Do you experience cramps in the lower abdomen during your menstruation? It’s actually normal. But if you suffer from chronic pelvic pain, this is a completely different situation. Pain in the pelvic area can be caused by many factors and diseases. So it is very important to find out the cause of the pain that torments you. Tell your gynecologist about your symptoms and undergo an examination. If you will determine what exactly disturbs you, there is a lot that you can do to get rid of it. In this article, you can read about the three most common causes of pelvic pain.
1. Your muscles can hurt
If you have a feeling that you need to visit the toilet immediately, it could be a pelvic floor dysfunction. In this condition, you are never sure that you finished all your business in the restroom. Your pelvic bones look like a bowl with the muscles on top of it. These muscles support your bladder, uterus, and bowel. If these muscles become inflamed, you can feel contractions, constipation, and even pain during sexual intercourse.
This is a very common problem which many women face in different periods of their lives. The vaginal childbirth, pelvic surgery, overweight or a genetic predisposition increase the risk of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Your doctor may do a physical examination to check your pelvic floor muscles for cramps, nodules, or weakness. A pelvic floor physiotherapist is responsible for treatment. It may include exercises on relaxing and contracting the pelvic muscles. Your PT will also recommend you to exercise at home. Botox injections directly into the patient’s pelvic floor muscles are also effective in reducing the pain.
2. Gynecological problems can cause severe pain
One of the main causes of pelvic pain is endometriosis. This is a condition in which the endometrium (tissue that overlays the inside of the uterus) grows outside the uterus. Pain can range from mild to unbearable. It is often misdiagnosed with menstruation cramps because it can begin a few days before and continue throughout the period. Endometriosis may also lead to pain during sexual intercourse and bowel movements. Almost 10% of women in reproductive age are suffering from it, but this disease is very poorly diagnosed. It may take up to 20 years to make a correct diagnosis.
If your pelvic pain is accompanied by very severe menstruation and you find that you frequently urinate and/or suffer from constipation, it may be another disease. Fibroids are benign tumors that grow in the uterus. This is an incredibly common disease, about 75% of women are suffering from uterine fibroids by the age of 50. But in most cases, they do not cause symptoms.
In endometriosis or uterine fibroids treatment, your gynecologist may prescribe you hormonal birth control. If it doesn’t help and the pain still affects your daily routine, you may consider performing a laparoscopy in the case of endometriosis. It’s a surgery when the doctor takes away endometrial tissue. Fibroids treatment usually consists of embolization (small particles are introduced into the uterine arteries to stop blood flow, which leads to the death of fibroids) and a number of surgical methods.
3. It could be irritable bowel syndrome
It can be difficult to determine if the pain is associated with the gastrointestinal tract or with the genitourinary system since parts of the colon are located near the pelvic area. But if you have bloating, diarrhea or bouts of constipation and sometimes can observe mucus in the feces, it can be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder, almost 15% of people are suffering from this disease.
If a gastroenterologist's examination rules out other diseases, you will be offered first-line IBS treatment. It may include dietary changes, such as reducing possible triggers. Probiotic can also help you to create a normal environment in your gut. Prescription antispasmodics may also reduce painful sensations.
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