Tatnai Burnett, M.D., has helped hundreds of women manage the pain of endometriosis. His patients have demonstrated what the research shows: While chronic pain can limit quality of life, there are steps to take to manage it better.
Hear what Dr. Burnett has learned from his patients about pain management that just might help you, too.
We asked a Mayo Clinic expert: What's the best way to manage endometriosis pain?
Tatnai Burnett, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology: Endometriosis causes pain. For some woman that takes pain to the next level and causes chronic pain. Chronic pain is when someone has pain that affects their life most days. In those situations, pain becomes more than just a symptom. It kind of becomes its own disease almost.
And we have lots of literature on chronic pain, not just from endometriosis, but from diseases like fibromyalgia or other pain syndromes. And what we see in patients who have chronic pain is the pain typically leads them to stop doing the things that connect them to people. So I have pain, I can't go out today or someone's inviting me to dinner, I'm not gonna do that because I'm painful. So those connecting activities are reduced and so patients lose their support.
To find support, keep it simple.
One of the important things is really to find a support person who's willing to listen. They don't have to be an expert in endometriosis. But really just someone who has the time and patience to sit and understand the things that you're telling them. And be a support for you.
Start your own upward spiral.
So really losing that support is one step to bring you down a downward spiral that can really wreak havoc on your life. Bringing back that support is an important step in allowing a more functional, more full life.
Dr. Burnett has helped hundreds of women manage the pain of endometriosis.
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