Acute pelvic pain
Acute pelvic pain starts up and lasts for quite a short while (from just a few minutes up to a couple of days). It is usually a warning sign that something is wrong. Always have acute pelvic pain promptly evaluated at your IPSA Medical clinic.
Chronic pelvic pain
Chronic pelvic pain can be either intermittent or fairly constant. The intermittent chronic type of pelvic pain often has a specific cause, whereas constant pelvic pain can be due to more than one specific problem.
Your IPSA Medical pelvic pain consultation
During your IPSA Medical pelvic pain consultation, your pain symptoms will be taken seriously. Your specialist IPSA Medical physician will run through your symptoms with you, take your medical history and carry out a physical exam in IPSA Medical’s confidential, client-centred and conducive clinic setting. You should always visit to your IPSA Medical clinician with either acute or chronic pelvic pain. Because pelvic pain can stem from wide-ranging causes, your IPSA Medical physician might carry out diagnostic testing during your pelvic pain consultation.
Acute pelvic pain
Acute pelvic pain is caused by inflammation or by an infection and requires a prompt evaluation at your IPSA Medical clinic.
There are numerous non-reproductive causes for pelvic or lower abdominal pain:
- Bladder infections
- Bowel infections
- Diverticulitis
- Kidney stones
- Bladder stones
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Muscle spasms/strains
- Appendicitis
Other causes of acute pelvic pain include:
- Vaginal infections
- Vaginitis
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Ectopic pregnancy, starting in the fallopian tubes outside the womb, with pain usually starting on one side of the abdomen shortly after a missed period, and sometimes involving vaginal bleeding/spotting. It can be life-threatening and may require surgical intervention.
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Ovarian cysts, involving a sharp pain when cysts bleed or leak fluid, or an even sharper, continuous, more severe pain if a larger cyst twists or ruptures. Most small cysts dissolve of their own accord, whereas larger cysts and non-dissolving cysts may need surgical intervention.
Chronic pelvic pain
Chronic pelvic pain can be either constant or intermittent. Intermittent pain usually has a specific cause, whereas constant pain can be due to more than one medical problem. Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), endometriosis, ovulation pain and adenomyosis can produce chronic pelvic pain. Occasionally, over time, intermittent pelvic pain can become constant as the problem worsens. A change in pelvic pain intensity can also be linked to a lowering of your pain-coping ability, even if the underlying issue has not worsened.
Women with endometriosis, severe infections, PID or following surgery can experience chronic pelvic pain from scar tissue/adhesions formed during the healing process. Fibroid tumours (non-cancerous growths usually in the uterus) are often asymptomatic, but symptoms can appear (e.g. pelvic pressure/pain and menstrual abnormalities).
Pelvic pain diagnosis and treatment at your IPSA Medical clinic
Pelvic pain diagnosis requires a process of elimination and so your IPSA Medical clinician might order a series of tests, which may seem time-consuming, but this has been shown to be the best approach for determining the issue/s underlying your pelvic pain. Some possible tests include:
- Ultrasound imaging
- A colonoscopy
- Computed tomography (CT)
- A barium enema
- A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
- A laparoscopy (for adhesions/endometriosis)
The treatment that your IPSA Medical clinician will provide depends on your diagnosis. The pelvic pain treatments vary, from medications for urinary tract infections (UTIs) or vaginal infections to pharmacological treatments for some of the more serious infections (e.g. PID). Your partner will also require treatment if you present with an STD.
As your IPSA Medical clinician works with you to diagnose the exact cause for your pelvic pain, it can prove frustrating, and you will be counselled to remain positive. Even when no specific reason can be found, your IPSA Medical physician has pelvic pain treatments that will help. At your IPSA Medical clinic, a client-centred approach alongside open working relationships with clients enables your clinician to find the best pelvic pain treatment for you.
To book your same-day IPSA Medical pelvic pain consultation, phone IPSA Medical or make your booking online.
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