03-08-2025
Endo pain stops Kira from walking and driving - could brain stimulation help?
Kira Robertson, 23, often experiences pain so severe she cannot drive, walk or complete simple tasks.
A cramping and stabbing-like feeling in her stomach can come on suddenly and not leave for weeks.
"I just had such severe pain that I keeled over and I couldn't walk, and that pain remained for about two weeks," Ms Robertson recalled about one flare-up.
The Canberran is one of at least one in ten girls and women with endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial tissues grow outside the uterus.
A similar condition, adenomyosis, is found in about one in five people of menstruating age. This is when endometrial tissue grows into the wall of the uterus.
There is no known cure and few options to reduce pain.
Excision surgery helped Ms Robertson, but tissue grew back after a few years. Painkillers stopped working when she was a teenager.
"My biggest reliance is very much on heat and, as morbid as it may sound, inflicting pain in other areas," she said.
"There aren't many options out there for people suffering from endometriosis. It is disheartening."
Now, University of Canberra researchers are hoping a treatment used for depression could help people like Ms Robertson.
Two people with the same type of pain will not experience it in the same way, PhD candidate and study lead Tino Toufexis said.
Pain is real and physical, but it is also interpreted by the mind.
"The physiology of pain is so important [but] as research goes on, we realise that your mind is what's processing the pain," he said.
"Your thoughts, your cognition, have such an impact on your experience.
"That's what also makes research difficult and treatments difficult."
Research suggests how people think about pain impacts how they feel it.
Symptoms experienced by endometriosis sufferers do not depend on the severity of the condition, according to the Australian Journal of General Practitioners.
Mr Toufexis said, "What makes this condition so complex is that ... everyone can experience such differing symptoms, and some people can experience no symptoms at all and only find out they have endometriosis when they find out that they're infertile."
He wanted to look at endometriosis because there seem to be few studies on it, despite it affecting so many people he knows.
"Women's health is severely under-researched," he said.
Brain stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is used to help treat depression, using magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells.
It has been shown to help people with treatment-resistant depression long-term by manipulating brain activity.
Mr Toufexis only knows of one study on endometriosis, but there is a lot of research on the impact of brain stimulation on other types of chronic pain.
Results vary, and scientists are still working out why it might work for some people but not others. They want to work out how to tailor the intervention for each person so everyone can benefit.
Mr Toufexis said that for his study, he stimulates regions of the brain involved in pain and future thinking.
Participants first have their pain processing measured, undergo 20 minutes of brain stimulation and then have their pain measured.
Ms Robertson is unlikely to have another surgery to remove her endometriosis anytime soon.
Endometrial tissue grows back, but surgeons can be reluctant to keep removing it in case it exacerbates symptoms.
She has accepted her life will be marred by pain.
READ MORE:
"There's not much I can do about it other than participate in research and things like this to hopefully advance our knowledge on endometriosis," she said.
The federal treasury says around four million Australians live with chronic pain, rendering some unable to work or participate in everyday activities.
Mr Toufexis hopes his research will help develop treatments for all these people.
The University of Canberra is looking for more participants.
Kira Robertson, 23, often experiences pain so severe she cannot drive, walk or complete simple tasks.
A cramping and stabbing-like feeling in her stomach can come on suddenly and not leave for weeks.
"I just had such severe pain that I keeled over and I couldn't walk, and that pain remained for about two weeks," Ms Robertson recalled about one flare-up.
The Canberran is one of at least one in ten girls and women with endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial tissues grow outside the uterus.
A similar condition, adenomyosis, is found in about one in five people of menstruating age. This is when endometrial tissue grows into the wall of the uterus.
There is no known cure and few options to reduce pain.
Excision surgery helped Ms Robertson, but tissue grew back after a few years. Painkillers stopped working when she was a teenager.
"My biggest reliance is very much on heat and, as morbid as it may sound, inflicting pain in other areas," she said.
"There aren't many options out there for people suffering from endometriosis. It is disheartening."
Now, University of Canberra researchers are hoping a treatment used for depression could help people like Ms Robertson.
Two people with the same type of pain will not experience it in the same way, PhD candidate and study lead Tino Toufexis said.
Pain is real and physical, but it is also interpreted by the mind.
"The physiology of pain is so important [but] as research goes on, we realise that your mind is what's processing the pain," he said.
"Your thoughts, your cognition, have such an impact on your experience.
"That's what also makes research difficult and treatments difficult."
Research suggests how people think about pain impacts how they feel it.
Symptoms experienced by endometriosis sufferers do not depend on the severity of the condition, according to the Australian Journal of General Practitioners.
Mr Toufexis said, "What makes this condition so complex is that ... everyone can experience such differing symptoms, and some people can experience no symptoms at all and only find out they have endometriosis when they find out that they're infertile."
He wanted to look at endometriosis because there seem to be few studies on it, despite it affecting so many people he knows.
"Women's health is severely under-researched," he said.
Brain stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is used to help treat depression, using magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells.
It has been shown to help people with treatment-resistant depression long-term by manipulating brain activity.
Mr Toufexis only knows of one study on endometriosis, but there is a lot of research on the impact of brain stimulation on other types of chronic pain.
Results vary, and scientists are still working out why it might work for some people but not others. They want to work out how to tailor the intervention for each person so everyone can benefit.
Mr Toufexis said that for his study, he stimulates regions of the brain involved in pain and future thinking.
Participants first have their pain processing measured, undergo 20 minutes of brain stimulation and then have their pain measured.
Ms Robertson is unlikely to have another surgery to remove her endometriosis anytime soon.
Endometrial tissue grows back, but surgeons can be reluctant to keep removing it in case it exacerbates symptoms.
She has accepted her life will be marred by pain.
READ MORE:
"There's not much I can do about it other than participate in research and things like this to hopefully advance our knowledge on endometriosis," she said.
The federal treasury says around four million Australians live with chronic pain, rendering some unable to work or participate in everyday activities.
Mr Toufexis hopes his research will help develop treatments for all these people.
The University of Canberra is looking for more participants.
Kira Robertson, 23, often experiences pain so severe she cannot drive, walk or complete simple tasks.
A cramping and stabbing-like feeling in her stomach can come on suddenly and not leave for weeks.
"I just had such severe pain that I keeled over and I couldn't walk, and that pain remained for about two weeks," Ms Robertson recalled about one flare-up.
The Canberran is one of at least one in ten girls and women with endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial tissues grow outside the uterus.
A similar condition, adenomyosis, is found in about one in five people of menstruating age. This is when endometrial tissue grows into the wall of the uterus.
There is no known cure and few options to reduce pain.
Excision surgery helped Ms Robertson, but tissue grew back after a few years. Painkillers stopped working when she was a teenager.
"My biggest reliance is very much on heat and, as morbid as it may sound, inflicting pain in other areas," she said.
"There aren't many options out there for people suffering from endometriosis. It is disheartening."
Now, University of Canberra researchers are hoping a treatment used for depression could help people like Ms Robertson.
Two people with the same type of pain will not experience it in the same way, PhD candidate and study lead Tino Toufexis said.
Pain is real and physical, but it is also interpreted by the mind.
"The physiology of pain is so important [but] as research goes on, we realise that your mind is what's processing the pain," he said.
"Your thoughts, your cognition, have such an impact on your experience.
"That's what also makes research difficult and treatments difficult."
Research suggests how people think about pain impacts how they feel it.
Symptoms experienced by endometriosis sufferers do not depend on the severity of the condition, according to the Australian Journal of General Practitioners.
Mr Toufexis said, "What makes this condition so complex is that ... everyone can experience such differing symptoms, and some people can experience no symptoms at all and only find out they have endometriosis when they find out that they're infertile."
He wanted to look at endometriosis because there seem to be few studies on it, despite it affecting so many people he knows.
"Women's health is severely under-researched," he said.
Brain stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is used to help treat depression, using magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells.
It has been shown to help people with treatment-resistant depression long-term by manipulating brain activity.
Mr Toufexis only knows of one study on endometriosis, but there is a lot of research on the impact of brain stimulation on other types of chronic pain.
Results vary, and scientists are still working out why it might work for some people but not others. They want to work out how to tailor the intervention for each person so everyone can benefit.
Mr Toufexis said that for his study, he stimulates regions of the brain involved in pain and future thinking.
Participants first have their pain processing measured, undergo 20 minutes of brain stimulation and then have their pain measured.
Ms Robertson is unlikely to have another surgery to remove her endometriosis anytime soon.
Endometrial tissue grows back, but surgeons can be reluctant to keep removing it in case it exacerbates symptoms.
She has accepted her life will be marred by pain.
READ MORE:
"There's not much I can do about it other than participate in research and things like this to hopefully advance our knowledge on endometriosis," she said.
The federal treasury says around four million Australians live with chronic pain, rendering some unable to work or participate in everyday activities.
Mr Toufexis hopes his research will help develop treatments for all these people.
The University of Canberra is looking for more participants.
Kira Robertson, 23, often experiences pain so severe she cannot drive, walk or complete simple tasks.
A cramping and stabbing-like feeling in her stomach can come on suddenly and not leave for weeks.
"I just had such severe pain that I keeled over and I couldn't walk, and that pain remained for about two weeks," Ms Robertson recalled about one flare-up.
The Canberran is one of at least one in ten girls and women with endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial tissues grow outside the uterus.
A similar condition, adenomyosis, is found in about one in five people of menstruating age. This is when endometrial tissue grows into the wall of the uterus.
There is no known cure and few options to reduce pain.
Excision surgery helped Ms Robertson, but tissue grew back after a few years. Painkillers stopped working when she was a teenager.
"My biggest reliance is very much on heat and, as morbid as it may sound, inflicting pain in other areas," she said.
"There aren't many options out there for people suffering from endometriosis. It is disheartening."
Now, University of Canberra researchers are hoping a treatment used for depression could help people like Ms Robertson.
Two people with the same type of pain will not experience it in the same way, PhD candidate and study lead Tino Toufexis said.
Pain is real and physical, but it is also interpreted by the mind.
"The physiology of pain is so important [but] as research goes on, we realise that your mind is what's processing the pain," he said.
"Your thoughts, your cognition, have such an impact on your experience.
"That's what also makes research difficult and treatments difficult."
Research suggests how people think about pain impacts how they feel it.
Symptoms experienced by endometriosis sufferers do not depend on the severity of the condition, according to the Australian Journal of General Practitioners.
Mr Toufexis said, "What makes this condition so complex is that ... everyone can experience such differing symptoms, and some people can experience no symptoms at all and only find out they have endometriosis when they find out that they're infertile."
He wanted to look at endometriosis because there seem to be few studies on it, despite it affecting so many people he knows.
"Women's health is severely under-researched," he said.
Brain stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is used to help treat depression, using magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells.
It has been shown to help people with treatment-resistant depression long-term by manipulating brain activity.
Mr Toufexis only knows of one study on endometriosis, but there is a lot of research on the impact of brain stimulation on other types of chronic pain.
Results vary, and scientists are still working out why it might work for some people but not others. They want to work out how to tailor the intervention for each person so everyone can benefit.
Mr Toufexis said that for his study, he stimulates regions of the brain involved in pain and future thinking.
Participants first have their pain processing measured, undergo 20 minutes of brain stimulation and then have their pain measured.
Ms Robertson is unlikely to have another surgery to remove her endometriosis anytime soon.
Endometrial tissue grows back, but surgeons can be reluctant to keep removing it in case it exacerbates symptoms.
She has accepted her life will be marred by pain.
READ MORE:
"There's not much I can do about it other than participate in research and things like this to hopefully advance our knowledge on endometriosis," she said.
The federal treasury says around four million Australians live with chronic pain, rendering some unable to work or participate in everyday activities.
Mr Toufexis hopes his research will help develop treatments for all these people.
The University of Canberra is looking for more participants.
