PELVIC PAIN: CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN: FAST FACTS, MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

Fast Facts

· Researchers estimate that 12 percent to 20 percent of women have chronic pelvic pain.

· 10 percent of visits to gynecologists are for diagnosis and treatment of chronic pelvic pain.

· 30 percent of women with pelvic pain who have been referred to pain clinics have already had a hysterectomy.

· 20 percent of laparoscopies (lighted telescope placed into the abdominal cavity) are performed because of chronic pelvic pain.

· 25percent of women affected by chronic pelvic pain are bed ridden for close to three days a month.

· Almost 60 percent of women with chronic pelvic pain must limit their usual activity one or more days a month.

· As many as 60 percent of women with chronic pelvic pain never receive a specific diagnosis.

Myths and Misconceptions

Myth: The pain is all in my head.
Fact: There are many different physical causes of pelvic pain, including nerve disturbances, pelvic neuropathy, irritable bowel syndrome, hernia, interstitial cystitis, endometriosis, fibroids and more. Pelvic pain becomes chronic often because of changes in the nervous system, tissues or muscles. Chronic pain of any type is complicated by psychological factors such as depression or anxiety.

Myth: Only women suffer from pelvic pain.
Fact: Chronic pelvic pain is most common in women, but men may suffer from pelvic pain related to chronic prostatitis, chronic orchalgia or prostatodynia.

Myth: Only women who have been sexually abused suffer from pelvic pain.
Fact: 10 percent of all visits to a gynecologist are because of pelvic pain. Women who have never been sexually abused may develop chronic pelvic pain; however sexual abuse before age 15 is associated with later development of chronic pelvic pain.

Myth: There's usually only one cause of pelvic pain or one simple test to diagnose it.
Fact: Unfortunately, there are many causes of pelvic pain, and diagnosing it often is a process of elimination. Pelvic pain can result from diseases or disorders of the reproductive organs, urologic disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal diseases or disorders, and neuropathy.

Myth: There is no effective treatment; just live with it.
Fact: There are many ways to treat chronic pain and improve functioning and quality of life. People with chronic pelvic pain often find that their pain is best managed by a variety of treatments, including medications, surgery, injections, cognitive behavioral therapies, and more.

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