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Endometriosis Care

At Align PT, we are experts in treating patients with Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, and all of the coinciding conditions that can accompany this disease.

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​If you have endometriosis or think you may, there is a good chance you have been gaslit or dismissed by the medical community, and are frustrated by not getting answers to all the mysterious things that have been going on in your body.

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We see you and we hear these stories every single day.

Many of our team members have been through it ourselves.

 

We've been instrumental in helping so many patients alleviate their symptoms and finally get validation through a diagnosis. That's because we know how the disease presents, how it feels in your body, and how to point you toward other team members and doctors who understand.  

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What is Endometriosis?

First and foremost it is important to understand that endometriosis is not just a bad period; some people with endo have no period pain at all!

 

It is a systemic disease that affects the entire body and is widely misunderstood by gynecologists, other physicians, practitioners, and family members alike. Because of this, it can take up to 10+ years to receive a diagnosis.

 

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of tissue similar to the lining of the uterus but located outside the uterus. ​This tissue can cause pain, infertility, and organ dysfunction due to inflammation and scar tissue.

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Endometriosis (Endo) is a very complex inflammatory disease that is very difficult to diagnose and treat. The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown.

It rarely occurs in isolation and is often associated with IBS, SIBO, interstitial cystitis, celiac, or fibromyalgia, among others.

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It is an estrogen-dependent disease, meaning that local estrogen production may stimulate the growth of lesions. It’s like a non-cancerous cancer that deposits adhesion-producing lesions that glue organs together and cause massive dysfunction.

You were the first healthcare professional to think that I could have endometriosis and who knows how long it could have taken me to get to this point had I not come to your office. I cannot thank you enough! - Anna

Symptoms of Endo

  • Severe pain during or leading up to menstruation

  • Pelvic or abdominal pain (associated with or not associated with menses)

  • Low back and/or leg pain

  • Pain with sex

  • Painful bowel movements

  • Digestive symptoms nausea, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation

  • Painful bladder, and urinary symptoms

  • Fatigue

  • Infertility, (50% of unexplained fertility is likely due to endometriosis).

Less common symptoms

  • Diaphragm and lung endometriosis can cause shoulder pain

  • Difficulty breathing

  • Coughing up blood

Endo Myths​

  • It is not caused by the uterus or retrograde menstruation. (it has been found in fetuses).

  • Birth Control and hormone suppression does not cure endo. It merely suppresses symptoms but is not effective for everyone.

  • Pregnancy does not cure it.

  • Removing the uterus/hysterectomy will not cure it.

  • It does not go away after menopause. 

Endo "Side Dishes"

  • These are conditions that are often seen along side endometriosis.

  • Adenomyosis - lesions inside the uterus as opposed to outside the uterus.

  • Interstitial Cystitis /Painful Bladder Syndrome

  • IBS - irritable bowel syndrome
    SIBO - small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

  • EDS/POTS/MCAS 

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Many other autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Celiac.



     

Thank you sincerely, for helping me get to the bottom of my endometriosis diagnosis. The surgery to remove it has been life-changing and I don't know where I'd be without your foresight and expertise.  I am eternally grateful for you.
-Emily 

Ways We Treat Endo

Because it is a multifaceted, complex disease, treating endometriosis/adenomyosis and the "side dishes" requires a multipronged approach.

 

Currently, the gold standard involves excision surgery with a very experienced excision surgeon who mainly performs this very specialized surgery all the time. (Not a regular gynecologist, especially one who delivers babies).

 

That said, surgery alone cannot be the only treatment as the underlying inflammatory conditions and resultant damage from living with the disease and adhesions from the lesions and/or surgery need to be addressed. ​​ 

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Whether or not you pursue surgery, manual pelvic, visceral, and lymphatic therapy are proven treatments for managing endo symptoms.
This is where we excel. 

manual pelvic, visceral and lymphatic therapy

We’ve been treating patients with chronic pain and the sequela of adhesions for a very long time.

It requires a delicate balance of deep release of dense scar tissue with understanding and listening to the more delicate structures like the lymphatic and nervous systems.

 

We balance your manual treatment by subtly addressing the emotional holding in the body from living with this chronic disease.

By calming the nervous system we can help you feel more at ease in your body.

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Though our sessions cannot eliminate the disease, they are excellent for helping to alleviate many of the symptoms of pelvic and abdominal adhesions, and lymphatic congestion/toxicity from endometriosis both before and after surgical procedures.

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functional and lifestyle medicine

Thriving With Endo Functional Medicine Program - a comprehensive approach

Our founder Michele Forsberg PT, MS developed this program after realizing manual therapy alone wasn't enough to manage endometriosis long-term.

Combining functional medicine with physical therapy, we:

  • Use targeted testing to identify root causes

  • Address nutrition, lifestyle, hormones, and gut health

  • Integrate nervous system balance and body awareness techniques

Join our waitlist for this limited-capacity program and take control of your endo symptoms.

COMING SOON
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