Chronic pelvic pain in women is a common form of chronic pain.
In men it is less common. Chronic pelvic pain is often a mixture of visceral (internal organ) pain, neuropathic pain, and other contributors such as muscular pain.
Chronic pelvic pain presents in a wide group of ages. Patients have often seen multiple experts and sometimes had multiple operations to try and diagnose and treat the problem. Pelvic pain may be associated with bladder/urinary symptoms such as pain passing urine and over active bladder. The condition can be highly disabling physically and psychologically.
Your NIPM doctor will evaluate the likely causes of pain, and develop a treatment plan for improving quality of life and if possible reducing pain.
Treatment plans are coordinated with patient's other practitioners outside NIPM such as the general practitioner, gynaecologist, and physiotherapist.
Strategies may include:
- Physical therapy and psychological strategies to improve function and quality of life when living with chronic pelvic pain.
- Optimising medication use.
- Pain management procedures can be useful for reducing pain levels in chronic pelvic pain.
