A Pain In The Pelvis

It would be difficult to find a woman who hasn't felt pelvic pain at least once in her life. However, for some women, pelvic pain is so rough they find they can't go about their daily routines. That's when a woman makes the decision to see a physician, hoping for a quick resolution to the problem.

But pinpointing a cause for pelvic pain may not be a swift or easy process. Sometimes the cause is one that is difficult to identify and sometimes there will be more than one cause behind the pain.

Some Relief

This article describes the various types of pelvic pain a woman may experience plus some of the means by which your doctor attempts a diagnosis. But at the end of the day it's important to note that sometimes the cause of the pain cannot be identified. In any event, your doctor should be able to prescribe palliative medications to give you some relief from the pain.

Part of the diagnostic process will involve you giving your physician a description of the pain: does it hurt all the time or come and go? In some women, pelvic pain comes at specific times and can often be predicted. For others, pelvic pain may be associated with specific activities, for instance during sex or while passing urine. Another woman may find her pain worsens before or just after meals, or perhaps with menstruation.

Worsening Pain

If pelvic pain occurs on most days, this should be taken as a sign that whatever is causing the pain has grown in severity. The pain may become so bad that you find it hard to cope. The pain may still worsen at specific points but in this case, should not be taken as a sign of a worsening condition.

Depending upon the degree of pain and when the pain occurs, pelvic pain may prevent a woman from taking part in her usual responsibilities. It may be impossible for her to care for her family, work, have sex, move around, or sleep. This can cause a great deal of stress in addition to the pain.

But when the cause of the pain remains undetermined, the stress is exacerbated. In time, her chronic, lengthy pain may begin to affect a woman's physical and mental well-being. Any pelvic pain that lasts longer than half a year and is unresponsive to treatment is termed chronic pelvic pain.