Let’s talk about pelvic pain
Dr Louisa Gilles
Let’s talk about chronic pelvic pain in women! This is an umbrella term that may refer to many different conditions. Chronic means persistent, usually it has been present on most days for at least 6 months. Pain refers to an “unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage”.
Pain may be present with periods, related to bowel or bladder function, with intercourse, on and off or all the time. It may be located inside the pelvis or could be in the vagina or vulva.
All these conditions can be distressing, may affect your ability to do what you want in life, and may be difficult to talk about.
What causes pelvic pain?
There are many possible causes for pelvic pain which may affect internal organs, muscle, nerves, vulval skin or lining of the vagina.
Severely painful periods (dysmenorrhoea) are part of this picture, and this is a bigger problem in young women than it was previously. Our grandmothers experienced less periods than young women do today, as they often had their first pregnancy at a young age, and then had many years without periods while pregnant or breastfeeding so were less likely to be troubled by painful periods.
Severe period pain is NOT something girls or women need to endure, and in fact, early treatment to control painful periods can be important in preventing chronic pain conditions later on. Period pain can be caused be endometriosis and other underlying medical conditions.
You may also be surprised to know that there is a link between chronic pelvic pain and other pain syndromes, such as migraines, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome.
What can be done to treat pelvic pain?
Pain is a complex phenomenon, and many factors can contribute to it. While quick fixes are not always possible, the good news is that our knowledge about pain conditions is expanding over time, and there are many helpful treatment options available. A good place to start is to look at the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia website here and book a long appointment with a GP with an interest in this area to discuss your concerns.
Dr Louisa Gilles has extensive experience in women’s health and reproductive and sexual health. Read more about Louisa and book and appointment here.
