[Conventional analgesics and non-pharmacological multidisciplinary therapeutic treatment in endometriosis: CNGOF-HAS Endometriosis Guidelines]

Abstract

A major symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain with a wide range of intensity, rhythm, type, and expression, without clearly established relationship between pain and the disease. Endometriosis-associated pain has physical, psychological/behavioral and social consequences with a significant impact on patient quality-of-life in relation with the biopsychosocial model of chronic pain. Pain assessment in all of its dimensions, as well as assessing the consequences of pain is therefore a crucial part of therapeutic management. Conventional analgesics are commonly used although studies demonstrating their efficacy in the treatment of endometriosis-related pelvic pain are lacking. Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), known to be effective in dysmenorrhea unrelated to endometriosis, have not been recently re-assessed in patients with endometriosis. Following rigorous assessment, the characterization of neuropathic components of endometriosis-related pelvic pain may lead to treatment with antiepileptic of antidepressant drugs, although gabapentin and amitriptyline have yet to be specifically assessed in the setting of endometriosis-related pain. Other pharmacologically active compounds have been tested to treat endometriosis-related pain but did not demonstrate efficacy with sufficient level of evidence. Diets, dietary supplements and herbal medicine are often proposed and/or used as adjuncts without any conclusive evidence. Although the effects on endometriosis-related pain are methodologically difficult to assess, physical adjunctive therapies such as acupuncture, transcutaneous neurostimulation, osteopathy/chiropractics, physical therapy and physical activity, the long-term therapeutic relationship they establish may potentiate beneficial effects perceived by patients. However, it remains difficult to demonstrate significant effects of cognitive and/or behavioral interventions on endometriosis-related pain.

Conclusion: The complexity of managing endometriosis-related pain requires a holistic approach with sustained attention to the patient. Treatments, either pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic, including adjuvant therapies, associate a technical expertise to which a human approach must be added in order to bring value to these treatments. Multidisciplinary and/or inter disciplinary approaches are therefore essential to the care of patients suffering from endometriosis.

Keywords: Chronic pain; Complementary treatment; Douleur chronique; Douleur pelvienne; Endometriosis; Endométriose; Pain treatment; Pelvic pain; Traitement complémentaire; Traitement de la douleur.