What changed
A five-year, £2.3m UK study led by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian is preparing to test a personalised pain-management programme for women with endometriosis whose symptoms have not been controlled by surgery or medication. The 12-week programme will combine pain medication with CBT-informed psychotherapy, specialist physiotherapy, and support around relationships, intimacy and communication.
Why it matters
Endometriosis is not simply a bad period. Tissue similar to the womb lining can grow elsewhere in the body, causing severe inflammation and pain that can disrupt work, sleep, eating, relationships and mental health.
Charlotte McCann, 27, had to leave corporate finance after years of debilitating pain. She describes waking up vomiting, being unable to stand, relying on walking aids and taking strong opioid painkillers that made it difficult to eat. Surgery did not stop her symptoms from returning.
That is why the study’s design matters. It treats pain as something that may need several kinds of support at once, rather than assuming another operation or a stronger prescription will solve everything. The approach could improve quality of life if it works, but that remains unknown: recruitment is not reported as complete, and the study has produced no results yet.
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