What Exactly Do We Mean By "Pelvic Pain"?

It's is a term that you may hear about and may have read a lot about. If you have pain somewhere in “that area” that is hard to describe, you have probably already done some research online to try to figure out what is wrong. You may have even found some possible suggestions as to how to solve this problem.
 
But how do you know whether what you have is Pelvic Pain?

When we say "pelvic pain", we’re talking about a number of different problems, with one term, so let’s break it down.

Pelvic pain can be anywhere between the level of your low back or navel, all the way down to the lower part of your hips and buttocks.
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So this includes:

• Pain in the pelvic joints. These are the sacroiliac joints in the back of the pelvis, and the pubic symphysis, where the two halves of the pubic bone come together. This kind of pain is very common among women during pregnancy and after childbirth, but many other people experience it at various times.
• Pain in the vagina or vulva for women, also called vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, or vestibulitis. This pain may occur only with vaginal penetration - such as sexual intercourse, tampon use, or gynecologic exam – or may happen at other times such as sitting, walking, urinating, or wearing tight clothing.
• Bladder pain, which can happen when the bladder is full or getting full, or with activity. It can cause a strong sense or urinary urgency, or needing to go to the restroom very frequently. This may be diagnosed by a urologist as interstitial cystitis (IC), or as prostatitis in men.
• Pain in the anus or rectum, with sitting or having a bowel movement. This may also be labeled prostatitis when it occurs in men.
• Pain deep in the inner, lower buttock, or deep in the lower part of the groin, or very lower abdomen. It can feel like this pain is coming from deep inside the pelvis and is hard to locate. This may also be labeled prostatitis if a man is experiencing it.
• Pain in the perineum, testicles, or penis for men. This may occur during or after sexual activity, or may be related to other activities like exercising, sitting, urinating, or having a bowel movement. This too may be called prostatitis in men. (See a theme here?)
• Tailbone pain, also called coccydynia. This can result from a fall or childbirth, but sometimes shows up for no apparent reason.

 
Whom do you know who is experiencing one of these problems? What have you done to try and address it? Are you feeling like you are out of options, or just don’t want to talk to anyone about it, preferring to wait and hope it goes away?
At Fundamental PT, we can help with all of these types of problems - in fact, we specialize in them! With the right training and years of experience, we work day in and day out, to lift the veil of mystery and secrecy surrounding pelvic health, in order to connect people to their opportunities for excellent health and quality of life. In fact, that is our stated purpose for being here.
 
We love discussion and interaction around this topic, so leave your thoughts or question in the comments right down below.
 
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