Systematic review and meta‐analysis of complementary treatments for women with symptomatic endometriosis

Ticiana A A Mira, Ticiana Aparecida Alves de Mira, Mariana M Buen, Mariana Mara Buen, Murilo G Borges, Murilo Guimarães Borges, Daniela Angerame Yela, Daniela A Yela, Cristina L Benetti-Pinto, Cristina Laguna Benetti‐Pinto
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics · 2018 · vol. 143(1) , pp. 2–9 · doi:10.1002/ijgo.12576 · PMID:29944729 · W2810202578
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This systematic review and meta-analysis found acupuncture significantly reduced endometriosis pain compared to placebo, while other complementary treatments like exercise and yoga showed positive trends but lacked conclusive evidence.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in treatments for endometriosis, some symptoms persist owing to the chronic inflammation observed in this disease. OBJECTIVE: To identify resources, methods, and/or complementary treatments to alleviate the pain symptoms of endometriosis, and to identify adverse effects of treatments. SEARCH STRATEGY: Lilacs, Scielo, PEDro, Scopus, Pubmed, CENTRAL Cochrane, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were searched for studies published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish to July 31, 2017, using the terms "physical therapy" OR "complementary treatment" AND "endometriosis". SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials relating to complementary pelvic pain treatment and adverse effects. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Eight studies were identified; two studies were included in the meta-analysis. MAIN RESULTS: The complementary interventions studied were acupuncture, exercise, electrotherapy, and yoga. All were inconclusive in affirming benefit, but demonstrated a positive trend in the treatment of symptoms of endometriosis. Meta-analysis of acupuncture showed a significant benefit in pain reduction as compared with placebo (P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Numerous complementary treatments have been used to alleviate the symptoms of endometriosis, but only acupuncture has demonstrated a significant improvement in outcomes. Nevertheless, other approaches demonstrated positive trends toward improving symptoms; this should encourage investigators to design controlled studies to support their applicability.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Acupuncture Therapy Endometriosis Pelvic Pain Acupuncture Therapy Endometriosis Exercise Female Humans Pain Management Pain Management Pelvic Pain Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

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.

References (41)

Cited by (50)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK