Added exercise improved current endometriosis pain; worst-pain benefit was not demonstrated
Adding supervised and home exercise to pain management helped pain at assessment, with benefit at later follow-up. A benefit for the preceding month's worst pain remained unproven.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Adding exercise to pain management improved current pelvic or genital pain, with benefit still reported at later follow-up. A benefit for the worst pain during the preceding month was not demonstrated, and effects on other outcomes were unclear. The result therefore supports a conclusion about current pain, without establishing improvement across endometriosis symptoms.
Only some assessments were blinded, and effects on other outcomes remained unclear. The abstract does not give the pain-rating scale's range, limiting interpretation of the reported difference. This explanation uses only the abstract.
What researchers found
Current pelvic or genital pain
At 12 months, exercise plus pain management versus pain management alone, on a numerical pain-rating scale. The authors interpret the difference as favoring exercise.
What exercise added
Everyone attended a pain management course. The exercise group also received supervised sessions and trained at home, including pelvic floor muscle work. The trial therefore assessed exercise added to an existing pain management program.
Different pain questions
Researchers distinguished pain at assessment from the worst pain during the preceding month. Improvement in current pain does not establish a benefit for worst pain; that separate benefit was not demonstrated in this trial.
The original publication
Supervised exercise and pelvic floor muscle training eases current pelvic and genital pain but not worst pelvic and genital pain in women with endometriosis: a randomised trial.
Gabrielsen R, Tellum T, Bø K et al.
J Physiother · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41006088
- Record checked
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