Virtual Mindfulness for the Management of Endometriosis Pelvic Pain.

Endometriosis is a gynecologic condition that can cause severe pelvic pain and significantly impair quality of life. Endometriosis symptoms cannot always be controlled by medical therapy or surgery alone, indicating a need for the development of other adjunct treatments. Mindfulness is a non-medical treatment modality that has been used in the management of chronic pelvic pain.1-3 There is preliminary data to suggest that in-person mindfulness-based workshops can also improve endometriosis-related pain, but further research is needed.4-8 There are significant barriers to utilizing in-person mindfulness resources, the largest being cost and local availability of the workshop. The objective of this pilot project is to assess the effectiveness of virtual mindfulness-based workshops to improve quality of life and pain in patients with endometriosis. The information from the workshops will then be used to create free online resources for patients to learn mindfulness-based approaches to manage endometriosis-related pelvic pain to reduce the financial and geographical barriers to access. Better access to mindfulness-based endometriosis management will enhance the treatment options for people suffering from this condition.