Are you experiencing pelvic pain? Among the obvious symptoms, that is, pelvic pain, there are other symptoms that can be felt and experienced when you have pelvic pain.
The reason I wanted to write this blog is because I want you to know that the things that you are experiencing have been experienced by others, and you are not alone. I also want you to know that pelvic floor therapy can help you address pelvic pain, but also the other symptoms that you are experiencing.
This blog will talk about those symptoms and specific body systems.
What Counts as Pelvic Pain?
Pelvic pain commonly refers to discomfort felt in the lower abdominal area, pelvic girdle, buttocks, low back, or groin.
It may present as brief episodes, occur sporadically, or persist as a chronic condition. Pelvic pain can feel achy, sharp or dull, localized or referred. Pain can also arise during the menstrual period, intercourse, or other daily activities.
Common Pelvic Pain Symptoms in Women
While pain is the primary symptom, it can occur alongside other symptoms. These can include urinary dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, or other musculoskeletal pain.
We’ll dive into each of these categories, and more, below.
Pain With Intercourse
Painful intercourse, or dyspareunia, is categorized as superficial (pain at the vaginal opening upon insertion) or deep (pain with deeper penetration).
Pain may be aggravated with movement, positions or with pressure to external tissue (clitoris, vulva, perineum, or anus). Sometimes pain may occur post-coitally.
Pain may also stem from vaginal dryness that results from a drop in estrogen levels. Vaginal estrogen cream can help reduce dryness and thinning of vaginal tissue and further reduce pain with intercourse.
Pain With Periods
Pain during periods, or dysmenorrhea, can occur during or around the time of the period and may feel like intense cramping at the uterus.
Primary dysmenorrhea is cyclical in pattern and tends to be severe during the first day of the period with continued discomfort for several days.
Secondary dysmenorrhea, which can be constant and not always sync with your period, is due to an underlying pathology. This can include endometriosis, adenomyosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, fibroids, polyps, cysts, and IUD complications.
Bladder and Bowel Symptoms
Bowel symptoms commonly coexist with pelvic pain, especially constipation. Our pelvic floor muscles have to lengthen when evacuating stool and pelvic pain can make this a challenge. People may experience feelings of incomplete emptying, straining, hemorrhoids, urgency, incontinence, or pain during bowel movements.
Urinary symptoms can also be present and may include urinary urgency, frequency, incontinence, incomplete emptying, hesitancy, or painful urination.
Pain With Sitting, Exercise, or Daily Activities
Pelvic pain can result in discomfort with various activities, including sitting, exercising, lifting, or other daily activities.
It is important for the pelvic floor muscles to contract and relax completely during all of these activities.
When the muscles are tense, they are unable to effectively respond to load and can cause further pelvic floor dysfunction, such as leakage or prolapse.
Pain with prolonged sitting or sitting on a hard surface is typical with tailbone pain, pudendal neuralgia, hemorrhoids, or pelvic floor hypertonicity due to increased pressure on tight muscles, inflamed structures, or irritated nerves.
Symptoms After Pregnancy or Childbirth
Postpartum or post-pregnancy symptoms can include lower back pain, tailbone discomfort, and pelvic girdle pain (pain at the sacroiliac joint(s) or pubic symphysis).
Upper back pain from frequent lifting and carrying or bottle/breastfeeding is also frequently experienced.
Possible Causes Behind These Symptoms
The root of pelvic pain is often multifactorial, stemming from the musculoskeletal, gynecological, urological, gastrointestinal, psychological, and/or neurological systems.
Among these systems, certain underlying diagnoses can contribute, such as endometriosis, IBS, or fibroids. Upon exam, we commonly find the pelvic floor muscles have increased muscle tone, but finding why the tension is there helps us discover the root cause of the pain.
When to See a Pelvic Health Provider
If any of these symptoms are familiar to you, you may benefit from seeing a pelvic floor specialist.
Despite pelvic pain being common, it is not normal. Finding relief can help you return to the activities you enjoy most!
Where to Find Treatment for Pelvic Pain in Monterey
If you are located in Monterey or surrounding areas, we offer pelvic floor therapy and our clinicians can help you find relief from chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
Pelvic pain is one of our specialties in the clinic, and we see many patients who experience pelvic pain, either primarily or secondarily to another injury or diagnosis and we’d love to help you.
To get started, you can request an appointment by submitting our contact form or calling our clinic directly.