Julianne Hough Gets Real About Her Troubling Health Diagnosis

Dancing with the Stars alum Julianne Hough is all about exercise and wellness, appearing on the cover of countless fitness magazines and sharing her many workout tips with fans. Hough is also focused on self-care and her spirituality, as she shared with Us Weekly in March 2019, "It's all about internalizing — coming inward and really just loving [yourself] from the inside out. You can't look externally for other people's approval, you have to come back in and just disconnect from that to then open back out."

As someone who is so in sync with her body, it was understandably tough for the dancer when she was diagnosed with a troubling health issue in 2008. "This feels like sharp, dagger pains and it's almost instant," she told TODAY in 2017 about her symptoms. "It comes out of nowhere and all of a sudden I'll be like, 'Oh, crap,' and then it will last for a minute and then go away. And then another sharp pain, and then it will subside." 

Despite Hough's painful struggle, she was relieved to have a concrete diagnosis after years of uncertainty. "It sort of gives you peace of mind, like a name to the pain," she said. "Just knowing that I'm not the only one who feels this and that I'm not overreacting. Giving myself more compassion for how I'm feeling."

So what's Hough's diagnosis and where does she stand with it today? We share the latest info after the jump.

Julianne Hough was diagnosed in 2008 with endometriosis, an "often painful disorder" in which "tissue similar to the tissue that normally lines the inside" the uterus grows outside of the uterus, according to WebMD. 

The physical symptoms were tough for the Utah native to deal with, and she ultimately decided to undergo laparoscopic surgery to remove scar tissue and her appendix. She had the surgery in 2008, and again in late 2017.

Although it's not an opinion backed up by scientific evidence, Hough believes positive thinking has helped cure her endometriosis symptoms. "I will tell you, through this transformation of really connecting back to my truth, I haven't had symptoms of endometriosis because of the love and kindness I'm giving to my body," she told Women's Health in May 2020. "I believe there's stress, shame, guilt, and suppression of female energy that's associated with endometriosis, so de-layering that has really helped."

It's possible Hough's viewpoint was inspired by her January 2020 trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where she worked with John Amaral, a famed energy practitioner. I'm forever grateful to have John by my side helping me connect physically, emotionally, and energetically back to my true essence," she said about his influence via his personal website.

Endometriosis is "associated with an increased risk of having difficulty becoming pregnant or infertility," as Brigham and Women's Hospital noted, which raises the question of whether Julianne Hough has considered having children with her husband, NHL alum Brooks Laich. "I know more than anything I want to be a mom and have kids," she told People in 2008, explaining that this desire is why she underwent laparoscopic surgery in the first place. "That's so important to me."

However, Hough has since adopted a more relaxed stance on motherhood, telling Women's Health in May 2020, "I think the healthier I am from the inside out—as far as my beliefs, my energy, what I'm putting into my body—the better prepared I'll be when the time comes." 

She also revealed that she and Laich have never "tried" to have children, although they did freeze her eggs as a "precautionary measure." She added, "Let's do our due diligence for the future by freezing eggs."

It remains unclear whether Julianne Hough will have children one day, although it is obvious she's committed to raising awareness about her endometriosis diagnosis. "Knowledge is power," she explained to Self in 2018. "Honestly, in the last couple years, I've seen how many people really don't know anything about endometriosis. I didn't have any knowledge about the disease until I got it."

She continued, "That's why it was important for me to use my platform and my own story to let other women know that they're definitely not alone. The more we talk about it, the more we're empowered by it rather than it being in control of us. The more I started to know and acknowledge all of me, the more I realized, 'Wow I really suppressed that part of me.' It's hurting me, but it's also hurting all these other people that could have more knowledge about it if I started to use my voice."

Considering this condition affects an "estimated 200 million women worldwide," per the Endometriosis Foundation of America, it's great to see Hough raising awareness about this issue.

As it turns out, Hough isn't the only celeb speaking out — Halsey has also opened up her about health struggle with endometriosis.