Chronic pelvic pain may be one of the most misdiagnosed, elusive and perplexing conditions. Social and cultural taboos often add to the problem because many people, even health professionals, are reluctant to discuss the issue with complete candor.  Many doctors tend to label it a psychological issue, if they cannot find a problem that they consider significantly severe to match the level of pain reported by the patient.  Men and women may both suffer from pelvic pain.  However, women are often offered more options for solutions than are men, even if those options do not eliminate the pain.

In the female, the pelvis contains many organs including the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.  In the male, the pelvis contains the prostate, vas deferens, testes and other reproductive organs.  The bladder, intestine and appendix are right next to the reproductive organs and sensations from them may be felt as pain in the pelvis. Soreness from the kidneys, muscles, joints, nerves and abdominal wall may also be felt in the pelvis.  There are major muscle groups that are present in the pelvis, which may cause painful conditions.

Many times pelvic pain is often dismissed as "normal functioning" of the reproductive or other organs.  We at Windsong believe that any incidence of pain is not "normal" and requires investigation.

Severe pelvic pain should receive immediate medical attention to rule out ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, appendicitis, cysts, and tumors.  Any of these conditions may be life threatening and need immediate attention.

Endometriosis, fibroid tumors, adhesions, and scar tissue may also cause severe pain, but are not considered emergencies.  Some women experience pain at the time of ovulation.  These conditions may develop into chronic pelvic pain and may benefit from the specific manual therapy techniques we use at Windsong Therapy and Wellness.  Physicians will often treat these conditions in women with medication to stop ovulation, which may result in further complications and side effects in the body.

Some type of cysts, known as "functional ovarian cysts" are fluid filled sacks that will go away without any treatment.  Sometimes an egg follicle will retain fluid and cause the cyst.  There is usually a little bit of bleeding into the area from which ovulation occurs.  This can cause retention of fluid and become a painful cyst.  They will go away without treatment, though the use of specific manual techniques to improve circulation and help the area drain may hasten resolution.  It is difficult to diagnose these types of cysts, that is why most cysts in pre-menopausal women are observed by doctors for 6 to 8 weeks before surgery is recommended.

Many women experience pain at the time of their menstrual period.  Minor cramping may not require any intervention but severe pain during this time may indicate a physical imbalance in the body.  Windsong Therapy and Wellness can return the body to balance and apply specific manual techniques that may improve or eliminate the pain.

Men may experience a condition known as "Prostatitis".  It is characterized by a chronic tension, often accompanied by muscle spasms, of the "Levator Ani" muscle.  This causes pressure on the delicate prostate gland and may result in severe pain. Symptoms may vary.  Some men may experience sexual dysfunction, while others may not.  Some men may have difficulty with urination, but others do not.  Drugs and electrical stimulation have not proven effective for relieving this type of pain.  Specific manual techniques used at Windsong Therapy and Wellness can reduce the tension, relieve the spasms and alleviate the pressure on the prostate gland, thereby eliminating the pain.

Chronic pelvic pain may be debilitating.  It may have a devastating effect on sexual relations and impact all areas of a person's life.  Many times medicine cannot diagnose an exact cause of the pain and treats it with various pain relievers and narcotics.  The organs in this part of the body are very delicate.  Fascial restrictions and adhesions in this area may be the cause of much of this undetermined pain.

Adhesions and restrictions may be caused by scar tissue from surgery (including hysterectomies, cesareans, episiotomies and vasectomies) or injury.  Some injuries that do not seem serious at the time, may still begin the process of healing that results in a restriction or torsion which then creates pain.  Repetitive stress injuries may also be the cause of adhesions or restrictions.  One type of common repetitive stress injury results from prolonged periods of sitting.  Particularly in men, prolonged sitting creates significant perineal compression, which starves the urethra, bladder and prostate of blood and compresses the pudendal nerve.  A sexually transmitted disease, sexual abuse, a fall, damage to the coccyx bone, excessive exercise, a punch, a bang, or a cut may be all it takes to begin the cycle that creates adhesions and results in chronic pain.  The pain may be steady or come and go with conditions that may be determined or undetermined by the sufferer.

Physicians may use both relaxation exercises and physical therapy to treat chronic pelvic pain. However, neither of these approaches look at the fascial system, the posture and balance of the body to determine if there is a structural cause for the pain.  If the patient has fascial restrictions that prevent them from doing the physical therapy exercises properly, they may result in even more pain. At Windsong Therapy and Wellness, the patient receives a thorough assessment and the body is balanced before any exercises are suggested.  If the patient does need to do some type of exercise, it will be incorporated with their daily functional activities so they are more likely to complete the exercise regularly and it does not negatively impact their lifestyle. 

This website last updated on 31 July 2010

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