Root Causes of Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain

Even though the causes and contributing factors are unique to each woman dealing with pelvic pain, there are common causes we can investigate with naturopathic medicine. For example:

Hormonal Imbalance

Some women with endometriosis have estrogen dominance, or a mismatch between the amount of estrogen and progesterone produced. We can test for hormonal imbalances with a hormone panel.

Gut Microbiome

Research has found unique changes in the gut microbiome associated with endometriosis. We can test for disruptions of the microbiome with stool testing.

Immune Reactions

Higher concentrations of inflammatory molecules and immune cells are found in endometrial tissues, suggesting immune reactions may be at play. We can test for markers of inflammation with blood tests.

Chemicals & Toxins

Common everyday products like plastics and lotions often contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that mess with your hormones and can contribute to endometriosis and pelvic pain. We can test for toxins and chemicals with an environmental toxin panel.

How to Live an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle

Not enough people are talking about this.

Nearly every chronic disease in the world today can be linked back to this same thing:

Chronic Inflammation.

3 out of 5 people worldwide die because of chronic inflammatory diseases, and the World Health Organization ranks these diseases as the greatest threat to human health.

Chronic inflammation is at play in:

Diabetes

Heart Disease

Autoimmune Disease

Arthritis

Eczema

IBD (Crohn’s & Colitis)

Depression

The list goes on….but here’s what you really need to know: Chronic inflammation can be subtle as it gradually builds up over time. Even in the absence of a chronic disease, inflammation can contribute to:

Fatigue

Achiness

Sleep Problems

Anxiety

Weight Gain

Weight Loss

Digestive Issues

Or other vague and confusing health issues.

There’s so much to unpack about chronic inflammation, so let’s get into it.

Your brain is connected to the rest of your body. So your mood depends on the right balance of nutrients, hormones, and other chemical messengers throughout your entire body—including your gut, thyroid, and immune system.

This is not an exhaustive list, but to give you some examples, here are 5 root causes of mood issues that we investigate when taking a naturopathic approach. 

How to Get Your Circadian Rhythm Back in Sync

Daily rhythms keep your body ticking like a clock. It’s true for morning glories, crickets, birds, dogs, and yes—humans too. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of body processes that follow a 24-hour clock:

Hormones

Blood Pressure

Blood Sugar

Immune Function

Detoxification

Digestion

A new study showed that people with metabolic syndrome who are night owls have a higher risk of insulin resistance and developing type 2 diabetes than those who are early birds. 

It’s not too surprising. Many of our hormones follow a daily rhythm, so it makes sense that sleeping patterns could affect hormones related to blood sugar levels. 

But there’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s backtrack to review what exactly insulin resistance means and (more importantly) what we can do to reverse it. 

I can’t tell you how many times women ask me, “could it be my hormones?”

Lots of times they’ve been told that everything checks out fine, that it’s just normal hormonal changes, or that the only option they have is to take the birth control pill.

Well…

Those things are often only partially true or not even true at all.

Lots of times when we do more thorough testing, we discover an explanation—like estrogen dominance.

I’m not saying estrogen dominance is the issue for every woman, but it is commonly overlooked and something I believe more women should be aware of.

Estrogen dominance is a pattern in the body where estrogen levels are too high in comparison to progesterone levels. It can happen because of any of these reasons:

Increased estrogen production

Decreased progesterone production

Slowed estrogen elimination

Exposure to synthetic estrogens

A Naturopathic Roadmap to Healthy Aging

Whether you’re more concerned about the fine lines, memory lapses, or sexual function, we can’t do anything about the aging process unless we understand WHY and HOW it is happening.

So let’s look at some of the most common theories of aging—especially the ones we can do something about!

How to Know if You Have High-Functioning Anxiety

Naturopathic Solutions for Peak Brain Performance

Is organic actually better?

Questions Answered: Q&A with our Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Rosia Parrish - Thrive Fertility

How to Avoid the Health Dangers of Environmental Toxins

Healing cavities with bacteria

A Naturopathic Guide to Seasonal Allergies

A new study proves Echinacea is reducing the rates of antibiotic use.

What are your daily rituals? In a time where technology is king and busyness is a sign of success, we get caught up in the rituals that seem productive and outwardly successful, but maybe leave you wanting.

Mitochondrial DNA is packaged differently than nuclear DNA and is therefore more fragile and less protected. Here are a few threats to avoid.