Watch my latest video post to see what I am talking about and trying to explain
Regards
Dr Andrew Orr (DOAM, MRepMed, MWHM)
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Reproductive Medicines and Women’s Health Experts
-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate
Category Archives: Pain management
Understanding Why Hysterectomy Does Not Cure Endometriosis
Hey everyone. I’ve just recently put up a post about the facts about why hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis.
It seems this is a very contentious issue and many people are not understanding the facts, or how endometriosis presents in the body. I also think that some people just haven’t read the actual article, as I do explain all of the reasons why.
But, it does seem some people are still not getting the reasons why, or have been told the wrong things. As usual, I am here to give the facts and this is what I am here to do with this post.. Give the facts.
I am sorry for many of the journeys you have been on too and that some of you are not being listened too as well. That is why I am here. To raise awareness and give the facts and help women with endometriosis have a voice.
This is to also raise awareness about adenomyosis too. Many really do not realise that they have this disease state, or have it coinciding with endometriosis as well.
So, I have done up the video blog to explain things in more detail and hopefully it helps all of you understand things better. It is also so people can see a visual explanation and see why hysterectomy will not “Cure” endometriosis.
Non-Medical Ways to Manage Pain
In my recent post Getting a Handle on Pain with Proper Pain Management, I talked about the need for getting help with pain and how important it is to manage pain properly. But most of that was focussing on the medical side of things. But we also know that even with the best medical care, people are still in pain. So what is the answer is this approach is not working?
This is where we need to look at the Non-Medical ways to manage pain and look at an individualised and multimodality care approach to give people the best care and clinical management of pain possible.
Let’s have a look at what some of the Non-Medical options are first.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
One modality that may assist in managing long-term pain is Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This medicine has been around much longer than modern medicine and it is very effective. There is now research to show that Acupuncture and TCM is not only assist with treatments for pain and pain management, but it may be equivalent to the effects of some of our strong pain medications, when it is administered properly by a trained healthcare provider and with a series of treatments. It is also being used in mainstream hospitals for pain management too. While acupuncture may be effective for pain, there is no such thing as a one off treatment for any medicine and we all need to remember that.
Biomesotherapy (Biopuncture)
There is also an amazing therapy called Biomesotherapy, also known as biopuncture. It combines the use of acupuncture and also uses injectable saline and anti-inflammatories into the acupuncture points. Local anaesthetics and pharmaceutical injectable pain killers can also be injected into the acupuncture points and this is how it has been used in parts of Europe for over 50 years by main stream medicine. It may be affective for acute pain.
Chinese Herbal Medicines
There are also Chinese herbal formulas that may assist with pain and pain management and they may also help with the root cause of your pain as well. Again these aren’t a one off treatment and require a course of treatment to get the true benefits. You don’t just take one antibiotic, or one pain medicine and it fixes your issue and the same goes for herbal medicines. What we also need to remember is that up to 50% of our pharmaceuticals are actually derived from herbal compounds.
Chiropractic & Osteopathy
There are also some other great complementary therapies that may help pain. Chiropractic and Osteopathy may help with skeletal pain and may also help with realigning sublaxations that are impinging on nerves and may be causing pain. Both modalities may assist in helping balance the body as a whole.
Yoga & Pilates
Yoga and Pilates may help with pain by rebalancing the body, working on the core and also by assisting the body to relax. There is a bit more to it than that, but they can help. There is now some good research out there to support the use of these modalities.
Massage & Complementary Medicines
Massage may also help with pain and pain management. There are also other herbal medicines that can help too. You need to see a qualified massage therapist and qualified complementary medicine practitioner to get the best care and advice with either of these modalities.
Your healthcare provider, or herbalist, can assist you by consulting with you and helping manage your condition. Just like medical interventions and pharmaceuticals, you should never self-prescribe and always consult with someone who is qualified in their particular profession. They can also administer you practitioner only medicines that are far stronger and more clinically efficient that over the counter products. It is the same in modern medicine too.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy can help with pain management and rehabilitation and women with pelvic pain may need a physiotherapist that can help with pelvic floor physiotherapy and that can do work internally. This is a specialist area though. Physiotherapy also fits into the medical model of pain management too.
Pulse Magnetic Therapy & TENS
Pulse magnetic therapy and TENS (Transcutaneous Electro Neuro Stimulator) may help with pain and ongoing pain management. While many people have heard of TENS, not many have heard of Pulse Magnetic Therapy and this is something that may assist with chronic pain and also pelvic floor instability and incontinence. There is such good research to support this as well. Many urodynamic specialists are now using pulse magnetic therapy in their clinics.
Diet
Let’s not forget the power of a healthy diet, when it comes to pain. Diets high in processed foods and sugars and refined grains, alcohol etc promote inflammation. Then inflammation causes pain and may make conditions causing pain worse. I always assess people’s diets, when they have pain, or health issues.
Exercise
Exercise may also assist with pain by helping with stress levels and helping with increasing blood flow into the muscles and brain and also helping with endorphins into the body. Again exercise can be a catch 22 situation. Some people are in so much people that they cannot even contemplate exercise. But, with starting out slowly and a step by step approach, little by little, exercise can help with controlling pain and getting the body back to optimum health again.
Counselling and Mindfulness
Lastly, talk therapy and counselling and mindfulness training is probably some of the most underrated therapies for the ongoing management of pain. I can’t say this enough. Our brain is what controls all our senses and unless we learn to control stress and quieting our mind, then managing pain is so much harder. I also know it can be a catch 22 situation too, but it is needed. While support groups and talking with friends is great, it cannot compare to the help from a trained professional, who has the appropriate years of training and is specialised in their particular field, or profession.
Important Things To Remember
Oh, and please don’t get your medical advice from people on support groups either. I see this so often and it really scares me what I see and hear. I know they are well meaning and their support is great for you, but they are not a trained professional and this could be very dangerous. Let’s not forget that everyone has different needs according to their condition.
What medication, or therapy, one person is on, or taking, may make another ill, or actually make someone else worse. Please do not Dr Google either. A degree in Dr Google, doesn’t make one a healthcare expert and much of the medical advice on Dr Google is not right. Sure, be educated and be informed, but be careful too. Always consult with a healthcare professional for any health advice, or before trying to do something to manage your health.
Pain is something that we have all experienced, but it is not something that should be endured either. Of course there are individual cases that are just off the charts and require a whole different level of management. These people I feel sorry for the most. While some of these cases may never have their pain gone completely, with the right treatment most of them can be managed to some form of normalcy.
For the rest of the population, most pain can be treated if intervention is administered early enough and there is good ongoing management moving forward. The problem for many is that they aren’t being managed properly and many are trying to just do it themselves. That isn’t going to work. Some people just leave it too long too. The longer you leave pain not managed, the harder it is to treat.
You may also need that multimodality (team approach) for some conditions such as endometriosis and gynaecological conditions. Some other causes of pain will need this too. For others, they just need to see the right people and once they do, their pain can be treated, or managed really well. In many cases, it can be fixed completely.
There is no magic pill
Always remember that there is no such thing as a one off magic treatment for pain, or any health issues, and that there is no miracle one off magic pill to fix pain either.
Even though pain needs to be managed with medications sometimes, it isn’t always the answer either. People need look at treating the cause of their pain and also looking at other therapies outside of modern medicine too. This is where individualised treatments and treatment/management plans are the best, because everyone is different in what they are experiencing and what their particular issue is.
I have seen the amazing effects of a combination of therapies, or stand-alone therapies, in the treatment of pain and its ongoing management. If you aren’t getting the answers you need, with who you are seeing, or what you are currently doing, then you need to look outside the box, think outside the box and start finding treatments and healthcare people that can help you and your particular health issue.
Never underestimate the body’s power to heal itself with proper care and never underestimate the power of a second, or tenth opinion.
Getting proper help and care
If you aren’t getting the help you need, then book in a consult with me and I will do my best to get you the help and care you deserve and should be getting. I also have a great network of trusted professionals I work with if it is outside something that I do, or if you need that team approach for your condition. I have my trusted team and that is what you may need too.
One more things, for anyone, pain is the sign that something is wrong in the body and means it needs to be addressed. Oh and always remember, period pain is not normal either.
Take care
Regards
Dr Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate
– The Headache, Migraine and Pain Experts
The Man-Bashing of Male Healthcare Practitioners Who Help Women’s Health Issues. It Needs To Stop
All to often I hear some women “Man-Bash” male healthcare practitioners who specialise in Women’s Health issues. Often when male healthcare professionals are trying to bring awareness to female health issues it is now seen as the buzz word “Mansplaining”
What these individuals need to know is that there are many men at the forefront of women’s health issues and they are here to help women, not hinder them. These men do what they do because they care and they are passionate about what they do. Some do so because of partners, or family with gynaecological issues and they want to help any way they can.
These Male Specialists have had years of training and clinical experience and research behind them and actually know more about the female body than many females know about themselves. Being a female, or having a gynaecological disease does not make one an expert. The same goes for males with male health issues too.
Many of these male Women’s Health specialists are also some of our best advanced trained laparoscopic surgeons as well. Many of these health experts also specialise in women’s diseases such as endometriosis.
We also have women specialists who are at the top of their field in male health issues. This should not be a gender thing and unfortunately some misinformed people tend to make it so. Too many people try to make it about self, rather than the bigger issue, or collective.
Many men give up their own time and are not paid for the work they do with women’s health issues. Some of them are working at government level, media level and all sorts of areas to bring awareness to diseases that affect women.
Let’s not forget the men whose partners are affected by disease states. These men offer great support to women who suffer around the world and while they do not suffer the disease, they go through it all with their partners on differing levels.
In this video, I tackle two issue that really need to be talked about
- Period pain is not normal and no matter what anyone says, this is a fact
- We need to end the Man-Bashing of males who specialise in women’s health issues because many men are at the forefront and are trying to help women get the recognition they deserve.
Let’s end the silence for women who suffer disease states like endometriosis. Let’s end the myths around women’s health issues.
Period pain is not normal and women need to know about it.
Just like we need to end the silence about women’s health issues, we also need to end the Man-Bashing of male healthcare practitioners and educators out there at the forefront of women’s health.
Being a male does not mean we do not understand women’s disease states and it does not mean we do not understand pain. By taking away from these men’s messages and their dedication to women’s health, it is also causing damage to the bigger picture and is actually sabotaging women as well.
Have a listen to my latest video blog and explanation of this important subjects that we all need to talk about.
I myself am a male healthcare professional who helps with treatment, management and education of women’s health issues. I genuinely care about issues such as period pain, endometriosis, PCOS and fertility. I have family with gynaecological issues and I have cared for thousands of women with gynaecological and fertility issues. It is a very special interest of mine and I want to see women get the care and help they need. Being male should not even be bought into this.
Lastly, if you are in pain and needs help, please give my clinic a call and make a time to book in a consultation.
Take care
Regards
Dr Andrew Orr
-Women’s and Men’s Healthcare advocate
-No Stone Left Unturned
-The Endometriosis Experts
Teenagers “Are Not” Too Young To Have Endometriosis
Teenagers are not too young to have endometriosis. Many teenagers and young women are missed and dismissed when they mention they have period pain. Period pain may be a sign that a young woman has endometriosis.
Endometriosis has been found in very young girls, especially as some are getting their period as young as 9 years old, or younger. They have found endometriosis in girls as young as 7 years old when looking for causes of abdominal pain.
Endometriosis and The Causes of Period Pain Can Be Hereditary
Just remember that endometriosis can be hereditary and if someone in your family, or yourself, has endometriosis, or has bad period pain, then there is a good chance a daughter could have this problem too.
Early Intervention and Treatment is Crucial
Early intervention is the key to treating and managing this disease. If your daughter is experiencing period pain, you need to see someone who specialises in endometriosis not just your GP. Do not ever be fobbed off by any healthcare practitioner, or just get told to put the young girl on the pill.
I often get really upset hearing stories of young girls told that they are too young to have endometriosis, or that period pain is normal and just to put up with it.
Young girls are often told to put up with the pain, go on the pill and “We will deal with it when you are ready to have children”
The problem with BS statements like this is that the longer the disease is left there the more damage it can do internally. By not getting early intervention and the right treatment early enough, it could also affect a young girl’s future fertility and potential to even have children. It makes me so angry hearing things like this.
Contraceptive Hormones Do Not Fix Endometriosis
The pill does not regulate menstrual cycles and it can mask and then exacerbate conditions such as endometriosis. The pill does not regulate a proper menstrual cycle. The pill causes a withdrawal bleed and not a proper period. Women with endometriosis need certain types of hormones to help with the suppression of the disease, but only after proper investigation, diagnosis and treatment of the disease first.
Make sure that young girls are properly assessed for the causes of period pain and then managed properly moving forward. Period pain is not normal and young women can be suffering endometriosis.
No matter what anyone tells you, teenagers are not too young to have gynaecological issues such as Endometriosis and PCOS.
We Need To Stop Telling Women That Period Pain is Normal
We need to stop telling young women that things like period pain, irregular periods and absent periods etc are normal. They are far from normal and early intervention and early management could save them a lifetime of heartache and fertility issues later on.
There Is Help Out There
If your daughter is experiencing period pain, or there is a chance that she may in fact have endometriosis and she needs help, please call my staff and find out more about how I may be able to assist you in getting your daughter the right care and management moving forward.
Take care
Regards
Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate
-The Endometriosis Experts
-The Women’s Health Experts
The Only Way To Definitively Diagnose Endometriosis Is Via Surgical Intervention–
The only way to definitively diagnose endometriosis and the causes of period pain is via surgical intervention. Scans, blood tests etc do not diagnose endometriosis. You cannot have a scan to diagnose endometriosis and you cannot have a blood test to diagnose endometriosis either.
The definitive diagnosis of endometriosis needs to be done via a laparoscopy
The definitive diagnose ‘is’ and ‘always will be’ via a laparoscopy/laparotomy, along with histology (biopsy) and tissue samples taken to examine. Most times a hysteroscopy is done at the same time and if there is an evaluation for fertility, dye studies for tubal patency will be done at the same time.
Women with endometriosis need to see an Advanced Trained Laparoscopic Surgeon
A laparoscopy is the goal standard investigation of examining the pelvis and for investigating gynaecological disorders such as endometriosis. The laparoscopy also needs to be done by what we call an Advanced Trained Laparoscopic Surgeon, who has extra years of surgical training, and who specialises in this disease and specialises in the excision of endometriosis.
It can’t just be done by a regular obstetrician/gynaecologist and this is where many go wrong. Many women just haven’t seen the right surgeon first up who has he proper skills to deal with endometriosis effectively. The first surgery should always be your best surgery and early intervention and management of this disease is crucial. The longer it is there, the worse it can become.
Ultrasounds and Bloods Tests etc Cannot Diagnose Endometriosis
All too often I get women telling me that they do not have endometriosis because their doctor has ruled it out via an ultrasound, or blood test. This is so distressing to hear and this is why so many women are missed and dismissed with this horrible disease that affects 1 in 10 women world wide.
Endometriosis Management Requires a Multi-modality Approach
But, please know that surgery does not cure endometriosis. It is just the first stage in the management of the disease and the active lesions that have been expressed and are present now. Endometriosis can, and will return for many suffers and this is why endometriosis needs ongoing care and a multimodality approach to treat it effectively. It needs a team to manage it properly. While surgery is an important part of evaluation, management and diagnosis of endometriosis, it is to help with symptomatic pain and then other treatments are needed to suppress the disease from further developing and also managing ongoing symptoms.
If you need help with period pain, or assistance with endometriosis, please give my clinic staff a call and find out more about how I may be able to assist you.
Regards
Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate
-The Endometriosis Experts
Period Pain IS NOT Normal
We need all women, and men, to know that Period Pain ‘is not’ normal and it is about time healthcare professionals knew this as well. We are getting there, but it is not quick enough for my liking.
Millions of women around the world are told that period pain is normal and then go on to endure years of suffering and even fertility issues because it. Some women have endured so much pain and been “missed” and “dismissed” by so many healthcare professionals so many times that they have ended up taking their own life because of it. It just should not happen and it needs to stop.
Endometriosis & Adenomyosis are a major cause of Period Pain
One of the major causes of period pain is Endometriosis, or its sister disease Adenomyosis. These crippling diseases can cause period pain, pelvic pain, joint pain, pain with bowel movement, irritable bowel syndrome, pain with ovulation, swollen painful belly (known as endo belly), chronic fatigue, anaemia, heavy painful menstrual flow and can lead to infertility. Some women will quite literally not even be able to work due to debilitating symptoms of this disease.
A significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic
One thing to note is that some many women with endometriosis get lots of pain and associated symptoms, a significant portion of women with endometriosis are actually asymptomatic (No symptoms at all). These women are usually diagnosed by accident or through fertility evaluation when they could be having issues conceiving. Just remember that just because a woman does not have pain and associated symptoms of endometriosis, it does not mean that she can’t have it.
Period Pain ‘is not’ Normal
Period pain ‘is not’ normal and the sooner we get everyone to know this important fact the better. Sure, a little bit of discomfort can be normal. By that I mean just a tiny bit of pressure and basically knowing your period is about to come. But pain…. That is not normal.
I’ve spoken about this many times before and if you click on the links below here, you can read my previous articles about this
- Stop Telling Women That Period Pain is Normal
- The Facts About Period Pain & Endometriosis. What Women Need to Know
- Period Pain IS NOT Normal and Doctors in Australia and The Rest of The World Need to Start Listening
There is help
If you, your friend, your daughter, your sister, your wife, or any other woman you know, has to have days off work, days of school, is laying on the floor in pain, taking pain killers to get through the day, or beginning of their period, then that IS NOT normal.
Period pain is not normal and if you need help and assistance with period pain, then please give my friendly clinic staff a call and find out more about how I may be able to assist you.
Regards
Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate
-The Endometriosis Experts
-The Women’s Health Experts
Endometriosis DOES NOT Always Cause Infertility
Many women are led to believe that if they are diagnosed with endometriosis, that they will be infertile. The one thing I do want all women to know is that Endometriosis DOES NOT always cause infertility.
Over the years I have helped over 12,500 plus babies into the world and many of the women who went on to have these babies had endometriosis.
I have had women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis being told that they cannot fall pregnant, based on the diagnosis and AMH (Anti-Mullerean Hormone) levels alone, and no other fertility investigations. This is disgusting and should never happen. It is so sad hearing things like this and women believing they are infertile and cannot have a baby, when it fact they actually may be able to.
Endometriosis can make it harder to fall pregnant
While having endometriosis can increase your chances of having fertility issues (about 50%), it does not mean you are infertile. To be honest the word infertility is often wrongly uses. Unless you have absolutely infertility and have been diagnosed with a condition that would render you infertile, then we should really be using the word subfertility. Subfertility is a better word to use for those that may be experiencing difficulty falling pregnant, but may need assistance of some come.
Biology 101 tells us that it takes two people to make a baby
Let’s not forget that just because you have endometriosis, it does not mean that the fertility issue falls solely with you. Men are just as big an issue when it comes to fertility issues and could be the bigger part in you not being able to fall. The problem is that many fertility clinics will solely focus on the women because she has a diagnosed condition and this is wrong. Many times I have seen a women with endometriosis blamed as the main cause of the fertility issue, when in fact it is actually the man’s sperm that is at fault. Please remember this. Biology 101 tells us that it takes a sperm and an egg to have a baby, not just an egg.
Endometriosis can make it harder to fall pregnant and can affect egg quality, fertilisation and implantation, due to the resulting inflammation from the disease. But this is where it gets a bit tricky.
Pregnancy rates are not necessarily related to the extent of the disease
It isn’t always about the amount of the disease either. We know that pain levels and the associated symptoms of endometriosis are not related to the extent of the disease. I will address this in one of the other facts posts sometime in the future. The hard thing is that sometimes stage 4 endometriosis sufferers, with lots of the active disease, will have not issues falling pregnant at all. Meanwhile a woman with stage 1, or minimal disease, may have lots of issues falling.
Then we have the women who are having issues falling pregnant and will not even know that they have endometriosis and then it is found as part of fertility investigations, via a laparoscopy. Just remember that a significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms).
Like I always say to my patients, Endometriosis can make it harder to fall, but having the disease does not mean that you are automatically infertile, or will have trouble conceiving. This is why it is important to see someone who specialises in Fertility, not just a regular OB/GYN or a GP, and also specialises in the area of endometriosis.
Fertility Program
If you are having issues falling pregnant, please give my clinic a call and find out how my fertility program may be able to assist you. I can help you and assist you in receiving the proper fertility evaluation and investigations you should be getting. This is for the couple, not just the woman. Like I mentioned before, my multi-modality fertility program has helped and assisted over 12,500 babies into the world and it may be able to help you too.
Take care
Regards
Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate
-The International Fertility Experts
-The Endometriosis Experts
Endometriosis Awareness Month March 2019
Dr Andrew Orr has an honest and open talk about Endometriosis Awareness Month and also about the disease itself.
Dr Andrew Orr talks about the facts, the myths and what women with endometriosis go through on a daily basis.
He also discussed that there is help out there and what is needed in a multi-modality (team like) approach to care and ongoing management of the disease
Lastly, he wants every women, and man, to know that Period Pain IS NOT Normal and that women do not need to suffer in silence. There is always help out there and you just have to find the right people who will care, listen and help you in every aspect that you need.
Dr Andrew Orr has a special interest in Endometriosis and does research and lecturers about this horrible disease that affects 1 in 10 women world wide. If you do need help with period pain, or endometriosis and the associated symptoms, please give his clinic a call. Please do not suffer in silence alone. There is help out there. Dr Andrew Orr’s motto is “No Stone Left Unturned” and he uses this to assist all his patients.
Take care
Regards
Dr Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Expert
Living With Pain.
There are lots of people who suffer with pain daily and the one thing I do know for sure, as do many professionals I work with, is that many people who are in pain, or have inflammatory pain conditions, are not being managed really well.
There are so many aspects to pain and so many drivers that make it worse. Everything we do and are exposed to daily can drive, or exacerbate pain. Diet, lifestyle, alcohol, stress, drugs, medications, our environment, chemicals, additives, bad bacteria, disease states, moods and the way we think etc, can all drive and exacerbate pain.
In previous blogs and articles I have explained about how pain works, how long term medications can actually make it worse and also some of the alternatives to some of the hard-core pain medications.
- Alternative ways to assist pain and help with pain management
- Lets’s talk about pain, pain medications, dependency, detox and withdrawal symptoms
Again in this video I talk about pain and want to let everyone know there is help out there to help you better manage pain.
Please know you do not have to do this alone and that there are professionals out there who can help you better manage your pain levels and get your quality of life back.
If you do need help and assistance in dealing with pain, please give my clinic a call and book in a consultation.
Take care
Regards
Dr Andrew Orr
-No Stone Left Unturned
-Women’s and Men’s Health Expert