Dietary therapy: a new strategy for management of chronic pelvic pain

Association between dietary magnesium intake and pelvic inflammatory disease in US women: a cross-sectional study of NHANES

Background

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a common gynecological condition associated with significant morbidity and healthcare costs. Emerging evidence suggests that dietary factors, such as magnesium intake, may play a role in PID risk. However, the relationship between dietary magnesium intake and PID risk remains uncertain. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between dietary magnesium intake and the risk of PID.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2018. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between dietary magnesium intake and PID. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was performed to assess the linear and non-linear associations. Subgroup analyses were performed based on baseline characteristics.

Results

A total of 3,034 women aged 20-59 were included in the study. Magnesium intake exhibited a significant association with lower PID risk in weighted multivariable logistic regression. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for dietary magnesium intake in quartiles Q2 (133.12-214.93 mg/day), Q3 (214.93-287.19 mg/day), and Q4 (above 287.19 mg/day) compared to Q1 (below 133.12 mg/day) were 0.48 (95% CI: 0.28-0.82), 0.64 (95% CI: 0.32-1.27), and 0.40 (95% CI: 0.18-0.88), respectively. Stratified analyses showed that significant association between dietary magnesium intake and PID in older subgroup but not in younger subgroup. Additionally, RCS analyses consistently revealed a linear negative correlation between dietary magnesium intake and PID risk.

Conclusion

This study reveals a significant negative correlation between dietary magnesium intake and risk of PID, particularly among older individuals. These findings underscore the importance of dietary factors in gynecological health and highlight the potential role of magnesium supplementation in PID prevention strategies.

Mediterranean Diet and Oxidative Stress: A Relationship with Pain Perception in Endometriosis

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is a chronic and inflammatory disease associated with pelvic pain. Dietary changes may be therapeutic for chronic inflammatory processes, reducing visceral input. The aim was to evaluate the role of dietary changes according to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) on pain perception in endometriosis and their relationship with oxidative stress.

METHODS

in this prospective study, we included 35 endometriosis women. At baseline (T0) and after 3 (T1) and 6 (T2) months from the start of the diet, we investigated pain intensity with VAS (Visual Analogue Scale, from 0 to 10), vitamin profile, and oxidative stress.

RESULTS

we found a significant increase in the diet score (p < 0.001). At T1, patients reduced pain in terms of dyspareunia (p = 0.04), non-menstrual pelvic pain (p = 0.06), dysuria (p = 0.04), and dyschezia (p < 0.001). Dyspareunia (p = 0.002) and dyschezia (p < 0.001) were further significantly reduced also at T2. We observed a significant positive correlation between lipid peroxidation and VAS non-menstrual pelvic pain and dysuria and a significant negative correlation between Oxygen radical absorbance capacity and VAS non-menstrual pain and dyschezia.

CONCLUSIONS

our findings show a clear tendency toward a relationship between pain relief in endometriosis and MD. This appears promising to treat endometriosis-related symptoms and could be considered a new effective strategy for chronic pain management in the long term.

Polyphenols as a Diet Therapy Concept for Endometriosis-Current Opinion and Future Perspectives

Endometriosis represents an often painful, estrogen-dependent gynecological disorder, defined by the existence of endometrial glands and stroma exterior to the uterine cavity. The disease provides a wide range of symptoms and affects women’s quality of life and reproductive functions. Despite research efforts and extensive investigations, this disease’s pathogenesis and molecular basis remain unclear. Conventional endometriosis treatment implies surgical resection, hormonal therapies, and treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but their efficacy is currently limited due to many side effects. Therefore, exploring complementary and alternative therapy strategies, minimizing the current treatments’ adverse effects, is needed. Plants are sources of bioactive compounds that demonstrate broad-spectrum health-promoting effects and interact with molecular targets associated with endometriosis, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasiveness, inflammation, oxidative stress, and angiogenesis. Anti-endometriotic properties are exhibited mainly by polyphenols, which can exert a potent phytoestrogen effect, modulating estrogen activity. The available evidence derived from preclinical research and several clinical studies indicates that natural biologically active compounds represent promising candidates for developing novel strategies in endometriosis management. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of polyphenols and their properties valuable for natural treatment strategy by interacting with different cellular and molecular targets involved in endometriosis progression.

Association between dietary inflammatory index and endometriosis risk in a case-control study

Background:

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of functioning endometrial tissue in extra uterine structures that causes pain, infertility and reduced quality of life. Diet plays an important role in the modulation of endometriosis.

Aim:

This study aimed to evaluate the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) score and the endometriosis compared to healthy people in a case-control study in Iran.

Methods:

This study included 78 women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and 78 women with normal pelvis. The DII was calculated from dietary intake assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. The association between DII scores (divided in tertiles) and endometriosis risk was investigated using logistic regression analysis and reported as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age, energy, BMI, education, para, smoking, pelvic pain, menorrhagia, stage of endometriosis, physical activity, and income.

Results:

In the age-adjusted models, subjects who consumed more pro-inflammatory diets (the upper tertile of DII) had an OR of 2.24 (95% CI = 2.03, 3.91) as compared to subjects in the lowest tertile. Also after multivariable adjustment, women in the highest tertile of DII (versus lowest tertile) were more likely to have endometriosis (OR 2.63; 95% CI 1.88–2.91, p = 0.004).

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that women with more consumption of pro-inflammatory diet were at increased endometriosis risk.

Dietary Patterns and Interventions to Alleviate Chronic Pain

Pain is one of the main problems for modern society and medicine, being the most common symptom described by almost all patients. When pain becomes chronic, the life of the patients is dramatically affected, being associated with significant emotional distress and/or functional disability. A complex biopsychosocial evaluation is necessary to better understand chronic pain, where good results can be obtained through interconnected biological, psychological, and social factors. The aim of this study was to find the most relevant articles existent in the PubMed database, one of the most comprehensive databases for medical literature, comprising dietary patterns to alleviate chronic pain. Through a combined search using the keywords "chronic pain" and "diet" limited to the last 10 years we obtained 272 results containing the types of diets used for chronic pain published in the PubMed database. Besides classical and alternative methods of treatment described in literature, it was observed that different diets are also a valid solution, due to many components with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities capable to influence chronic pain and to improve the quality of life. Thirty-eight clinical studies and randomized controlled trials are analyzed, in an attempt to characterize present-day dietary patterns and interventions to alleviate chronic pain.

Chronic pain: a review of its epidemiology and associated factors in population-based studies

Chronic pain is a common, complex, and distressing problem that has a profound impact on individuals and society. It frequently presents as a result of a disease or an injury; however, it is not merely an accompanying symptom, but rather a separate condition in its own right, with its own medical definition and taxonomy. Studying the distribution and determinants of chronic pain allows us to understand and manage the problem at the individual and population levels. Targeted and appropriate prevention and management strategies need to take into account the biological, psychological, socio-demographic, and lifestyle determinants and outcomes of pain. We present a narrative review of the current understanding of these factors.

Anti-Angiogenic Alternative and Complementary Medicines for the Treatment of Endometriosis: A Review of Potential Molecular Mechanisms

Endometriosis is caused by the growth or infiltration of endometrial tissues outside of the endometrium and myometrium. Symptoms include pain and infertility. Surgery and hormonal therapy are widely used in Western medicine for the treatment of endometriosis; however, the side effects associated with this practice include disease recurrence and menopause, which can severely influence quality of life. Angiogenesis is the main biological mechanism underlying the development of endometriosis. Numerous natural products and Chinese medicines with potent anti-angiogenic effects have been investigated, and the molecular basis underlying their therapeutic effects in endometriosis has been explored. This review aims to describe natural products and compounds that suppress angiogenesis associated with endometriosis and to assess their diverse molecular mechanisms of action. Furthermore, this review provides a source of information relating to alternative and complementary therapeutic products that mediate anti-angiogenesis. An extensive review of the literature and electronic databases, such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, and Embase, was conducted using the keywords 'endometriosis,' 'traditional Chinese medicine,' 'Chinese herbal medicine,' 'natural compounds,' and 'anti-angiogenic' therapy. Anti-angiogenic therapy is an emerging strategy for the treatment of endometriosis. Natural anti-angiogenic products and Chinese medicines provide several beneficial clinical effects, including pain relief. In this review, we summarize clinical trials and experimental studies of endometriosis using natural products and Chinese medicines. In particular, we focus on anti-angiogenic products and alternative and complementary medicines for the treatment of endometriosis and additionally examine their therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of action. Anti-angiogenic natural products and/or compounds provide a new approach for the treatment of endometriosis. Future work will require randomized trials with larger numbers of subjects, as well as long-term follow-up to confirm the findings described here.

Integrative Women's Health

This article addresses the common women's health concerns of menopause-related symptoms, premenstrual syndrome, and chronic pelvic pain. Each can be effectively addressed with an integrative approach that incorporates interventions such as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, mind-body approaches, acupuncture, and lifestyle modification.

Gastrointestinal and nutritional issues in joint hypermobility syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hypermobility type

Gastrointestinal involvement is a well known complication of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDSs), mainly in form of abdominal emergencies due to intestinal/abdominal vessels rupture in vascular EDS. In the last decade, a growing number of works investigated the relationship between a wide spectrum of chronic gastrointestinal complaints and various EDS forms, among which the hypermobility type (a.k.a. joint hypermobility syndrome; JHS/EDS-HT) was the most studied. The emerging findings depict a major role for gastrointestinal involvement in the health status and, consequently, management of JHS/EDS-HT patients. Nevertheless, fragmentation of knowledge limits its impact on practice within the boundaries of highly specialized clinics. In this paper, literature review on gastrointestinal manifestations in JHS/EDS-HT was carried out and identified papers categorized as (i) case-control/cohort studies associating (apparently non-syndromic) joint hypermobility and gastrointestinal involvement, (ii) case-control/cohort studies associating JHS/EDS-HT and gastrointestinal involvement, (iii) case reports/series on various gastrointestinal complications in (presumed) JHS/EDS-HT, and (iv) studies reporting gastrointestinal features in heterogeneous EDS patients' cohorts. Gastrointestinal manifestations of JHS/EDS-HT were organized and discussed in two categories, including structural anomalies (i.e., abdominal/diaphragmatic hernias, internal organ/pelvic prolapses, intestinal intussusceptions) and functional features (i.e., dysphagia, gastro-esophageal reflux, dyspepsia, recurrent abdominal pain, constipation/diarrhea), with emphasis on practice and future implications. In the second part of this paper, a summary of possible nutritional interventions in JHS/EDS-HT was presented. Supplementation strategies were borrowed from data available for general population with minor modifications in the light of recent discoveries in the pathogenesis of selected JHS/EDS-HT features.

Prevalence and use of complementary health approaches among women with chronic pelvic pain in a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of and factors associated with use of complementary health approaches among women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP).

DESIGN

We analyzed data from the Study of Pelvic Problems, Hysterectomy, and Intervention Alternatives, a prospective cohort study of women seeking care for noncancerous pelvic problems with intact uteri at enrollment. Among a subset of 699 participants who reported having CPP, we analyzed the prevalence of complementary health approaches used and associated patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, health-related quality of life, attitudes and beliefs, and conventional health care practices.

RESULTS

At baseline, slightly over one-half (51%) of women with CPP used at least one complementary health approach in the past year, including acupuncture (8%), special foods or diets (22%), herbs (27%), and vitamins and minerals (29%). During follow-up surveys conducted annually for 4 years, a substantial proportion of women (44.8%) used complementary health approaches at more than half of the assessments. Users of complementary health approaches were more likely to undergo a hysterectomy or oophorectomy or to use gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists or opioids during the study compared with nonusers. Women with CPP who used complementary health approaches also had more optimal health-related quality of life measured by the Pelvic Problem Impact Questionnaire (31.6 vs 25.6, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION(S)

Many women with CPP consistently use complementary health approaches. The substantial interest in and high prevalence of complementary health approaches used alongside conventional medical approaches highlight the need for better understanding of multimodal approaches to address the complex condition of CPP.

Chronic pain epidemiology - where do lifestyle factors fit in?

Chronic pain is common and complex and has a large impact on individuals and society. Good epidemiological pain data provide key information on the use of resources (both in general practice and in specialist clinics), insight into factors that lead to or favour chronicity and the design of interventions aimed at reducing or preventing the effects of chronic pain. This review aims to highlight the important factors associated with chronic pain, including those factors which are amenable to lifestyle intervention.

New directions in the treatment of pelvic pain

SUMMARY The treatment of chronic pelvic pain in both females and males is a challenge for pain clinicians. Standard therapies are multimodal in nature with use of behavioral, medical and procedural therapeutics. In recent years, our understanding of the neurobiology of this disorder has improved and novel approaches have focused on neuromodulatory options, novel pharmacology and complementary/alternative medicine options. This review briefly examines newly employed therapeutic options, while restating currently utilized options. The current state-of-the-art treatment includes focal therapies for identified pathologies and empiric trials of other options for care when precise sources of the chronic pelvic pain are ill defined.

Centering as a model for group visits among women with chronic pelvic pain

Providing comprehensive care for chronic pelvic pain is impeded by time and resource constraints of the standard health care visit. To provide patient education, psychosocial support, and health care assessment, we developed group visits for women with chronic pelvic pain using an evidence-based, holistic nursing approach. In this article, we describe the structure of group visits, the process of conducting Centering group visits focused on empowerment, and the content of a holistic curriculum for women with chronic pelvic pain.

The effects of oxidative stress on female reproduction: a review

Oxidative stress (OS), a state characterized by an imbalance between pro-oxidant molecules including reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and antioxidant defenses, has been identified to play a key role in the pathogenesis of subfertility in both males and females. The adverse effects of OS on sperm quality and functions have been well documented. In females, on the other hand, the impact of OS on oocytes and reproductive functions remains unclear. This imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants can lead to a number of reproductive diseases such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and unexplained infertility. Pregnancy complications such as spontaneous abortion, recurrent pregnancy loss, and preeclampsia, can also develop in response to OS. Studies have shown that extremes of body weight and lifestyle factors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and recreational drug use can promote excess free radical production, which could affect fertility. Exposures to environmental pollutants are of increasing concern, as they too have been found to trigger oxidative states, possibly contributing to female infertility. This article will review the currently available literature on the roles of reactive species and OS in both normal and abnormal reproductive physiological processes. Antioxidant supplementation may be effective in controlling the production of ROS and continues to be explored as a potential strategy to overcome reproductive disorders associated with infertility. However, investigations conducted to date have been through animal or in vitro studies, which have produced largely conflicting results. The impact of OS on assisted reproductive techniques (ART) will be addressed, in addition to the possible benefits of antioxidant supplementation of ART culture media to increase the likelihood for ART success. Future randomized controlled clinical trials on humans are necessary to elucidate the precise mechanisms through which OS affects female reproductive abilities, and will facilitate further explorations of the possible benefits of antioxidants to treat infertility.