In this article
Ever experienced pain “down there” and wondered what is causing your pain? For some, the cause might not even be your primary focus, rather the treatment so you can get back to living a healthy, pain-free life. We get it!
Pelvic pain extends from the belly button to the lower abdomen and includes pain in the bowel, bladder, womb (uterus) or ovaries. Pelvic pain affects both men and women but is more prevalent in women as a result of menstruation, pregnancy and other female-specific conditions such as endometriosis.
Regardless of how your pain feels, it’s not right and medical assistance
Many questions arise when someone experiences pelvic pain such as “what is causing my pelvic pain,” “what are the symptoms of pelvic pain” and “can pelvic pain be a sign of infection.” Our physiotherapists at the Brisbane Spine Clinic have created this article to help answer some of these common questions and to educate you around some of the leading causes of pelvic pain and treatment options available to you.
What Are The Symptoms of Pelvic Pain?
The symptom of pelvic pain is a pain in the pelvic region. Some may describe their pain as a sharp shooting pain that happens with movement, others may describe their pain as a dull painful ache that hangs around for a period of time.
However, it’s not always that simple and pelvic pain has a wide variety of symptoms due to the full range of causes. Common pelvic symptoms that we’ve studied and treated include:
- Persistent or worsening menstrual pain/cramps
- Blood in vaginal discharge, urine or stool
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Excessive, non-descript pain in the groin or hips
- Constipation, diarrhea or pain in the anus
- Bloating, excessive gas or digestive discomfort
- Fever, chills, cold sweats and other flu-symptoms
Diagnosing and treating these symptoms relies on a comprehensive consultation to identify your specific signs and links to their causes.
What Causes Pelvic Pain?
Pelvic pain is a multifaceted problem.
It can mean the result of a trauma to the lower hips, pelvic floor muscles, or even an infection in the pelvic bone region. Some of the most common contributors and causes may include:
- Pelvic disorders, misalignments, strains, and injury
- Fractures to the pelvis or pubic bone
- Nerve damage, trapping or other conditions
- A hernia in the pelvic region
- Infection in the urinary tract or kidney
- Kidney stones
- STDs such as chlamydia or syphilis
- Bladder disorders or injuries
- Appendicitis and other lower-digestive problems
- Psychosomatic problems
- Trauma or bruising to the pelvis
- Unusual muscle and nerve formation (such as intra-piriformis sciatica)
- Difficulties in childbirth
- Endometriosis, eclampsia, ovarian cysts or other uterine problems
- Menstruation, pregnancy and other reproductive functions
Identifying the cause of your pain is key to providing you with the right treatment options as no one-size-fits-all approach will suffice to resolve pelvic pain.
Treating Pelvic Pain Through Physiotherapy
In cases where the cause isn’t treatable with antibiotics or other traditional medication, physiotherapy may be able to provide an essential service in the management and treatment of musculoskeletal and lifestyle factors for pelvic pain.
At The Brisbane Spine Clinic, our physiotherapist, Caroline has a particular interest in managing and treating women’s health issues including pelvic pain.
Caroline can provide an extensive functional diagnosis to determine your individual needs and establish a course of physiotherapy to balance and strengthen the tissues surrounding the pelvis. Muscular balance/control is a foundational aspect in many cases, while control of the pelvic floor muscles is a key factor in many post-natal or post-trauma pelvic pain.
Each case is entirely personal and unique (and treated as such), our programs are designed to help you combat the symptoms and treat the cause.
Closing Remarks
You don’t need to suffer in silence with pelvic pain as there are many options available to help treat symptoms and resolve the cause of your pain.
If you’d like to chat with Caroline or book an appointment to see Caroline, please do so by contacting us.
Please note, this blog is general in nature and we do recommend talking to your general practitioner who may then refer to you one of our physiotherapists here at The Brisbane Spine Clinic.
