Pelvic Physical Therapy for Chronic Pain and Dysfunction Following Laparoscopic Excision of Endometriosis: Case Report

Jennifer L. Hunt
In: Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice · 2019 · doi:10.46743/1540-580x/2019.1684 · W2953487505
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

A case report details how pelvic physical therapy, including manual therapy and relaxation techniques, improved chronic pain and dysfunction in a patient following laparoscopic endometriosis excision.

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This case report describes a 50-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopic excision of endometriosis but continued to experience left lower abdominal and vaginal discomfort afterward. The patient completed ten sessions of pelvic physical therapy over four months, including manual therapy, relaxation instruction, and a home program, with outcomes assessed using the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire–Short Form 7 (PFIQ-7). At discharge, she reported reduced symptoms on the PFIQ-7 and was able to resume previously intolerable activities due to abdominal and pelvic pain. The paper’s key limitation is that it is a single-patient report without broader evidence, and it explicitly calls for further research. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — it reports outcomes of pelvic physical therapy for chronic pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction persisting after laparoscopic excision of endometriosis.

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Abstract

Background: Pelvic pain and abnormal pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tension frequently are present in individuals with endometriosis and often persist even after surgical excision of the endometriosis lesions. Physical therapists are educated in improving muscle tone and function for individuals who have sustained injury, have had surgery, or have required rehabilitation for various pelvic health conditions. More scientific evidence is needed to support the benefits of physical therapy (PT) interventions for individuals with a history of endometriosis. Case Description: The 50-year old female patient presented in this case report underwent laparoscopic excision of endometriosis, yet she continued to experience discomfort in her left lower abdomen and vaginal area after surgery. Within a four month period, the patient participated in ten sessions of pelvic physical therapy that included manual therapy, instruction in relaxation techniques, and a home program. Outcomes: At the time of her discharge from physical therapy, the patient reported a reduction in symptoms on the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire - Short Form 7 (PFIQ-7) and was able to resume activities that she had not previously tolerated because of abdominal and pelvic pain. Discussion: Identifying effective interventions for patients that have received surgical management is important. Pelvic physical therapy may help individuals avoid surgery and eliminate or reduce the use of medications. Because of the positive outcomes of this case report, it is recommended that when endometriosis is suspected or diagnosed, a pelvic physical therapy evaluation should be considered. Further research is needed to assess physical therapy as part of the standard of care for women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis.
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Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background

Pelvic pain and abnormal pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tension frequently are present in individuals with endometriosis and often persist even after surgical excision of the endometriosis lesions. Physical therapists are educated in improving muscle tone and function for individuals who have sustained injury, have had surgery, or have required rehabilitation for various pelvic health conditions. More scientific evidence is needed to support the benefits of physical therapy (PT) interventions for individuals with a history of endometriosis. Case Description: The 50-year old female patient presented in this case report underwent laparoscopic excision of endometriosis, yet she continued to experience discomfort in her left lower abdomen and vaginal area after surgery. Within a four month period, the patient participated in ten sessions of pelvic physical therapy that included manual therapy, instruction in relaxation techniques, and a home program. Outcomes: At the time of her discharge from physical therapy, the patient reported a reduction in symptoms on the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire - Short Form 7 (PFIQ-7) and was able to resume activities that she had not previously tolerated because of abdominal and pelvic pain. Discussion: Identifying effective interventions for patients that have received surgical management is important. Pelvic physical therapy may help individuals avoid surgery and eliminate or reduce the use of medications. Because of the positive outcomes of this case report, it is recommended that when endometriosis is suspected or diagnosed, a pelvic physical therapy evaluation should be considered. Further research is needed to assess physical therapy as part of the standard of care for women with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis. DOI 10.46743/1540-580X/2019.1684 Recommended Citation Hunt JB. Pelvic Physical Therapy for Chronic Pain and Dysfunction Following Laparoscopic Excision of Endometriosis: Case Report. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2019 Jan 01;17(3), Article 10.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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