any treatment regimen for endothelial growth in the abdominal cavity.
In what cases are physiotherapeutic procedures prescribed?
Physiotherapy itself has many positive features for the treatment of any disease, and especially for such endometrial growths. It has long been known that this method of treatment is practically safe, does not cause patients any pain and acts directly on the site of the pathological process in the body.
However, it should be remembered that this is not an independent type of medicine. Physiotherapy is an integral part of the entire complex of effects on the patient’s body, enhancing or emphasizing the effect of other treatment methods.
Most often, physiotherapy is used as an addition to hormonal medications in patients with the initial stages of this pathology. Usually prescribed after surgical treatment to reduce pain, relieve inflammation and prevent.
A feature of this type of patient management is the alternation of physiotherapy and hormones, which allows reducing the hormonal load on a woman’s body. The only complication during this period may be bleeding under the influence of heat stress.
Physiotherapeutic techniques are widely used in both girls and young girls when endometrial growth is diagnosed at a young age. Surgical intervention in this case is performed extremely rarely, so conservative treatment, especially physical therapy, makes it possible to postpone surgery for a long time and stabilize the mental state of the young patient.
There are other indications for the use of this harmless and beneficial method of treatment:
- Physiotherapy comes to the fore if the patient does not tolerate hormones due to various concomitant diseases.
- This treatment method has proven itself well as a prevention of adhesions in the abdominal cavity in the postoperative period.
- Physiotherapeutic measures are excellent for treating chronic pelvic pain syndrome, especially in combination with medications.
All indications for the use of accompanying techniques for endometritis are given to the patient by the attending physician, who must also explain the need and meaning of using one or another method of physiotherapeutic influence on the female body.
What gynecological clinics offer for physiotherapy for endometriosis
Modern medical centers are sufficiently equipped to successfully combat epithelium in a woman’s abdominal cavity. Thanks to this, physiotherapists can use most treatment techniques in a wide variety of ways.
Short-wave ultraviolet and laser radiation
One of the modern methods of treating endometriosis is the use of electromagnetic oscillations in the range from short to long waves. In the presence of a short optical range, ultraviolet radiation is obtained, which is successfully used to treat postoperative wounds.
A pronounced antimicrobial and antibacterial effect, the ability to enhance the growth of phagocytes in the patient’s blood, and stimulation of trophism in compromised areas have a beneficial effect on the wound healing process after removal of excess epithelium.
If the wavelength of the emitter is around 1000 nm, then specialists receive laser exposure to the affected area. In this case, in addition to the bactericidal effect, it is possible to obtain relief from a pain syndrome of sufficiently high activity.
Another way to treat endometrial growth is the use of various magnetic fields. In medicine, constant, pulsating, pulsed and other fields are used, as well as a field of electromagnetic origin.
In case of endometriosis, it has almost the same effect on the tissues of the affected organs as EF radiation, however, in the case of using magnets, there is practically no thermal damaging factor. The mechanism of action of the magnetic field on the cell membrane is also important, which allows you to quickly relieve swelling of the affected tissues, reducing the likelihood of inflammation.
Among other things, low-frequency magnetic fields can penetrate almost any depth of tissue in the patient’s body, which has a positive effect on the effectiveness of treatment.
Low frequency pulse currents
In medical practice, a large number of low-frequency pulsed currents are used. Listing them is of interest only to specialists or people close to conductivity physics.
The most common of these treatments is used for endometriosis. Using this technique, various medicinal substances are introduced into the patient’s tissues, which have both local and general effects.
An example would be iodine electrophoresis into the patient’s body. This type of treatment allows the medicinal substance to accumulate and act on the patient gently, without causing allergic reactions and overdose.
Another method of using pulsed currents is transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation. This technique is good for relieving pain, and there is no risk of estrogen growth in the patient’s blood.
The negative factors of these treatment methods include the need to use them for 3 to 6 months to obtain the desired effect.
Using medicinal baths
To treat endometriosis, modern medicine successfully uses medicinal baths, which, depending on the component, are called balneotherapy and hydrotherapy.
When baths with radon, iodine and bromine are used for complex treatment, this type of treatment refers to balneotherapy. The temperature should correspond to human temperature, that is, not exceed 37 degrees. Rodon has the greatest effect on the female hormonal sphere. It reduces the level of estrogen in the patient’s blood, stimulates the growth of progesterone and brings the hormonal balance to normal proportions. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effect of this substance is very important. The ability of radon to stabilize arterial and venous pressure in the pelvic vessels will not go unnoticed.
Baths combining iodine and bromine have a similar effect. However, unlike radon, these medicinal substances can lower the pain threshold and calm patients. It is advisable to use therapeutic baths in combination with microenemas and vaginal irrigation.
Treatment using hydrotherapy or pine baths gives almost the same results. In addition to all the medicinal manifestations listed above, needles and bischofite have a positive effect on the metabolism of women, which reduces the content of carbohydrates in the blood and leads to a decrease in the growth of endothelium in the pelvic and abdominal areas.
A few words about risks
In addition to the positive aspects of using physiotherapeutic methods of treatment for endometriosis, there are many factors that cause an increase in estrogen levels and an intensification of the pathological process. First of all, these are various thermal effects on the woman’s body.
To prevent such complications, there is a section of physiotherapy - climatotherapy, that is, recommendations for the stay of patients with certain diseases in a specific climate zone. For patients with endometriosis, countries with hot and humid climates are contraindicated; staying on the beach remains a big question; the use of any mud for external use is possible only after consultation with your doctor.
The female body, especially its hormonal and sexual sphere, is such a delicate mechanism that any sudden fluctuations in temperature and other environmental parameters can negate all treatment efforts. The attending physician is obliged to give his patient all recommendations for possible rest and daily life.
There are also contraindications for the use of physiotherapeutic techniques. This includes all forms of the disease that require urgent surgical intervention. Most often these are various endometrioid cysts and pronounced processes of endometrial proliferation in the abdominal cavity with pain and a clinical picture of partial obstruction.
Endometriosis in late stages is also a contraindication for such treatment, since the use of physiotherapy can only worsen the patient’s condition or accelerate the possibility of malignancy. Deep mental and nervous disorders, which often accompany advanced forms of pathology, are not an indication for concomitant physical therapy.
Physiotherapy, like any treatment method, has its positive and negative sides. However, in the hands of experienced specialists, this method of treatment can become a reliable assistant in the fight against a rather unpleasant pathology of the female genital area - endometriosis.
Progressive techniques make it possible to avoid radical intervention even with serious diseases. Physiotherapy for endometriosis is gaining popularity. This method of influencing a woman’s body is characterized by a small number of side effects and good treatment results. Therefore, doctors are increasingly resorting to this method to restore health to their patients.
Endometriosis affects a large number of the female population, so the problem of combating it is quite acute. Every third person experiences this disease, regardless of age and sexual activity. Drug therapy does not always bring results, and some patients are afraid of it. Physiotherapy comes to their aid.
Current physiotherapeutic techniques
Physiotherapy for endometriosis is usually used as an auxiliary part of therapy. It is used simultaneously with the correction of a woman’s hormonal levels. This allows you to reduce the dosage of medications, which has a positive effect on the patient’s condition and helps to avoid side effects. After surgery, physical procedures speed up recovery, minimize the risks of complications and relieve pain.
Physiotherapy is a solution if there are contraindications to hormonal treatment. It helps to curb the development of pathology in young girls, for whom surgical intervention is associated with great risks.
But the procedures are most effective when they have a complex effect on the body, including other techniques.
Several types of procedures are performed as physiotherapeutic treatment:
- Magnetotherapy - allows you to relieve painful manifestations, improve blood circulation, increase the effect of drugs on the body when administered, relieve swelling and signs of inflammation.
- Electrophoresis - the effect of current on the body allows you to increase the degree of absorption of medicinal substances and increase the area of their influence, as well as relieve nervous tension in the patient.
- Balneotherapy - includes radon and iodine-bromine baths, which relieve pain, lower blood pressure, relieve inflammation, and also have a positive effect on the condition of the thyroid gland.
- Laser therapy and UV irradiation are prescribed only after surgical treatment to speed up healing and prevent possible complications in the form of secondary infection.
- Hydrotherapy - used as an additional remedy in the form of baths with pine needles, which have a calming effect and also relax muscles, relieve spasms and soreness.
- Climatotherapy is treatment in midland resorts with a climate close to the place of residence (sanatoriums in Pyatigorsk, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Territory). In this case, standard physiotherapeutic procedures are not performed; the entire effect is achieved through fresh air, a relaxing atmosphere and a change in activity from work to leisure.
The most effective methods are electrophoresis, balneotherapy and magnetic wave treatment. Before carrying out the procedures, you should familiarize yourself with each of them in more detail.
Magnetotherapy
Treatment using this method includes several options. They are associated with the nature of the magnetic field, which happens:
- variable;
- permanent;
- pulsating;
- running;
- pulsed.
This method of influencing tissue does not involve heat, and also does not stimulate estrogen production. But at the same time, magnetic therapy for endometriosis relieves inflammation and pain, reduces blood clotting, triggers metabolic processes, and improves vascular function.
Human tissues are good at transmitting waves created by a magnet. This ensures their deep penetration with an effect on organs of any localization.
In the postoperative period, the device is used locally (only on the pelvic area) or general magnetic therapy is prescribed (affects the entire body, has a sedative effect).
When using a pulsed field, the work of the central nervous system and autonomic ganglia is stabilized, and the blood supply to tissues is stimulated. All this has a positive effect on the patient’s condition.
Electrophoresis
The procedure is carried out using a device that generates pulsed currents at a low frequency. Electrophoresis for endometriosis provides several effects at once:
- relieves pain;
- calms and removes internal tension;
- enhances the effect of administered medications.
The action of the current does not trigger the production of estrogen, which is a positive phenomenon in the treatment of endometritis. By enhancing the effect of the incoming substances, the dosage required to create the desired therapeutic concentration is reduced. At the same time, the active components are retained in the body, from where they enter the blood every day.
The accumulation of the drug in the uterine area allows you to more effectively influence the problem and eliminate it. This feature is especially important in the chronic course of the disease. But electrophoresis has a number of contraindications:
- presence of housing and communal services;
- stones in the urinary system;
- oncological diseases of any nature.
Therapy is prescribed on days 5-7 of the cycle, since a later onset can provoke increased pain, as well as the appearance of bloody discharge outside of menstruation. This occurs especially often when using combined oral contraceptives.
The course of electrophoresis must be repeated every 2-4 months.
In this regard, patients with chronic, long-term endometriosis buy devices for home use. This allows the procedure to be carried out in comfortable conditions with the frequency prescribed by the attending physician.
Balneotherapy
Balneotherapy includes iodine-bromine and radon baths for endometriosis. The water temperature should not exceed 37 degrees. Otherwise, an exacerbation of the underlying disease with the development of subsequent complications is possible. Therefore, physiotherapeutic measures should be carried out and supervised by specialists.
Baths with a radon content of 40-200 nCi/l are suitable as a cure for endometriosis.
At the same time, microenemas and vaginal douching with the same solution are used. This method is especially effective for the retrocervical type of disease.
Radon acts on the patient’s nervous system, providing a calming, analgesic and inhibitory effect on the central nervous system. This makes it easier to bear the symptoms of the disease. Baths act on the endocrine organs, regulating the concentration of gonadotropins and steroids, and also normalize estrogen levels and increase the amount of progesterone. The procedure prevents the formation of adhesions, relieving chronic inflammation, and also improves blood circulation, which prevents the occurrence of complications of endometriosis.
The effect of radon balneotherapy lasts longer than after other methods of physical treatment.
The course of procedures is repeated no more than once every six months. This allows you to make longer intervals between taking medications, which reduces the load on the liver and the body as a whole.
Iodine-bromine baths are prepared using iodine from 10 mg/l + bromine from 25 mg/l. This water is also administered through vaginal douching. It relieves inflammation, calms the nervous system, and also normalizes blood pressure and thyroid function. The method helps reduce the concentration of estrogen in the blood without the use of hormonal drugs. It is also effective as a way to relieve pain. The duration of the effect reaches 4 months or longer.
Indications and contraindications for physiotherapy
Physiotherapeutic procedures are not prescribed to all patients. They have clear indications:
- Endometriosis in the initial stage, associated with a pause in taking hormonal drugs (electrophoresis + balneotherapy).
- Adolescence, no history of childbirth (electrophoresis + pine baths).
- The impossibility of treatment with hormones or the presence of contraindications to them due to concomitant pathologies (electrophoresis, radon baths).
- The presence of chronic pain syndrome in the pelvic region (electrophoresis, balneotherapy, including the use of radon).
- The period after surgery as a preventive measure for adhesions (laser therapy, UV irradiation, magnetic field treatment).
- The presence of adhesions and constant pain in the pelvic area (hydrotherapy, climate treatment, baths of various types).
Despite the large number of indications and the relative safety of the method, physiotherapy is not always used. In some cases, its use is impossible. These include:
- the presence of cysts in the ovary;
- indications for surgery;
- late stages of endometriosis;
- the patient’s use of psychotropic substances in connection with the disease.
Treatment of endometriosis with physiotherapeutic methods brings good results only if properly prescribed. Therefore, it should be carried out only after a doctor’s conclusion about the necessity and safety of this method of exposure. If the procedures are chosen correctly, it is often possible to transfer the patient from hormonal drugs to physical therapy only. This significantly improves the general condition of a woman’s body.