Health Blurbs

Pelvic pain is that pain felt below your belly button and between your hip bones. Pelvis pain may come on suddenly, hang around a bit and then go away.  Or it can arrive slowly and grow in intensity until your everyday activities are disrupted.

Fleeting lower abdominal pain cramps every body’s style at one time or another. Occasional pain in the lower abdomen is quite common. After all, there are a some extremely vital organs crammed into your pelvic area, especially if you’re female.

Pelvic pain is often expressed via assorted complaints. For instance, you might describe your lower abdominal pain as:

• sharp
• severe
• steady
• pressure
• cramping
• heaviness
• come & go
• dull aching

And perhaps you only notice a pain in the pelvis region during:

• a sit down
• intercourse
• bowel movement

Ongoing pelvic pain can be a symptom of a disease, infection or health problem caused by your reproductive organs, urinary tract, lower intestines, bladder, bowel, rectum, appendix, nerves, muscle or bone. Many causes for which pelvic pain can be a sign include:

• IBS
• UTI
• PID
• PMS
• hernia
• cervicitis
• ovulation
• diverticulitis
• appendicitis
• constipation
• ovarian cysts
• adenomyosis
• endometriosis
• uterine fibroids
• bladder cancer
• spinal problems
• uterine prolapse
• interstitial cystitis
• ectopic pregnancy
• nerve compression
• lactose intolerance
• painful menstruation
• endometrial hyperplasia
• abdominal muscle strain
• bacterial vaginosis, vaginitis
• intestinal, bowel obstruction
• STD ~ chlamydia, gonnorhea
• uterine, ovarian, cervical cancers
• pelvic floor muscle spasms, tension
• ovary, fallopian tube, uterine infections
• osteitis pubis ~ pain & inflammation of pubic bone
• pelvic joint instability ~ after childbirth, injury to pelvis
• prostrate problem ~ prostatitis, orchalgia, prostatodynia
• pelvic congestion syndrome~ ovarian & pelvic varicose veins
• neuropathy ~ ilio-hypogastric, ilio-inguinal, pudendal nerves
• gastroenteritis ~ intestinal virus, food poisoning, too much alcohol
• inflammatory bowel disease ~ Crohn’s (lower right), ulcerative colitis (lower left)

Determining which one of these many underlying pelvic pain causes is your issue will likely be a process of elimination coupled with diagnostic testing.

Whenever possible, it’s very important that you inform your health care provider of pelvis discomfort location, intensity and how often.  Keeping a pelvis pain journal can help immensely with nailing the causer down.

If a specific cause is determinable, your chronic pelvic pain treatment will focus on treating it.  Sometimes the cause can be elusive.  So, your incessant pain treatment will focus on managing your health agony.

Potential treatments for chronic pelvic pain include:

• nerve ablation
• stretching exercises
• prescription pain reliever
• antibiotics ~ bacterial infection
• heating pad laid over lower abdomen
• massage & other relaxation techniques
• transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
• pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercises
• surgery ~ pelvic adhesions, endometriosis deposits
• OTC pain relievers ~ aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen
• antidepressants ~ sometimes has pain relieving effects
• hormone treatment ~ menstrual cycle caused pelvic pain
• trigger point injections ~ if specific point where pain is felt

A hysterectomy may be a recommended option for certain causes of pelvic pain as well.  Frequently not suggested until other health efforts have been exhausted.

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