Interdisciplinary Teams in Endometriosis Care
Catherine Allaire, Alicia J. Long, Mohamed A. Bedaiwy, Paul J. Yong
Abstract
Endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain can at times be a complex problem that is resistant to standard medical and surgical therapies. Multiple comorbidities and central sensitization may be at play and must be recognized with the help of a thorough history and physical examination. If a complex pain problem is identified, most endometriosis expert reviews and guidelines recommend multidisciplinary care. However, there are no specific recommendations about what should be the components of this approach and how that type of team care should be delivered. There is evidence showing the effectiveness of specific interventions such as pain education, physical therapy, psychological therapies, and pharmacotherapies for the treatment of chronic pain. Interdisciplinary team models have been well studied and validated in other chronic pain conditions such as low back pain. The published evidence in support of interdisciplinary teams for endometriosis-associated chronic pain is more limited but appears promising. Based on the available evidence, a model for an interdisciplinary team approach for endometriosis care is outlined.