What is pelvic pain?
When you experience pain in the lowest part of your pelvis or lower abdomen, it’s considered pelvic pain. This type of discomfort is often due to digestive, urinary, or reproductive system issues.
Pelvic pain can vary from person to person and be:
- Sharp or dull
- Intermittent or constant
- Mild, moderate, or severe
- Localized or radiating into the lower back, buttocks, or upper legs
- Triggered by certain activities, like urinating or having sexual intercourse
Both men and women can experience pelvic pain because of urinary issues, hernia, irritable bowel syndrome, or pudendal nerve entrapment. But, there can also be unique causes depending on your gender as well.
What causes pelvic pain in women?
Women can develop chronic pelvic pain for several reasons, including:
- Ovulation or menstruation
- Ovarian cysts
- Endometriosis
- Uterine fibroids
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies
It’s also possible to have chronic pelvic pain because of the muscles and connective tissues in your pelvic floor. This condition is known as myofascial pain.
What causes pelvic pain in men?
A male-specific cause is prostatitis. Prostatitis occurs when your prostate gland becomes swollen and inflamed. In many cases, this inflammation is due to a bacterial infection, but sometimes the exact cause is unknown.
If you have prostatitis, you might have symptoms that include:
- Pain or burning while urinating
- Pain in your groin, abdomen, or lower back
- Pain between your rectum and scrotum or in the penis or testicles
- Pain with ejaculation
It’s also common for men with prostatitis to have urinary changes like increased frequency and urgency and difficulty urinating.
How do you treat pelvic pain?
At Innovative Pain Solutions Centers, Dr. Forsythe and Dr. Oppong use the most advanced pain management treatments to control chronic pelvic discomfort. Depending on your symptoms and the cause of your pain, they might recommend:
- Medication management, like pain relievers, antidepressants, or antibiotics
- Nerve blocks to deliver medication directly to the nerve triggering your pain
- Physical therapy to address muscular issues in the pelvic floor
If you’re living with chronic pelvic pain, call Innovative Pain Solutions Centers or schedule an appointment online today.
