Prevalence of Use and Perceived Effectiveness of Medical, Surgical, and Alternative Therapies for Endometriosis Pain in Canadians

Abstract

ObjectivesTo describe the use and perceived effectiveness of medical, surgical, and alternative therapies (e.g., diet, exercise, heat, cannabis, etc.) in managing endometriosis-associated pain in Canadians. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was distributed via The Endometriosis Network Canada (TENC) from February to March 2021. Canadians aged 18–50 years with diagnosed or suspected endometriosis were eligible to participate. ResultsA total of 434 survey responses were included, and 93.8% of respondents reported that they used at least 1 alternative therapy in the past 6 months for endometriosis-associated pain. Respondents used an array of medical (2.3/6 months), surgical (1.7/lifetime), and alternative therapies (6.9/6 months) to manage their pain, yet 61.9% of respondents did not feel it was adequately managed. The most common alternative therapies were heat, meditation/mindfulness/rest, and diet. ConclusionAlternative therapies were commonly used by Canadians living with endometriosis to manage pain. Cannabis and heat were perceived as the most effective alternative therapies. Here, we gain a better understanding of alternative therapies that can provide an additional therapeutic avenue that clinicians and people living with endometriosis may wish to discuss and explore.