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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffPelvic pain in women refers to pain in the lowest part of your abdomen and pelvis. If asked to locate your pain, you might sweep your hand over that entire area rather than point to a single spot. Chronic pelvic pain is pain in your pelvic region — the area below your bellybutton and between your hips — that lasts six months or longer.
Chronic pelvic pain can be a symptom of another disease, or it can be a condition in its own right. The cause of chronic pelvic pain is often hard to find. If the source of your chronic pelvic pain can be found, treatment focuses on that cause.
Some women never receive a specific diagnosis that explains their pain. But that doesn't mean your pain isn't real and treatable. If no cause can be found, treatment focuses on managing the pain.
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- Chronic pelvic pain. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq099.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20130418T1809515975. Accessed April 18, 2013.
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- Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/interstitialcystitis/index.htm. Accessed April 7, 2013.
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- Relaxation techniques for health: An introduction. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/sites/nccam.nih.gov/files/relaxation_introduction.pdf.Accessed April 14, 2013.
- Noncyclic chronic pelvic pain therapies for women: Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 41. AHRQ Publication No. 11(12)-EHC088-EF. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK84586. Accessed April 28, 2013.
- Martinez B. Management of patients with chronic pelvic pain associated with endometriosis refractory to conventional treatment. Pain Practice. 2013;13:53.
- George SE, et al. Physical therapy management of female chronic pelvic pain: anatomic considerations. Clinical Anatomy. 2013;26:77.
- 14. Kotarinos RK. Pelvic floor physical therapy for management of myofascial pelvic pain syndrome in women. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 8, 2013.
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- Acupuncture for pain. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/acupuncture-for-pain.htm. Accessed April 14, 2013.
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