Pelvic Floor Condition
Endometriosis Pain
By Dr. Anthony J. Gordon, Doctor of Acupuncture | Last reviewed September 2026
You may have waited years for a diagnosis. You may have had surgery, started hormonal treatment, or both. And the pain is still there, around your period and often between periods too. Endometriosis does not only affect the tissue your surgeon sees. Years of pain train the pelvic floor to guard and the nerves to overreact, and those changes need their own treatment.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (516) 597-5400. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.
Overview
Understanding Endometriosis Pain
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, on the ovaries, bowel, bladder or pelvic walls. This tissue responds to hormonal cycles and causes inflammation, scarring and pain. It affects roughly one in ten women of reproductive age, and diagnosis often takes years.
Medical and surgical treatment target the endometriosis itself. Long-term pelvic pain also changes the muscles and nerves around it. The pelvic floor and abdominal wall tighten to protect painful areas and develop trigger points. Nerves become sensitized. Scar tissue from disease or surgery can restrict movement. These secondary changes explain why pain can persist, spread or feel different after surgery.
Your gynecologist or endometriosis specialist manages the disease with hormones, medications and surgery. Dr. Gordon treats the muscle, nerve and scar tissue contributors that often remain, so your medical care can do its job more fully.
Endometriosis at a Glance
Who it affects
About one in ten women of reproductive age, and some people after menopause
Where it is felt
Lower abdomen, pelvis, low back, bowel, bladder, vagina and sometimes the legs
Common patterns
Painful periods, pain with sex, pain with bowel movements or urination, pain between periods
Typical medical care
Hormonal treatment, pain medication and excision or ablation surgery
What Dr. Gordon addresses
Pelvic floor guarding, abdominal wall trigger points, scar tissue, nerve sensitization
The Gap in Care
Why Endometriosis Pain Often Continues After Treatment
Treating the disease itself is essential. But after years of pain, the muscles and nerves in the pelvis often become a pain source of their own, and those changes do not go away when lesions are removed.
What routine testing is looking for
- Endometriosis lesions and cysts
- Adhesions visible during surgery
- Hormonal activity driving flares
- Involvement of the bowel or bladder
What often keeps symptoms going
- A pelvic floor that learned to guard during years of pain
- Trigger points in the abdominal wall that mimic deep pain
- Scar tissue from surgery that restricts movement
- Sensitized pelvic nerves
- Hip and low back tension that adds to pelvic pain
These are found with a hands-on assessment of the abdomen, pelvic floor and hips.
Signs & Symptoms
Does This Sound Like You?
Symptoms vary from person to person. These are the patterns Dr. Gordon sees most often.
Severe period pain
Cramping and pelvic pain that is much stronger than typical and may not respond well to medication.
Pain between periods
Pelvic, abdominal or low back pain that shows up outside your cycle.
Deep pain with intercourse
Pain with deeper penetration that can linger afterward.
Pain with bowel movements or urination
Discomfort that is often worse around your period.
Pain after surgery
Pain that continues, changes location or returns after excision or ablation.
Pelvic floor tightness
A feeling of clenching, pressure or spasm in the pelvis or vagina.
Root Causes
The Four Drivers Dr. Gordon Looks For
Most people have more than one of these in play. Finding which one leads makes treatment more efficient.
Endometriosis activity
Lesions respond to hormones and produce inflammation. Your gynecologist or specialist manages this part.
Pelvic floor and abdominal guarding
Years of pain train the pelvic floor and abdominal wall to tighten. Trigger points in these muscles can mimic deep endometriosis pain.
Scar tissue and adhesions
Disease and surgery can leave scar tissue that restricts movement of pelvic organs and muscles and pulls on sensitive structures.
Nerve sensitization
Ongoing pain makes the pelvic nerves and spinal cord more reactive, so pain can spread and persist.
Your First Visit
How Dr. Gordon Evaluates Endometriosis
The initial evaluation runs 60 to 75 minutes. You leave with a clear picture of what is driving your symptoms, a written plan, a realistic timeline, and in most cases your first treatment.
Records and history review
Dr. Gordon reviews your surgical reports, imaging, hormonal treatment and symptom history, including how pain changes through your cycle.
Abdominal and scar assessment
Gentle assessment of the abdominal wall, surgical scars, hips and low back to find trigger points and restrictions.
External pelvic floor assessment
The pelvic floor muscles are examined from the outside, with no internal exam. With you draped for comfort, gentle pressure around the perineum, sit bones, tailbone and inner thighs checks tone, tenderness and trigger points.
Cycle and flare review
Dr. Gordon maps how your symptoms change through your cycle and what triggers flares so treatment can be timed well.
Plan and coordination
A clear plan, plus communication with your gynecologist or pelvic floor PT when that helps your care.
When to see a physician first
- Fever or chills with pelvic pain
- Unusual discharge, sores or lesions
- Bleeding after menopause, or bleeding heavy enough to soak a pad or tampon every hour
- Sudden, severe pelvic or abdominal pain
- Possible pregnancy with new pelvic pain
- New numbness in the saddle area or loss of bladder or bowel control
If you have any of these, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
Bring to your first visit
Records
Recent lab results, imaging reports and specialist notes. These can also be faxed ahead.
Treatment history
A short list of what you have tried and what did or did not help.
Clothing
Something comfortable and loose fitting.
Treatment
How Dr. Gordon Treats It
These are the tools Dr. Gordon uses most often for endometriosis pain, chosen from your exam findings.
Primary approach
Intrapelvic & Extrapelvic Dry Needling
Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in both intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling. Treatment addresses the pelvic floor, abdominal wall and hip muscles that guard around endometriosis pain, and works gently around surgical scars. The needles go in through the skin of the buttock, perineum or inner thigh, never through the vagina or rectum.
Learn about pelvic floor treatmentNerve focus
Neuro-Functional Acupuncture
Electro-acupuncture along the sacral and lumbar nerve pathways to calm pelvic nerve sensitivity and help reduce period-related pain.
See servicesBetween visits
Cycle Plan & Team Coordination
A flare plan that accounts for your cycle, plus coordination with your gynecologist, endometriosis specialist or pelvic floor PT.
Referring provider? Contact the clinicWhat to Expect
A Typical Recovery Arc
Visits 1 to 3
Find the main driver
Dr. Gordon confirms which muscles and nerves are behind your symptoms and starts calming the most reactive areas. Many people notice early changes between visits.
Visits 4 to 8
Lower the baseline
Day-to-day symptoms ease, flares become shorter and less frequent, and normal routines start to feel more manageable.
Visits 9 to 12 and beyond
Build resilience
Visits are spaced out as improvement holds. You leave with a maintenance and early-flare plan.
Most patients are seen weekly or every other week during active care. Individual results vary with how long symptoms have been present and how reactive they are. Progress is reassessed at every visit.
Not sure how to describe it? Put your pain or discomfort into words before your visit
"Dr. Gordon is thoughtful, thorough and incredibly knowledgeable. He has significantly helped me with pain management and pelvic floor issues. I am grateful to have his expertise in my corner."
Dina Isola, Google Review
Endometriosis Questions
Answers About Endometriosis
Still unsure whether this is the right fit? Reach out before you book and Dr. Gordon will talk through your history with you.
No. The disease is managed medically and surgically. Dr. Gordon's treatment addresses the muscle, nerve and scar tissue changes that commonly add to endometriosis pain.
Surgery removes lesions, but it does not undo years of pelvic floor guarding or nerve sensitization. Those changes often need direct treatment.
Yes, once scars are healed and with care. Dr. Gordon works gently and adjusts to your comfort. Let him know your surgical dates and any complications.
Many patients find it helpful to plan visits around their cycle. Dr. Gordon will work out the best timing with you.
Most people need eight to twelve sessions with reassessment, and some continue with periodic maintenance around their cycle.
Often, yes. Deep pain with intercourse commonly involves pelvic floor guarding, which Dr. Gordon can treat directly.
Before You Book
General Questions
The clinic is an out-of-network practice. The initial evaluation is $300 and follow-up visits are $250. After each visit you receive a detailed superbill to submit to your PPO plan for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are accepted, and the clinic can run a complimentary benefits check before your first appointment. The check is a courtesy, so please confirm your coverage with your plan. See Insurance & Fees for details.
The first evaluation is 60 to 75 minutes and usually includes treatment. Follow-up visits run 45 to 60 minutes.
Yes. Call (516) 597-5400 or send a message through the contact page. This is especially helpful if your case is complex and you want to understand the approach before committing to a full evaluation.
1508 Union Turnpike, Suite 133, North New Hyde Park, NY 11040, with free parking on site. The clinic is an easy drive from Manhasset, Great Neck, Garden City, Lake Success, Floral Park and Mineola. Early morning, evening and weekend hours are available.
Most people feel a quick muscle twitch or a deep ache that lasts a few seconds. That twitch is a normal sign the trigger point is releasing. Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours afterward, similar to a hard workout, is common. Depth, angle and stimulation are adjusted to your comfort.
Both use the same fine, sterile, single-use needles. Dry needling targets specific trigger points and tight bands in muscle based on your exam. Neuro-functional acupuncture targets nerve pathways, often with gentle electrical stimulation, to calm nerve sensitivity. For endometriosis pain, Dr. Gordon commonly uses both.
When performed by a trained, licensed provider with detailed knowledge of anatomy, it has a strong safety record. Tell Dr. Gordon if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are pregnant or have a weakened immune system so he can plan accordingly.
It is a technique that reaches the deep pelvic floor muscles, including the levator ani, obturator internus and coccygeus, to release trigger points and restore normal muscle function. The needles go in through the skin of the buttock, perineum or inner thigh, never through the vagina or rectum. Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in this technique, which few practitioners in New York have.
Yes. Your privacy and comfort come first. When undressing is needed for the area being treated, you are fully draped. Needles are placed through the skin only, and nothing is ever inserted into the vagina or rectum. You can pause or stop at any time.
Yes. Many of Dr. Gordon's pelvic floor patients come to him after difficult experiences elsewhere. Every step is explained before it happens, you set the pace, and Dr. Gordon treats adults of all genders and identities in a respectful, welcoming setting.
It helps to have had a medical workup so serious causes have been checked. If you have not seen a gynecologist for these symptoms yet, call the clinic to talk through the best order of steps.
About Dr. Anthony J. Gordon
Dr. Anthony J. Gordon is a Doctor of Acupuncture licensed in New York and board certified. He holds ASE certification in intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling, along with advanced certifications in Functional Dry Needling and Neuro-Functional Acupuncture. With more than 18 years of clinical experience and over 3,000 complex cases treated, he focuses on pelvic, spinal and orthopedic conditions that have not responded to standard care, and works closely with each patient's physicians and physical therapists.
Read Dr. Gordon's full bioBook an Evaluation for Endometriosis Pain
Book a full evaluation with Dr. Gordon and find out how much of your endometriosis pain is coming from muscles, nerves and scar tissue.
Early morning, evening and weekend appointments available. Free on-site parking.
Symptoms
Common Symptoms of Endometriosis Pain
Further Reading
Endometriosis Pain After Surgery: Why It Can Continue
From the blog: Pain can continue after endometriosis surgery even when it went well. How guarding muscles, sensitive nerves and scar tissue can keep pain going.
Painful Periods: When Cramps Are More Than Cramps
From the blog: Most period cramps are common, but pain that worsens over the years or shows up at other times needs a closer look. Primary versus secondary, and what helps.
Keep Reading