Abstract
Research question
Conventional treatments are often associated with adverse effects and endometriosis
pain symptoms may reoccur despite treatment. Consequently, many women use complementary
health approaches (CHA) and home remedies (HR) to relieve their pain. The aim of this
study was to examine the frequency and the subjectively perceived efficacy of CHA/HR
use by women affected by endometriosis.
Design
Retrospective evaluation using medical charts and a questionnaire. Women recruited
in hospitals and in self-help groups were asked about the use of ‘topical heat’, ‘repose/relaxation’,
‘movement/massages’, ‘homeopathy/phytotherapy’, ‘acupuncture/traditional Chinese medicine
(TCM)’ and ‘kinesiology/physiotherapy’.
Results
From a total of 574 women with a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis, 359 (62.5%)
applied some form of CHA/HR. Women suffering from fatiguing disease symptoms more
often selected alternative therapies (odds ratio [OR] 3.14, 95% confidence interval
[CI] 1.39–7.11, P = 0.006) compared with women without these characteristics. Furthermore, women dissatisfied
with healthcare provided by their treating physician, more frequently (OR 2.30, 95%
CI 1.19–4.45, P = 0.013) chose the aforementioned alternative strategies.
Conclusion
As conventional therapies may not be sufficiently effective, women's needs should
be closely examined, and individual treatment options should be discussed and initiated
by clinicians to provide the best comprehensive treatment possible for endometriosis.
Keywords
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Biography
Alexandra Sabrina Kohl Schwartz works as a Research Fellow at the University Hospital in Zurich and as a Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at the Women's University Hospital in Berne, Switzerland. Her main interests are endometriosis, implantation failure and long-term consequences of children conceived after reproductive treatment.Key message
Many endometriosis-affected women use complementary health approaches or home remedies to relieve pain as they suffer from adverse effects of hormonal therapy and/or recurring pain and/or are unsatisfied with standard healthcare. Hence, to better meet the needs of patients, we recommend addressing individual treatment options in clinical practice.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 14, 2018
Accepted:
October 31,
2018
Received in revised form:
October 17,
2018
Received:
February 3,
2018
Declaration: The authors report no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
