What’s behind those killer cramps in endometriosis? A mixture of nociceptive, inflammatory, and neuropathic factors that combine to create pain and other symptoms. Endometriosis is more than killer cramps. The factors associated with inflammation and nerves, such as prostaglandins, can cause other symptoms as well (Koike et al., 1992). For example, prostaglandins, such as seen in endometriosis, can also contribute to pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome (Grabauskas et al., 2020). Or chronic inflammation can cause a reduction in energy on the cellular level leading to fatigue (Lacourt et al., 2018). Morotti et al. (2014) notes that “endometriosis-associated pain is as complex as the disease itself” and that “no correlation exists between the extent of endometriosis seen at laparoscopy and the degree of pain symptoms.” There have been several studies demonstrating an increase in sensory nerve fibers in endometriotic lesions as well as inflammatory factors that contribute to pain (Morotti et al., 2014).
Understanding and Finding Relief from Endometriosis Cramps
Find out more about pain and endometriosis here: https://nancysnookendo.com/what-influences-pain-levels/
References
Grabauskas, G., Wu, X., Gao, J., Li, J. Y., Turgeon, D. K., & Owyang, C. (2020). Prostaglandin E2, produced by mast cells in colon tissues from patients with irritable bowel syndrome, contributes to visceral hypersensitivity in mice. Gastroenterology, 158(8), 2195-2207. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016508520302328
Koike, H., Egawa, H., Ohtsuka, T., Yamaguchi, M., Ikenoue, T., & Mori, N. (1992). Correlation between dysmenorrheic severity and prostaglandin production in women with endometriosis. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes and essential fatty acids, 46(2), 133-137. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/0952-3278(92)90219-9
Lacourt, T. E., Vichaya, E. G., Chiu, G. S., Dantzer, R., & Heijnen, C. J. (2018). The high costs of low-grade inflammation: persistent fatigue as a consequence of reduced cellular-energy availability and non-adaptive energy expenditure. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 12, 78. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5932180/#:~:text=We%20propose%20that%20chronic%20low,rapid%20generation%20of%20cellular%20energy.
Morotti, M., Vincent, K., Brawn, J., Zondervan, K. T., & Becker, C. M. (2014). Peripheral changes in endometriosis-associated pain. Human reproduction update, 20(5), 717-736. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/20/5/717/2952641?login=true