Chronic pelvic pain is any pain throughout the pelvic region that affects you for a long time, typically over three to six months. When seeking help from a specialist, it’s essential to know that various complex disorders can cause chronic pelvic pain. Most of all, chronic pelvic pain shouldn’t be ignored, so meeting with your physician can help provide the medical treatments you need to diagnose and treat the root cause of your condition.
Why Chronic Pelvic Pain Shouldn’t Be Ignored
Your pelvic area is home to many tissues, muscles, and organs, and because of how complex this area is, it’s often one of the most misdiagnosed conditions facing women today. That’s because there are many potential causes of chronic pelvic pain, including:
- Uterine Fibroids: Noncancerous growths made of tissue and muscle that form in and around the uterus.
- Endometriosis: This condition causes cells that line the inside of the uterus to grow outside of the uterus.
- Adenomyosis: Similar to endometriosis, adenomyosis causes the uterus cell lining to grow into the muscle of the uterus.
- Dysmenorrhea: Also known as painful, severe periods, this condition can cause impacts as person’s quality of life and ability to do normal activities.
- Bladder Pain Syndrome: Bladder pain syndrome causes bladder pain, pressure, and pelvic pain and can contribute to the constant urge to urinate, cause frequent urination, and cause pain during sex.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: This condition affects the stomach and intestines, causing symptoms such as bloating, pressure along the bowels, and white mucus in stool.
- Ovarian Cysts: Ovarian cysts are common and harmless but sometimes can cause pelvic pain, pressure throughout the abdomen, and bloating.
- Pelvic Congestion Syndrome: Pelvic congestion syndrome causes varicose veins to develop around the ovaries, causing blood to back up and leading to pain during pregnancies.
- Pelvic Floor Prolapse: Pelvic floor prolapse occurs when the muscles and tissues supporting the organs become weakened or loose, which can cause pelvic pressure, urinary incontinence, discomfort, and pelvic pain.
- Pelvic Trauma or Injury: Any sign of pelvic trauma can create fractures, damaged nerves, and pain during sexual intercourse, depending on the type of injury and its extent.
Most importantly, chronic pelvic pain can indicate more serious conditions, such as ovarian, cervical uterine, or other gynecological cancers. Because so many conditions can cause chronic pelvic pain, getting a diagnosis from your physician can help eliminate inaccurate causes of your chronic pelvic pain and determine the root cause of the problem. If you’re experiencing chronic pelvic pain, make sure to schedule an appointment with your OBGYN. Through seeing your provider, they can provide medical advice and address your concerns through the latest treatments.
Schedule An Appointment with Summit Women’s & Wellness Medical Group Today!
If you’ve been suffering from pelvic pain for over six months, it’s time to visit your gynecologist. At Summit Women’s & Wellness Medical Group, Dr. Renee Obey can provide women’s health consultation services to help diagnose the cause of your chronic pelvic pain and treat it with the latest treatment options, including bioidentical hormone replacement and oral contraception. For more information, visit our women’s health service pages and contact us to schedule a preliminary consultation.
