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Adenomyosis occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus (the endometrium) grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. Unlike endometriosis, where this tissue is found outside the uterus, adenomyosis causes the uterus itself to become enlarged and inflamed, especially during the menstrual cycle.
It can affect women of all ages, though it’s most commonly diagnosed in those in their 30s and 40s. Some studies suggest up to 20% of women may have it, though many go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed with conditions like fibroids or endometriosis.
Looking back, the signs were there. I just didn’t have the name for it.
I had cyclical back pain that flared up in the days before my period, deep, dragging pain that felt like someone was weighing down my pelvis. There were days I felt like I had a lead balloon sitting low in my belly, this constant heaviness that made it hard to move with ease. The fatigue that came with it felt disproportionate to everything else going on.
Like so many women, I carried on. I adapted. I scheduled things around my cycle. I chalked it up to stress, hormones, or just getting older. But deep down, I knew something wasn’t quite right.
When I first heard the diagnosis, I was honestly shocked. I had spent so long hoping doctors would tell me there was nothing wrong.I thought maybe the pain and changes I felt were “normal” or something I just had to live with.
This is the painful reality for many women with pelvic pain— we get dismissed, told it’s “all in our heads,” or that it’s just stress. We are gaslit.
So, hearing the diagnosis was both a relief and a blow. A relief because I finally had an answer. A blow because it confirmed something was really happening in my body.
Along with that diagnosis came something unexpected: compassion— for myself and my body.
I realised how much my body has actually done for me. It carried me through two pregnancies and gave me two beautiful children. It allows me to teach Pilates, help other women, move, breathe, and live a full life.
Before, I had been punishing myself because my abdomen was changing and getting bigger despite my best efforts with diet and lifestyle. I blamed myself.
Now, I nourish my body through positive self-talk. This compassion helped me understand the emotional reasons behind my binge eating sugar and gave me the tools to reduce it.
I’ve learned to honour my body’s rhythms. During my cycle, I know when to rest — and importantly, I no longer feel guilty for taking that rest.
When you’re dealing with something like adenomyosis, it’s easy to feel like your body is betraying you. But I believe one of the most powerful things we can do is come back home to our body—with support,knowledge, and the right tools.
As a pelvic health physiotherapist, I now understand even more deeply how vital our work is for women with conditions like this.While we can’t cure adenomyosis, we can reduce the impact it has on daily life. Here’s how:
🌀 Pain education
Understanding the role of the nervous system in chronic pain can be transformative. Learning how pain works can help reduce fear, tension,and reactivity in the body. When we understand what’s happening, we start to feel safer—and that’s when healing can begin.
🧘♀️ Movement and breathwork
Many women with adenomyosis develop pelvic floor tension or overactivity in response to pain. Through gentle movement, stretching, and breath-led release work, we can help the body shift out of protective holding patterns. Even small movements can have a big impact on pain, mobility, and energy.
🌿 Lifestyle and cycle awareness
We can explore how to support your body across your cycle—adjusting rest, nutrition, and exercise to work with your hormonal fluctuations rather than against them. For some women, this might mean reducing intensity in the days before menstruation; for others, it might be learning howto pace energy and honour the body's need for slowness without guilt.
If you're reading this and thinking, “This sounds like me,”I want you to know: you are not alone, and your pain is valid.
I love working with women who are navigating life with chronic pelvic pain—those who feel let down, dismissed, or like they’re just supposed to “get on with it.” I help women go from feeling like their body is broken to feeling back in control, one breath, one gentle movement, one informed choice at a time.
If you're ready to take that step, I’m here. Let’s find your way back to feeling at home in your body.