Scope for rural pain management specialists

Endometriosis patients in regional communities suffer from a dearth of pain management support, a medical expert believes. 

If the women who presented to the Central Victorian Obstetrics and Gynaecological Services with chronic pelvic pain lived in Melbourne, Dr Angelika Borozdina said they would have greater access to pain control experts. 

“From a medical point-of-view, what we are missing completely in the rural area is long-term pain support,” she said. 

While the Bendigo obstetrician and gynaecologist can refer her patients to specialists in Melbourne, Dr Borozdina said accessibility might be an issue for some.

“They’ve got no money to get to Melbourne – how are they going to go?” she said. 

She has patients whose health issues are compounded by financial stress, and whose opportunities to address the pain and its cause might have been slim in its early stages.

“If we are talking particularly about chronic pelvic pain, our community would be a leader,” Dr Borozdina said. 

About 30 per cent of the patients that present to her practice have symptoms of endometriosis, a condition typified by pain.

“Pain management in those patients is critical,” Dr Borozdina said. 

She was concerned endometriosis patients experiencing chronic pain might end up reliant on a “huge dose” of a narcotic analgesic, like morphine, to manage their symptoms. 

“What is going to happen with the lives of these patients?” Dr Borozdina questioned. 

“Some (endometriosis) patients will be fine without even medication, but with support from a psychologist, or maybe even a naturopath, or with acupuncture, or whatever can be found. 

“There are a lot of other options available to help this patient. Do they know?”

She stressed the importance of holistic care for endometriosis patients, and said it was her ‘dream wish’ to gather in Bendigo representatives from all of the services that might be able to assist patients with endometriosis to talk about the condition and what they might be able to contribute.

“Can you imagine – the one patient would have so many hands to help,” Dr Borozdina said. 

Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to those that line the uterus grow in other parts of the body.

There is no known cure, and the cause has yet to be established. 

One in 10 women are thought to have endometriosis, though Dr Borozdina said she sees at least one patient a day for issues related to the condition.

To ask Dr Borozdina a question, tune into the Bendigo Advertiser Facebook page at 12.45pm on Wednesday, March 29.