Self-management strategies for women with endometriosis: A systematic review

Many women with endometriosis use self-management strategies, either self-initiated or suggested by a health professional, in conjunction with biomedical interventions to improve their symptoms and patient outcomes. For this review, self-management refers to the ability of an individual to manage physical and psychosocial symptoms, treatments, and lifestyle changes associated with living with a chronic condition. Therefore, self-management strategies are defined as physical or psychological interventions, including lifestyle changes (such as dietary modifications), that someone can perform or administer themselves, specifically for the management of endometriosis symptoms. A 2019 systematic review (O'Hara et al. 2019) investigated self-management strategies for endometriosis and reported a range of strategies from relationship building with health care providers, information seeking, and self-care/behavioural change activities (such as exercise, quitting smoking, reducing stress, and using heat). While the review identified the types of self-management strategies women with endometriosis currently use, it did not collect information on the effectiveness of these strategies. Understanding the efficacy and effectiveness of self-management strategies is important for the management of endometriosis, so key recommendations can be made about which interventions should be used, and thus improve patient outcomes.