Can Endometriosis Make It Hard to Walk? How Endo Affects Your Movement and What You Can Do About It

You have endometriosis.

You get it — endo messes with your body. You’ve suffered through debilitating monthly periods, heartbreaking fertility issues, and pain for weeks on end. 

But did you ever consider how endometriosis interferes with your ability to walk? It totally can!

We’ll take a close-up look at how endometriosis can make it hard to walk and what you can do to combat it the natural way.

Table of Contents

• Can Endometriosis Cause Mobility Issues?
• 4 Ways Endometriosis Can Make It Hard to Walk
• Can Endometriosis Get Worse With Movement?
• 3 Ways to Reduce Mobility-Hindering Endometriosis Pain
• Chiavaye Supports Female Wellness Through Natural Products

Can Endometriosis Cause Mobility Issues?

Yes, endometriosis can cause mobility issues, and not just because of leg pain. 

Endometriosis can grow, expanding to other areas of the body, causing problems like scar tissue and adhesions. This causes organs to bind together, resulting in pain and mobility issues.

4 Ways Endometriosis Can Make It Hard to Walk

Leg pain is one symptom of endometriosis — but the pain it causes in all other areas of your body can affect mobility as well.

Endo is an inflammation-based disease, so your body rushes to defend itself. Sometimes simply standing and stretching the abdominal muscles to walk makes every step hurt. 

Endometriosis affects all facets of daily life, including walking and your ability to exert yourself, and often causes severe pain in your: 

• Legs
• Hips
• Pelvis
• Back 
• Shoulders
• Neck; and 
• Chest

#1: Leg Pain

Endometrial-like tissue may grow around some of the nerves that run through your pelvis and hips, causing your legs to hurt.

If endometrial lesions grow on or around your sciatic nerve, you may experience leg pain that travels through your thighs, hips, butt, and feet and feels like:

• A sudden twinge
• Cramping or contractions
• Sharp stabs; or
• A dull throbbing

Sometimes you might experience endometriosis pain when walking, trying to stand up quickly, or exercising.

How Does Endometriosis Cause Leg Pain?

If endometriosis-like tissue spreads inside your pelvis, it can put pressure on the nerves in your back or upper legs. 

It may press on your sciatic nerve that runs from your low back down each leg or irritate the obturator nerve in your thigh. You may even develop sciatic endometriosis, where endometrial-like growths develop on your sciatic nerve or one of its branches.

Leg pain from endometriosis can also be caused by referred pain from ovarian cysts — usually in the leg that’s on the same side as the affected ovary. 

#2: Pelvic Pain

Pelvic or abdominal pain is the most common symptom of endometriosis. This can include misery such as:

• Pain during or after sex
• Pain in your lower back and abdomen
• Pain when you go to the bathroom; or
• Heavy, painful periods

The pain may come and go, with many women feeling its effects for days afterward.

Pelvic pain from endometriosis might feel like:

• A dull, low ache that settles in around your ovaries
• Heaviness and burning in your stomach
• Shooting, electrical sensations; or
• Intense contractions that come and go every few minutes

How Does Endometriosis Cause Pelvic Pain?

Endometriosis can cause endometrium (uterine lining cells) to grow outside your uterus. That means the areas closest to your uterus — your pelvis, abdomen, and reproductive organs — are super susceptible to abnormalities.

The hormonal changes caused by your period affect the endometrial-like tissue in your pelvis, causing the area to become inflamed and painful. 

The tissue grows, thickens, and breaks down — but has nowhere to go, so it gets trapped in your pelvis.

The trapped tissue can cause:

• Irritation
• Adhesions that bind your pelvic organs together
• Scaring 
• Severe pain; and
• Fertility problems

#3: Back Pain

Back pain is an extremely common complication of endometriosis. 

Endometrial cells can stick to your lower back, and cause pain deep within your body. 

It may be localized or felt all over your back, with sensations that seem:

• Sharp and stabbing 
• Dull and achy; or
• Like your insides are being pulled down

How Does Endometriosis Cause Back Pain?

Endometriosis can not only cause tension and tightness in the tissues of your pelvis but can also result in increased irritation and inflammation — causing muscle spasms in your pelvic floor. 

Your pelvic floor muscles attach to your hips and pelvic bones. When those muscles begin to spasm, they can alter the alignment of your hips and pelvis — and have a nasty impact on your back. 

Spasms can impact your core, making it struggle to stabilize your pelvis, hips, and lower back.

Adhesions can also affect your blood vessels and nerve pathways, damaging muscle function in your back.

#4: Shoulder, Neck, and Chest Pain

Diaphragmatic endometriosis is a rare type of endo in which endometriosis-like tissue grows on your diaphragm.

It can affect your shoulders, neck, and chest and may cause: 

• Extreme pain
• Stiffness
• Difficult, painful breathing
• A bloody cough
• Nausea; or
• Vomiting 

How Does Endometriosis Cause Shoulder, Neck, and Chest Pain?

Diaphragmatic endometriosis can result in severe growths in your:

• Shoulders
• Neck; and 
• Chest

These growths can cause extreme pain as the muscles and nerves in your shoulder blades, chest, and neck are stretched out of alignment — making walking difficult and painful. 

Can Endometriosis Get Worse With Movement?

Just the opposite! 

Even though the pain of endometriosis can make you want to hunker into your couch, you have to push through. Being sedentary will only make everything worse in the long run.

3 Ways to Reduce Mobility-Hindering Endometriosis Pain

If you can find ways to cut back on pain, walking and moving will be easier — and you’ll be more likely to want to be up and active. 

Here are a few of my favorite ways to reduce your endometriosis pain when walking.

#1: Change Your Diet

When you have endo, you’ve got to stay focused on driving down the inflammation in your body. The fastest way to do that is by changing your diet. 

Get rid of inflammation-based foods such as: 

• Gluten
• Red meat
• Processed foods
• Trans fats
• Sugar; and
• Dairy

Other foods may cause inflammation, like certain veggies or fruits. Everyone is different, and it can take some trial and error.

The key is zeroing in on low-inflammatory foods that are going to give your body the ultra nourishment it needs — while keeping inflammation as low as possible. 

I’ve created a special endo diet that changed my life! 

My endometriosis diet is …

• Anti-inflammatory
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free; and 
• Soy-free 

… and includes plenty of power-packed foods such as …

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Organic meats and fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits and veggies; and
• Anti-inflammatory spices, like turmeric and ginger

#2: Movement Is Key

If you have endometriosis, being a couch potato is one of the worst things you can do. 

Exercise can be tough for people suffering from chronic pain, but endometriosis only increases its vengeance when you don’t move your body. Blood flow into the body is so important!

We’re not talking about CrossFit here. You don’t even have to go to the gym. 

Moving your body can be as simple as:

• Taking a brisk walk
• Going for a swim; or 
• Riding your bike

And if you feel up to it at certain points in your cycle when the endo isn’t as bad, feel free to give heavier cardio and strength training a try. 

#3: Try to Incorporate Spa Treatments Into Your Routine

Anything that pushes inflammation down and gets your blood circulating throughout your body in a good rhythm can be wonderfully helpful for endometriosis pain when walking — and endo pain in general. 

If you have access to one, the radiant energy from an infrared sauna helps with endometriosis by: 

• Increasing your blood flow 
• Regenerating damaged tissue
• Stimulating your lymphatic system
• Releasing toxins
• Stimulating your circulatory system and increasing blood flow
• Oxygenating your cells
• Producing endorphins
• Relaxing your muscles
• Balances your body’s cortisol levels; and
• Helping your body better handle stress

Hydrotherapy — alternating between hot and cold over and over — is also a great choice. 

Several options for at-home infrared saunas can be found online, and hydrotherapy can easily be done in your shower

Acupuncture is also another proven way to alleviate many of the painful symptoms associated with endometriosis, and a quick search should put you in touch with a licensed practitioner in your area.

Chiavaye Supports Female Wellness Through Natural Products

Endometriosis is such a bitch of a disease.

Trust me. I know firsthand just how awful it can be. From endometriosis pain when I’m walking to IBS, endo has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. 

That’s what led me to create my 100% vegan, all-natural personal moisturizer and lube — Chiavaye — made without:

• Synthetic chemicals
• Fragrance
• Artificial flavors
• Sugar
• Citric acid
• Petroleum
• Preservatives
• Silicone
• Fillers
• GMOs; or
• Hormones

Chiavaye is specially formulated to provide relief and make you feel better. 

And since no one should have to suffer alone, I’ve also created an online endometriosis community where you can find tons of advice and free resources.

Give Chiavaye a try today and see what healthy endo care is all about!