Pelvic Pain

What is Pelvic Pain?

Pain that occurs below your abdomen and in between your hips is considered pelvic pain. This pain may be sharp and severe or dull and throbbing. Pelvic pain can come and go or persist constantly, sometimes increasing in waves of intensity.

Pelvic pain before and during your menstrual period is common, but severe pelvic pain that occurs at other times may signal a gynecological problem, such as fibroids or endometriosis. When pelvic pain persists for more than four to six months, it’s considered chronic.

What Causes Pelvic Pain?

Most often, pelvic pain occurs during various phases of your menstrual cycle, such as ovulation or your period. However, pelvic pain is also a symptom of several gynecological conditions, such as:

• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Ovarian cysts
• Ectopic pregnancy

Pelvic pain is also a symptom of medical conditions not related to the reproductive system, such as:

• Urinary tract infections
• Kidney stones
• Inflammatory bowel disease

Psychological factors, such as stress and depression, may also cause pelvic pain. Sometimes, pelvic pain can persist as a standalone condition without any diagnosable cause. At other times, women can suffer from several conditions at once, all of which may contribute to pelvic pain.

How Do You Diagnose and Treat Pelvic Pain?

Pelvic pain is a notoriously complex condition that may require time and multiple tests to discover the underlying cause, if any.

The expert team at Capital Women’s Care will begin with a thorough physical and pelvic exam. They will carefully review your medical history and ask questions about your symptoms.

They may take tests, such as an ultrasound or blood tests, to check for signs of disease. Some cases of pelvic pain may require minimally invasive surgery, such as laparoscopy, to diagnose the cause.

Treatment will depend on the type, severity, and cause of your pelvic pain. The team at Capital Women’s Care will create an individualized treatment plan that may include:

• Lifestyle changes, such as exercises to reduce pelvic pain
• Physical therapy, including acupuncture or acupressure
• Nutritional therapy and vitamin supplements
• Pain-relieving medications

If your condition is severe or doesn’t improve with conservative treatment, your provider at Capital Women’s Care may recommend surgery.

To find out what’s causing your pelvic pain and to get an individualized treatment plan, call Capital Women’s Care or book an appointment online.

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