Can manual therapy help with endometriosis?

It depends on what you mean by "help", and- as always- it depends on your unique body.

Manual therapies like abdominal and gynovisceral manipulation and pelvic floor therapy can help restore blood flow to organs, improve their innate ability to move, and can help to reduce restrictions within and between organs. For some people with endometriosis, these approaches can improve pain and suffering, even though it doesn't CURE the endo (and *note* that surgery doesn't either).

Endometriosis lesions can add to the restriction of functional organ movement. The goal of visceral manipulation, organ and pelvic massage is to improve structural mobility. This work may help to counteract the congestion and restricted movement brought about by the disease, but there is no suggestion that these therapies would reduce the lesions themselves.

We as manual therapists can never tell the difference between a restriction and an actual adhesion (tissues literally stuck together). Only dissection can make that distinction. We always work with restrictions, coaxing the body back to ease and functional mobility.

Endometriosis can only be formally diagnosed surgically, though many people have clinically suspected endometriosis based on symptoms. For those who have the diagnostic surgery, or who undergo surgical treatment (ablation of the endometrial lesions), scar tissue will arise from the procedure. Manual therapy is certainly a way to reduce the negative impacts of the scar tissue from these surgical procedures.

See this post from the International Association of Healthcare Educators for more regarding Visceral Manipulation and Endometriosis.

I am trained in pelvic and abdominal visceral manipulation through the Barral Institute, and will soon be offering Mercier Therapy in March 2022, which can also help with endometriosis symptoms. Head over here to book an appointment with me!