Pain in your lower stomach or abdomen can be anywhere between uncomfortable gas from dinner to debilitating cramps. The area of the pelvis is the bony bed that helps to connect our torso to our legs. The pelvic area helps support the intestines, reproductive organs, and bladder. Due to the variety of organs located in the pelvic region, pelvic pain symptoms can indicate a wide range of conditions that require careful evaluation.

Pelvic pain can be dull, sharp, periodic, constant, localized, or affecting other areas of the body. Understanding ‘What is pelvic pain?”, the potential causes, and how to accurately describe your symptoms can help determine whether you should see a doctor for further evaluation.

What is Pelvic Pain?

Pelvic pain refers to discomfort in the area below your belly button. It can be caused by a range of conditions affecting the reproductive, digestive, or urinary systems. Pelvic pain might also be connected to musculoskeletal or psychological factors. This makes it important to determine the underlying cause for effective treatment.

Understanding Your Pelvic Pain

First, assess your pain. There are multiple factors to consider, such as whether the pain is sudden, chronic, or particularly intense.

1. Where do you feel pain?
2. Is it during specific times or activities? Do you feel it before, during, or after your period? When you lift heavy things? When do you eat?
3. Is the pain consistent? Is it chronic? Is it intermittent? How much time passes in between?
4. Is it a gradual pain? Or sudden pain?
5. When did this pain originally start?
6. Does it affect your daily life?
7. Do any of these words below accurately describe your pain? Use them when describing your symptoms to a doctor:

• Aching
• Cramping
• Gnawing
• Heavy
• Hot or burning
• Sharp
• Shooting
• Stabbing
• Throbbing

There are many conditions that can cause pelvic pain or chronic pelvic pain. It’s also possible to have more than one of them. This makes things harder to decipher because they can all have similar symptoms. A primary symptom is pain that persists for more than six months. This pain is often accompanied by other symptoms, which can help you and your doctor identify the underlying cause.

Here are a few causes you may be dealing with and related symptoms:

Endometriosis

In endometriosis, cells that normally line the inside of the uterus (the endometrium) grow inappropriately outside the uterus on organs such as the ovaries, bladder, or rectum.

Symptoms you may have:

• Pain during or after sex
• Pelvic pain or cramps before or during your period
• Painful bowel movements
• Pain when you ovulate
• Bloating in your abdomen
• Infertility
• Pain when you urinate
• Lower back pain
• Rectal bleeding during your period
• Spotting between periods

Adenomyosis

This condition is similar to endometriosis. Cells that normally line your uterus (the endometrium) invade the muscle tissue of the uterus wall (the myometrium). Many women with adenomyosis don’t have any symptoms.

Symptoms you may have:

• Spotting between periods
• Feeling of pressure on your bladder or rectum
• Heavy periods
• Pain during your period
• Periods that last longer than usual

Interstitial Cystitis

Women with interstitial cystitis have an inflamed bladder. The inflammation is not caused by an infection. However, it can lead to chronic pain, frequent urination, and discomfort similar to a urinary tract infection. The condition tends to affect women in their 30s and 40s.

Symptoms you may have:

• Pain during sex
• You need to urinate very often
• Discomfort when you urinate
• Often feeling an urgent need to urinate

Urinary Tract Infection

Bacteria are usually the cause of urinary tract infections. Infections can involve any part of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, bladder, and urethra. Urinary tract infections are much more common in women than in men.

Symptoms you may have:

• Needing to urinate often
• Feeling pressure in your lower pelvis
• Cloudy urine
• Urine has a strong or bad smell
• Blood in urine
• Pain or a burning sensation when you urinate
• Often feeling an urgent need to urinate
• Needing to get up at night to urinate
• Lower back pain
• Only a trickle of urine comes out

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

It is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries that causes them to become inflamed and infected. Most often, it is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection, like gonorrhea or chlamydia. These bacteria enter the uterus through the vagina and leave the fallopian tubes to infect surrounding organs like the ovaries. Scarring from the infection can lead to chronic pelvic pain, though the pain is more often acute.

Symptoms you may have:

• Nausea
• Vaginal discharge having an unusual color, texture, or odor
• Pain during sex
• Abdominal pain or pelvic pain in a specific area or more widespread
• Irregular or missed periods
• Frequent need to urinate
• Menstrual cramps that are worse than usual
• Pain when you urinate
• It hurts when you press on certain areas of your pelvis
• Lower back pain
• Pain when you ovulate
• Fatigue
• Fever

Pelvic Congestion Syndrome

Pelvic congestion is similar to the varicose veins some women experience in their legs. However, the condition affects the veins in the pelvis instead. Blood backs up in the veins, making them become enlarged and engorged. Pelvic congestion causes chronic pelvic pain in some women.

Symptoms you may have:

• Lying down relieves pelvic pain
• Pain starts 7-10 days before your period
• Lower back pain
• Pelvic pain is worse when you sit or stand
• Aches in your legs
• Pain during sex

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Chronic pelvic pain isn’t always linked to issues with the reproductive organs or urinary tract. Other organs in the pelvic region can also cause pain when affected. For example, irritable bowel syndrome is an intestinal condition that frequently causes pelvic discomfort.

Symptoms you may have:

• Incontinence
• Constipation
• Flatulence
• Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Pain relieved by a bowel movement

Uterine Fibroids

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that grow in, and on, the wall of the uterus. Not all women who have them notice symptoms, but for some, fibroids can be painful.

Symptoms you may have:

• Heavy periods
• Feeling pressure or fullness in your abdomen
• Need to urinate frequently
• Pain or cramps during your period
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids

Levator Syndrome

Sometimes, spasms of a pelvic muscle called the “levator ani” cause pelvic pain. The pain is often felt as a sharp or cramping sensation. It may come and go, sometimes triggered by sitting for long periods or having bowel movements. Physical therapy and relaxation techniques can help alleviate these symptoms.

Symptoms you may have:

• Pain doesn’t seem to be related to bowel movements
• You wake up at night in pain
• Pain is related to sitting
• Pain usually lasts less than 20 minutes at a time

Pelvic Support Problems

Sometimes, women have pelvic pain when the muscles and ligaments that hold organs in place weaken. This causes organs like the uterus, the bladder, or the rectum to move from their normal places and herniate into the vagina. The vagina may also change shape. Pregnancy and giving birth may cause these kinds of problems.

Symptoms you may have:

• Pelvic organs bulge into the vagina or even stick out the vaginal opening, in severe cases
• Feeling like something is falling out of your vagina
• Leaking urine
• Lower back pain
• Pain during sex
• Difficulty with bowel movements

Vulvodynia

Vulvodynia is pain that affects the vulva for no apparent reason. The pain of vulvodynia may be constant or it may come and go.

Symptoms you may have:

• Pain when something presses on the vulva, like during sex or when you straddle a seat
• Burning or stinging sensations in the vulva
• Pain in your inner thighs

Psychological Causes

For some women, the root of pelvic pain is psychological. That’s not to say that the pain isn’t real. There just isn’t an identifiable physical cause. Some people have emotional problems that only show up as physical symptoms. Women who have suffered sexual abuse or assault often have chronic pelvic pain afterward.

Symptoms you may have:

• Anxiety
• Substance abuse
• Depression
• Stress

Diagnosing Pain

There are several ways to diagnose the source of your pain. Your healthcare provider will likely ask for details about your pain and health history, followed by a physical exam. These are typically focused on the pelvic area and abdomen. Based on the findings, they may recommend lab tests, including blood and urine tests. Additionally, they may suggest a colonoscopy or MRI to get a detailed view of the pelvic region.

Treatments for Pelvic Pain

Your treatment plan will be determined by the type of pain and medical history needs. There are also general treatment options for pelvic pain that may include:

• Hormonal treatment for endometriosis
• Physical therapy to help muscle and connective tissue pain
• Pain relievers are over-the-counter pain relievers like Advil or Motrin. These can be a good attempt to create some relief. They can help reduce the swelling that leads to pelvic pains.
• Muscle relaxers
• Diet changes and adjusting some habits like changing over to healthier food options can help shed weight. The shedding of extra pounds helps to relieve pressure on nerves. This aids in helping with pelvic pain. Some supplements in certain cases have been linked to help chronic pelvic pain.

If you have lower than normal levels of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin D, E, and magnesium. Taking supplements can help soothe this type of pain. Discuss vitamin and mineral deficiencies with your doctor, as well as herbal remedies that may help alleviate your pelvic pain.

• Incorporating activity and lifestyle changes can be challenging, especially when dealing with pain. But, exercise helps improve blood flow and releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. Aim for 30 to 45 minutes of exercise to help alleviate pain. Relaxation techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can also reduce the stress and tension that often exacerbate chronic pain.
• Surgery to remove fibroids or endometriosis
• Counseling
• Warm or hot compresses can help reduce pain by increasing blood flow. Using a heating pad, warm compress, or even sitting in a hot bath can provide relief during flare-ups.

If you notice you have been having pain for more than six months, you may be diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain. Talk to your doctor about eliminating possible problems that may be linked to chronic pelvic pain.

For instance, one in ten women suffer from endometriosis. It is now considered a common ailment. Don’t delay the diagnosis process, go to your doctor for help. Talk openly with your doctor about your pain, possible causes, and your options for treatment.

Seeking Answers for Your Pelvic Pain? Contact Rosh MFM in NYC

Pelvic pain and inflammation significantly affect quality of life. They interfere with personal relationships and take a toll on your energy and health.

Some of the conditions that cause pelvic pain can lead to complications like infertility, Hence, it’s necessary to consult the OBGYN specialists at Rosh Maternal & Fetal Medicine. Call one of our six convenient NYC locations or schedule a video consultation online today. Women with pelvic pain and inflammation can count on the experienced and compassionate care of our team at Rosh Maternal & Fetal Medicine in NYC.