We know that waiting when you are living with pelvic pain can be frustrating. Our current waiting time for a first appointment may be 6–12 months.
You don't need to wait for your appointment with us to start making progress. There are a number of things that can be assessed, treated or put in place with your usual GP and other health professionals while you wait.
Our Endometriosis & Pelvic Pain Clinic is designed to work alongside your usual GP rather than replace them.
If you don't currently have a regular GP, this is probably the most useful thing you can do while waiting. Pelvic pain often needs care over time: adjusting medications, reviewing bleeding, managing bowel or bladder symptoms, monitoring iron levels and coordinating referrals.
You don't necessarily need a GP who is an "endometriosis expert". Look for someone who listens, is interested in women's health or persistent pain, and is happy to work with you over time.
There are some straightforward things your GP can investigate before you see us.
Depending on your symptoms and circumstances, this might include:
You don't need to have every possible test before coming to us. The aim is simply not to leave easily treatable problems untreated while you wait.
An imaging test is not essential to start pelvic pain care, but many people want to know if there is endometriosis or not, and it's location.
It's important to know that routine pelvic ultrasound and a specialised endometriosis ultrasound are not quite the same thing.
A specialised scan looks carefully at pelvic organ mobility, adhesions and signs of deep endometriosis, including around the bowel, vagina and uterosacral ligaments. A normal ultrasound does not completely rule out endometriosis, but a high-quality specialised scan can provide useful information and help guide management.
In Adelaide, we commonly use Specialist Imaging Partners for specialised endometriosis ultrasound, other good options include O+G Ultrasound (North Adelaide) and Adelaide Women's Imaging.
Pelvic physiotherapy can be extremely useful for pelvic pain, but not every physiotherapist has advanced training in pelvic health.
One way to find someone with additional expertise is to search the Australian Physiotherapy Association's Find a Physio directory and look for a Titled Pelvic Health Physiotherapist.
A "titled" physiotherapist has completed additional postgraduate training and assessment through the Australian Physiotherapy Association in their area of practice. It doesn't mean that other pelvic health physiotherapists aren't excellent, but it can be a useful marker when you don't know where to start.
APA Find a Physio - select the drop down box to refine your search and choose Womens Mens Pelvic Health under the titled tab.
Pelvic physiotherapy for pain is also much more than doing pelvic floor exercises. In fact, many people with pelvic pain have pelvic floor muscles that are already working too hard. Treatment may involve relaxation, breathing, movement, bladder and bowel strategies and gradually helping your body feel safer with movement.
Bowels are a surprisingly big part of pelvic pain.
Constipation doesn't always mean "I don't go very often". You can open your bowels every day and still have constipation if you regularly strain, have hard stools, feel incompletely emptied or need to return to the toilet repeatedly.
For a few weeks, try tracking:
An app such as Bowelle can make this easier.
You can also complete a validated constipation questionnaire and take the results to your GP.
If constipation looks like it may be part of the picture, don't just put up with it. Talk to your GP or pharmacist. Simple treatments such as an osmotic laxative containing macrogol (for example Movicol or Osmolax) may be appropriate for some people, alongside attention to fluid, fibre, movement and toileting habits.
Importantly, pelvic pain can also involve difficulty relaxing the pelvic floor to empty the bowel. If you are regularly straining, feel blocked or need to splint or use your fingers to empty your bowel, mention this specifically to your GP or pelvic physiotherapist.
For most people who can safely use hormonal contraception, menstrual suppression is safe. There is no medical requirement to have a monthly withdrawal bleed while taking hormonal contraception. Hibernating your periods with medications such as the pill or mirena does not affect your fertility in life and is safe to do.
Hormonal treatments do have their own benefits and risks, and these vary depending on the type of treatment and your individual health. Some hormonal contraceptives actually reduce the long-term risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.
If you are having a predictable pain flare every month, it is worth asking your GP:
"Would menstrual suppression be appropriate for me?"
If you'd like to read more about this, head over to our blog post on this topic.
Persistent pelvic pain isn't simply a problem with the uterus, ovaries or endometriosis lesions. Over time, the nervous system can become more protective and sensitive.
This does not mean that the pain is imaginary or "all in your head". It means there is another part of the pain system that we can work with.
Our Exercise Physiologist Cherie Noble has created a series of short videos you can start at home. They include:
You don't need to do all of them. Pick one or two that feel comfortable and practise them regularly. A good place to start is with the diaphragmatic breathing.
Thrive Endo Yoga
The aim isn't to force yourself to relax or exercise your way out of pain. It is to gradually give your nervous system more experiences of safe, comfortable movement.
Pain often makes people understandably cautious about movement. Unfortunately, becoming less and less active can eventually make the body less tolerant of activity. You don't need an intense exercise program. Walking, gentle strength work, stretching, swimming, yoga or whatever movement feels manageable all count. Start below the level that causes a major flare and build gradually. Think little and often, rather than boom-and-bust.
Pain can disrupt sleep, and poor sleep can make the pain system more sensitive the next day. You don’t need perfect sleep, but it’s worth treating it as part of your pain management rather than something separate.
- Keep roughly consistent sleep and wake times where you can
- Get some outdoor light in the morning
- Think about what commonly disrupts your sleep: pain, restless legs, bladder symptoms, hot flushes, anxiety or medications
- If sleep is persistently poor, talk to your GP rather than simply putting up with it
Small improvements in sleep can make everything else a little easier.
It can be useful to talk with your GP about what you will do when your pain suddenly gets worse, rather than making decisions in the middle of a severe flare.
Your plan might include:
New or dramatically different pain shouldn't automatically be assumed to be endometriosis.
You don't need to have everything "sorted" before you see us
Please don't read this as a homework list.
You do not need to arrive at the clinic with every test completed, the perfect GP, a pelvic physio, perfectly functioning bowels and a daily yoga practice.
Pick the things that are most relevant to you.
If you can use the waiting time to get one or two important pieces of the puzzle moving, that's worthwhile. When we meet you, we'll work with you to understand the bigger picture and decide what comes next.
Copyright © 2026 Thrive Endo Clinic - All Rights Reserved.
(C) Thrive Family Practice 2024