Pelvic pain is a nonspecific, but frequent medical syndrome of men and women. It is stabbing or aching lower abdominal or pelvic pain. Some causes are benign and self-limited, but other causes are manifestations of potentially life-threatening illness which must be seen by a physician.

Knowledge of the probable causes of pelvic pain, presentation of pelvic pain, and doctor service location for pelvic pain helps one diagnose and treat it in time. Presentation, causatives, and treatment of pelvic pain are addressed in this book manual and provide a clear guideline to any patient suffering from the condition.

What is Pelvic Pain?

Pelvic pain is pain between the hips and below the abdomen. It recurs or persists, is chronic or acute, mild or severe. The character of the pain usually correlates with the etiology. Menstrual, reproductive health, or infection are most common causes of pelvic pain among women. Urinary or prostate disease is the etiology of pelvic pain in men. Gastrointestinal or musculoskeletal disease leads to pelvic pain in women and men.

Common Causes of Pelvic Pain

The etiology of pelvic pain is unknown and always gender, age, and overall health-dependent. The most common etiology is as discussed below:

  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Bacterial infection of the female reproductive system, PID is a leading reason for pelvic pain during the period in women and, if left untreated, can have disastrous ramifications like making a woman sterile.
  • Endometriosis: A disorder where the same type of tissue that exists in the uterine lining exists elsewhere in the body outside of the uterus and causes for-life pelvic pain, typically with menstruation.
  • Menstrual pelvic pain: Menstrual cramp, mild or severe, most common cause of menstrual pelvic pain, typically with lower backache.
  • Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): UTI in female and male, with lower abdominal pain and acute onset of pelvic pain, often with need to void.
  • Pelvic pain during pregnancy: pelvic pain during pregnancy secondary to laxity of ligaments, endocrine change, and compression of pelvic organs.

Gastrointestinal symptom

Bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and constipation induce bloating and pelvic pain and lower abdominal pain.

  • Pelvic floor dysfunction: Cyclical and urinary symptoms occur if stabilizing muscles of pelvic organs are not functioning in their role.
  • Pelvic Pain During Sex: Other painful sex or pelvic pain after intercourse occurs as a result of infection, endometriosis, or pelvic floor dysfunction.
  • Pelvic and Back Pain: Muscle strain back or lower back syndrome may be preceded in some instances by pelvic pain.

Companion Symptoms of Pelvic Pain

The pelvic pain would be followed by other symptoms apart from extremely unusual ones. On the basis of the current symptoms, the etiology can be identified. The most frequent symptoms are:

  • Lower Abdominal Pain: stinging or aching pain in the area below the lower abdomen is an indicator of pelvic disease.
  • Pelvic Pain and Bloating: bloating or distension of the abdomen can be secondary to GI or gynecologic disease.
  • Acute Pelvic Pain: stabbing, burning pain can be a presentation of onset of ruptured ovarian cyst, appendicitis, or ectopic pregnancy.
  • Pelvic Pain and Back Pain: referred pelvic pain and back pain is usually a gynecologic or musculoskeletal illness presentation.
  • Pain After Sex: pain during sex is caused by infection, endometriosis, or pelvic floor dysfunction.
  • Pelvic Pain and Infertility: Pelvic pain accompanies conditions such as PID or endometriosis and can impact fertility.

Read More: 5 Tips to Reduce Breast Pain Before Periods


Diagnosis and Evaluation of Pelvic Pain

Good history and physical is the rubric of good diagnosis. Clinicians ask about the quality, quantity, and duration of the pain and secondary symptoms on a routine basis. Amongst the most helpful investigations are:

  • Pelvic Exams: Most valuable in the diagnosis of female pelvic pain, to seek infection, tenderness, or abnormality.
  • Imaging Tests: Ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI can identify such things as ovarian cysts, fibroids, or pelvic floor dysfunction.
  • Urinalysis and Blood Tests: In search of infection or inflammatory disease.
  • Laparoscopy: Conservation surgery with visualization of pelvic anatomy, with widespread use for diagnosis of endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Precautious diagnosis is particularly indicated in infertility or chronic pelvic pain.

Pelvic Pain Treatment Modalities

Treatment modalities are etiology-dependent. Treatment modalities vary from:

  • Drugs: Antibiotics to treat infection in PID, analgesics to treat menstrual cramps or chronic pain, and hormone therapy to treat endometriosis.
  • Physical Therapy: Relaxation or strengthening of the pelvic floor muscle can treat pain of pelvic floor dysfunction.
  • Lifestyle Modification: Physical change, stress management, and dietary modification can improve the gastrointestinal etiology of pelvic pain and bloating.
  • Surgical Intervention: If the patient has endometriosis, fibroids, or ovarian cysts, then in most cases, laparoscopic surgery will be needed.
  • Pregnancy Management: Exercise, maternity belts, or physiotherapy might be recommended by doctors for pelvic pain due to pregnancy.
Precautions need to be taken in trying to prevent such conditions as pelvic pain and infertility or chronic pelvic pain.

Pelvic Pain Prevention

Prevention is impossible for all causes of pelvic pain, but the above reduces the risk:

  • Regular Check-ups: Early detection of PID and other issues is facilitated by regular gynecologic visits.
  • Safe Sex: Safe sex will rule out sexually transmitted disease, the most common cause of pelvic pain after sex and PID.
  • Healthy Living: Physical exercise, healthy dieting, and stress reduction will rule out pelvic pain and bloating or musculoskeletal disorder.
  • Pelvic Floor Exercises: Pelvic floor muscle training will rule out pelvic floor dysfunction and pain.
  • Awareness in Pregnancy: Awareness in pregnancy will provide prevention of excess distress and accommodation for pain in the pelvis.

Conclusion

Pelvic pain is a multi-dimensional symptom with the potential to impact functioning. Whether women's pelvic pain and diseases of the reproductive system go hand in hand, or men develop pelvic pain in association with urological problems, knowledge and awareness by a physician regarding sharp pelvic pain and pregnancy would be relevant.
From cramping and menstruation all the way through to high fatality rates due to infection like pelvic inflammatory disease or PID, possible complications can be avoided by early diagnosis and treatment.

Such complications include infertility and chronic pelvic pain. It does pay off to cultivate good behaviour, maintain it regularly, and visit the doctor occasionally. Considering pelvic pain to be a condition that is disallowed helps in improving the personal accountability of the patient with regard to health and self-care at the basic level, thus leading towards the achievement of effective outcomes.

Please book an appointment with the Best Gynecologist in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, and all major cities of Pakistan through InstaCare, or call our helpline at 03171777509 to find the verified doctor for your disease.