“It’s really frustrating to be in this cycle of continuous surgery. It makes you feel helpless,” says Natalie Greenwood, of a condition that affects her so badly she is “non-functioning most of the time because of the constant fatigue”.
Greenwood, 36, needs to have an operation every few years to limit the impact of the endometriosis that gives her chronic pelvic pain, as well as extreme tiredness and brain fog.
She says the trouble with depending on surgery is not just having an invasive procedure and then having to recover afterwards. It’s more that the benefit gained – the relief from persistent pain – is brief.
She is not alone in her lack of belief in surgery and hormonal medication being effective for chronic pelvic pain. A study has found that dual approach, which is the NHS’s usual way of treating the condition, does not improve quality of life for female patients.
Dr Jasmine Hearn, a reader in health psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University who co-led the research in the new study, said: “Sadly patients are often left struggling due to current pain management strategies not sufficiently alleviating pain.
“Chronic pelvic pain is often invisible but its impact can be profound. Our findings highlight that women with pelvic pain report poorer quality of life when they’ve had surgery and hormonal medication for pelvic pain and better quality of life when psychological support is part of treatment.”
Source: The Guardian, 15 September 2026
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