What causes pelvic pain in women?

Your pelvis is the area between the belly button and the hips. Most women may experience pain and discomfort in this region. Although some symptoms are common, several reasons cause pelvic pain. Either one or a combination of conditions causes pelvic pain. Proper diagnosis and treatment can help in relieving the symptoms by treating the underlying cause. Let us discuss some common medical conditions that cause pelvic pain in women.

The following medical conditions cause pelvic pain in women:

• Endometriosis: Sometimes, the tissue similar to the uterus lining grows on the outside of the uterus. This is referred to as endometriosis. This causes thickening on the uterine region that may extend to the pelvis. Women having endometriosis often experience pelvic pain and symptoms such as pain and cramps in the pelvis and abdomen, painful sex, ovulation, and urination, bleeding between the periods, bloating, and painful bowel movements

• Urinary tract infection: Bacterial infection of the urinary tract, kidneys, bladder, or urethra is a cause of pelvic pain in women. It is accompanied by frequent urination, cloudy and foul-smelling urine, pain and burning sensation while urinating, and lower back pain

• Pelvic inflammatory disease: Bacterial infection of the uterus, ovaries, and other reproductive organs causes acute pelvic pain. Additionally, you may experience pain during intercourse, urination and vaginal discharge, and fatigue. The scars of the infection of the reproductive organs cause chronic inflammation.

• Fibroids: Non-cancerous growths in the uterus may exert pressure on the uterine walls causing pain in the pelvis.

• Irritable bowel syndrome: An inflammatory condition of the large intestine may sometimes cause pelvic pain along with the classic symptoms of bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.

• Painful bladder: Interstitial cystitis is a painful bladder that often causes pelvic pain whenever the bladder is full.

• Pelvic congestion syndrome: Enlargement of veins around the uterus may cause pelvic pain in a few women.

• Muscular problems: In many women, the muscles and ligaments that hold organs such as the uterus, kidneys, bladder become weak or herniate. As a result, women with such conditions experience pelvic pain, accompanied by leaking urine, dragging of organs towards the vagina, and pain during sex and urination.

• Psychological reasons: Although there is no visible physiological reason or disease that may cause pelvic pain, sometimes, you may experience it. The reason might be emotional. It is often associated with anxiety, stress, and depression.

An accurate and early diagnosis of the exact cause of pelvic pain will help in relieving the symptoms. Medication, physical therapy, psychological counseling, and a collective patient-centered approach may help treat pelvic pain in women.