created: 2023-12-28T10:52
updated: 2024-04-15T11:59

Endometriosis Bad Science Corner

Much "Endometriosis science" is by definition pretty poor.
These articles are unfortunately cited uncritically in media, and even by other researchers. Engage with these “pilot” studies with caution.

Gonçalves, Andrea Vasconcelos, Nelson Filice Barros, and Luis Bahamondes. “The Practice of Hatha Yoga for the Treatment of Pain Associated with Endometriosis.” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 23, no. 1 (January 2017): 45–52. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2015.0343
- Quackwatch.org lists the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine as a “fundamentally flawed” periodical.
Gonçalves, Andrea Vasconcelos, Maria Y. Makuch, Maria Silvia Setubal, Nelson Filice Barros, and Luis Bahamondes. “A Qualitative Study on the Practice of Yoga for Women with Pain-Associated Endometriosis.” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 22, no. 12 (December 2016): 977–82. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2016.0021
- Quackwatch.org lists the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine as a “fundamentally flawed” periodical.
- While the study is listed in many repertoires as a RCT, in reality it consisted of a semi-structured interview of 15 women after they practiced yoga twice a week for 8 weeks.

To keep an eye on

TENS machines are sometimes proposed as a therapy for menstrual pain. This 2015 study by Mira et al. was cited in a few places, but as of this writing (2024-04-15 11:46) is retracted. (Title: Effectiveness of complementary pain treatment for women with deep endometriosis through Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): randomized controlled trial; 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2015.07.009)