What causes Chronic Pelvic Pain in WOmen?
Chronic Pelvic pain is considered pain in the region below the belly button to the hips that occurs more than 3 to 6 months.
A common contributing factor for chronic pelvic pain is myofascial pelvic pain which is pain and tender spots in the muscle and fascial connective tissues in the intravaginal pelvic region. Myofascial pelvic pain can occur on its own or in combination with other conditions affecting, urinary, gastrointestinal, gynecological menstrual problems.
Less than 70% of women receive an accurate diagnosis and have a long journey in the process of finding relief of chronic pelvic pain and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.
What it can feel like varies for individuals ranging from
Vague and generalized
sharp , shooting, pinpoint
Achy, heavy, deep
Up to 90% of women with chronic pelvic pain have tight and overactive pelvic floor muscles. This is important to know because tightness in pelvic floor muscle is a problem because this means the pelvic floor can’t coordinate, activate or relax appropriately.
Causes of pelvic floor tightness can occur from -
Muscle and joint problems in the hip or sacroiliac joints
Trauma
Problematic bathroom habits
Repetitive or Single sided biomechanics
Conditions affecting pelvic organs such as
Endometriosis
Interstitial cycstisis aka bladder pain syndrome
Fibriods
Pelvic congestion or pelvic venous disorders
Does pelvic floor pain go away?
A recent survey of 11 international experts found consensus on best practices for management of pelvic pain to include
Pelvic floor physical therapy as the first line of defense including customized treatments for training the pelvic floor muscles to relax
Treatment plans of care should be at minimum 8-12 visits over the course of 4-6 months for the individual to find symptom resolution and opportunity manage flares with cliniciam support
An integrative approach to management of chronic pelvic pain is key as 66% of women with chronic pelvic pain present with anxiety while depression was found in 63% of women.
Furthermore, due to the relationship of the autonomic nervous system and the pelvic floor best practice includes a multidisciplinary team.
Common problems associated with chronic pelvic pain include:
Urinary problems: frequent bladder urges, leakage with bladder urgency, pelvic organ prolapse symptoms, painful urination
Sexual health problems: painful intercourse, soreness after intercourse, fear of penetrative intercourse
Gynecological: Difficulty or Unable to use tampons, painful peroids, unable to undergo medical exams
Bowel: difficulty emptying, constipation, painful bowel movements, accidental gas leakage
Genital Pain: perineum, vagina, clitoris, anal
Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal pain: lower abdomen, back, thorax, hip/buttocks, and lower leg
A personalized approach to healing chronic pelvic pain at Radiance PT involves collaborating with you on your goals with personalized treatments at Radiance PT in Durham, NC including:
Manual therapy
Neuromuscular Reeducation
Customized Exercises to improve the brain body connection
Progressive functional exercise training to help you achieve your fitness goals as you discover enjoying your body again
Each 1 hour session is fully dedicated to what is important to you while maximizing your time. If you are ready to move forward to find long lasting relief of your pelvic pain so you can live the active and healthy life you dream of, reach out today.