Pelvic Pain Treatment

What is Pelvic pain ?

This pain originates from the tissue layer covering the organs and the connecting structures in the pelvis, mainly the peritoneum, which is the membrane that lines abdomen cavity and covering the abdominal organs.

Pelvic pain can also include pain that comes with the following, which are all common symptoms of endometriosis.

Dysmenorrhea (painful cramps during menstruation),
Menorrhagia (excessive menstrual bleeding) and
Dyspareunia (pain with sex).

There are some ‘over-the-counter’ pain medications, like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) that might provide partial relief from pelvic pain. But, visiting the doctor and getting treated as per the doctor’s instructions, which might include a prescription pain reliever, is the best action to go about. Just taking pain medication alone rarely solves the problem of chronic pain.

Pelvic Pain Causes :

Some of the Pelvic pain causes are:

Appendicitis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Mittelschmerz (Painful Ovulation)
Menstrual Cramps
Ectopic Pregnancy
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Ovarian Cysts
Uterine Fibroids
Endometriosis
Urinary Tract Infection
Kidney Stones
Miscarriage

Some of the personal risk factors that have been found to increase the patient’s chances of pelvic pain are:

Previous physical or sexual abuse
Previous radiation or surgical treatments that might have been performed on the patient, either in the abdomen or pelvis
Previous history of anxiety, depression or other psychosomatic symptoms in the patient
Previous miscarriages
Infertility
A long duration of menstrual flow

Diagnosis

The doctor might opt for different imaging diagnostic tests to find the cause of the pelvic pain. If these diagnostic-imaging tests cannot reveal the cause, the doctors might recommend a laparoscopy. It is a minimally invasive surgical procedure where a thin flexible cable called laparoscope with a camera at one end is inserted through tiny incisions. This is used to look at the pelvic organs or take tissue samples.

Another diagnostic technique recommended by doctors is the hysteroscopy where a small camera is placed through the vagina into the uterus. This is useful in diagnosing abnormalities that may be the cause for the pain originating inside the uterus.

Treatment

The doctor, after diagnosing the cause, might opt for the following Pelvic Pain Treatment options:

Non-Surgical Treatment Option : the doctor usually recommends the following as part of this treatment option:
- Drugs
- Painkillers
- Birth Control
- Antibiotics
- Antidepressants
Surgical Treatment Option : A doctor might opt for surgery if the pelvic pain in the patient is caused by endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, etc. when compared to an infection. The surgical procedures that the doctor recommends depend on the diagnosis of the patient. Some of the medical procedures that are usually performed for pelvic pain are:
- Laparoscopic deep excision surgery : is the most extensive surgical procedure that is performed to remove all scar tissue, especially in cases caused by endometriosis and focal adenomyosis.
- Myomectomy : helps in removing the fibroids helping in relieving pelvic pain.
- Hysterectomy : is usually considered as a last resort for cases of pelvic pain. This surgical procedure is usually performed to remove the patient’s uterus either partially or completely. It is necessary only in cases of pelvic pain caused by severe, diffuse adenomyosis.