‘New diagnostic tools and supportive therapies are on the horizon, pointing to a more personalised, holistic future for endometriosis care.’ WP 10

For many people with endometriosis, treatment options can feel limited. Hormonal therapies often bring difficult side effects and can interfere with fertility, while surgery carries a risk of complications and recurrence. As part of the EUmetriosis project, Pain in Endometriosis and the Relation to Lifestyle (PEARL) study from the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, is working to change that by looking beyond traditional treatments and exploring lifestyle-based approaches that may improve daily life for those affected by the disease.

What They’re Studying

PEARL investigates whether two key interventions can reduce pain and inflammation in people with endometriosis:

  • An anti-inflammatory diet to help the immune system work more effectively and ease inflammation.
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to address the complex relationship between pain and the brain, and to support lasting dietary changes.

Participants in the study will be randomly assigned to one of four groups:

  1. Standard care
  2. Anti-inflammatory diet
  3. CBT
  4. A combination of diet and CBT

Throughout the study, the team will collect questionnaires regarding pain, quality of life and lifestyle. Furthermore they collect different samples to measure inflammation, microbiome and stress hormones. They are working together with partners at University College Cork (Ireland) will analyse the microbiome, while Volition (Belgium) will explore epigenetic changes.

Where Their Research is Now

Recruitment is well underway and laboratory analysis methods are being optimised. The next steps are to complete participant enrolment and begin in-depth data analysis.

Why This Research Matters

Integrated care, bringing together nutrition, mental health, and pain management, is moving from theory to practice. Their work aligns closely with the EUmetriosis mission to advance nutrition research, explore the microbiome and epigenetics, and keep patients at the heart of discovery.

Read more about all the EUmetriosis research projects here.