Recent studies suggest that chronic pelvic pain may be even more common than back pain.
It is difficult to assess the cost, but in the UK around £160m is spent on medical research into chronic pelvic pain and women suffering from it may miss several days of work each month.
Much can be done to alleviate their suffering, and yet women often feel that they must fight to get something done.
Most doctors refer patients with undiagnosed chronic pelvic pain to a gynecologist, but even so, they often feel unappreciated and believe their symptoms are not being taken seriously.
Having the corresponding information, it is important that each woman insist on the investigation and treatment of her condition, because the consequence could be to develop an inability to have children.
What are the causes?
Several conditions could cause the problem, including endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, and musculoskeletal damage.
Women often find that stress intensifies pain, and some researchers have shown that deep psychological trauma, such as sexual abuse, may reveal itself in the form of pelvic pain.
Sometimes several of these factors would be present at the same time, making investigation and diagnosis difficult.
How is it diagnosed?
It takes a specialist to figure out the cause, so I recommend asking for a referral to a gynecologist early on. Don’t expect suffering.
laparoscopy The gynecologist will probably suggest a laparoscopic investigation (see box at left). It can be done in a day under general anesthesia, using a viewing instrument inserted through a small; incision just below the navel. This allows the gynecologist to visualize the pelvic region directly.
To see the pelvic organs clearly, carbon dioxide is pumped into the abdominal cavity so that the wall of this area rises up and clears the way.
Don’t be surprised if it takes a week or two for you to fully recover. Minor complications such as nausea and pain occur in 3 out of 100 laparoscopies. The most serious are not frequent, but in 1 in 500 colon perforations or damage to blood vessels occur, requiring another surgery and longer hospitalization.
ultrasound Fibrous adhesions (scar tissue) and endometriosis are not clearly visualized on ultrasound, so ultrasound is not very helpful in investigating pelvic pain unless an ovarian cyst is suspected.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Magnetic resonance imaging can help diagnose endometriosis.
What could be diagnosed?
Endometriosis and fibrous adhesions The purpose of laparoscopy is to look for endometriosis and fibrous adhesions resulting from pelvic infection, but in more than 50 percent of cases the cause of the pain is not discovered. Even when fibrous adhesions or endometriosis are detected, gynecologists disagree about the possibility that one of these conditions is actually the cause of the pain.
Irritable bowel syndrome This syndrome is reliably detected using a checklist of symptoms, called the Rome Criteria. This is a list that includes pain relieved by defecation, distension, and change in bowel habits associated with pain.
Causes of musculoskeletal pain
If the pain increases when moving or bending over, the cause could be musculoskeletal, such as a pinched nerve. In that case, a trained physical therapist, chiropractor or osteopath will offer the best help. The doctor may also request a consultation with the psychologist.
If the gynecologist can’t pinpoint the cause of the pain, it may not be gynecologic in origin. Unfortunately, they are not always well trained in detecting non-gynecologic causes of pelvic pain. One study revealed that half of a group of women who attended a gynecological clinic had irritable bowel syndrome, but were less likely than others to be diagnosed and more likely to have pain persist 12 months later.
However, you must find out the cause, so if the gynecologist can’t do it, ask for a referral to a gastroenterologist.
folk remedies
Remedy for chronic pelvic pain #1: Boil 1 cup of water containing 2 tablespoons of chamomile for 5 minutes. Drink a cup when you feel pain.
Remedy for chronic pelvic pain #2: Boil in 1 cup of water 3 tablespoons of ginger for 5 minutes. Take a cup when you feel pelvic pain.
Maybe you are interested in knowing remedies for painful ovulation or ovulation pain (Mittelschmerz)
Remedy for chronic pelvic pain #3: Soak a cloth with 1/3 cup of Castor oilpreviously heated, and place on the lower abdomen and leave it there until it cools.
Remedy for chronic pelvic pain #4: Put a couple of drops of essential oil lavender the abdomen area and perform a gentle circular massage until the pain is relieved.
remedy for pelvic pain chronic #5: Boil 4 ounces of leaves verbena in 6 liters of water until only 4 liters remain. Take 3 cups a day.
Remedy for chronic pelvic pain #6: Boil a cup of water 1 tablespoon of willow bark, previously washed and chopped for 5 minutes. Cover and let cool. Filter and drink 1 cup as soon as you feel the pain.
recommendations
Practice alternative therapies such as yoga and meditation in order to manage pain in a more satisfactory way
Go to the doctor if you feel a sudden strong pain in the pelvic area, especially if it is accompanied by fever, since it can be treated for appendicitis which requires urgent intervention.
Also know
Remedies for amenorrhea or absence of menstruation
Remedies for womb or uterine cancer
Remedies for leucorrhea
Remedies for pain or menstrual cramps
Natural remedies for metritis or inflammation of the uterus
Remedies for heavy menstrual flow or menorrhagia
Remedies for ovarian or ovarian cysts
Remedies for fibroids and fibroids
home remedies for irregular menstruation
Natural remedies for metrorrhagia
Natural remedies for premenstrual syndrome or PMS
Preventive remedies for uterine prolapse
Cancer: Know its symptoms and how to prevent it
remedies cancer preventatives
Remedies for ovarian cancer
video of the month