Just about every woman has experienced some form of pelvic pain during her life, whether acute or chronic. Acute pelvic pain is problematic, but you shouldn't ignore chronic discomfort either.
Understanding your body and the causes of chronic pelvic pain allows you to figure out how to treat the issue. Getting to the root cause of the problem will enable you to know when to seek professional treatment for long-term pain relief.
At Collaborative Women's Care in Miami, Florida, Dr. Eduardo Valdes and his team provide care and evaluations for various women's health issues, including chronic pelvic pain. Dr. Valdes is a board-certified OB/GYN who offers personalized treatments and concierge care to all his patients.
Have you ever felt a stabbing or achy sensation in the lower abdomen? If so, you could have felt pelvic pain, which is a common issue among women. But what exactly is pelvic pain?
Pelvic pain affects the area where the reproductive organs sit and can be acute or chronic. If you have chronic pelvic pain, it can last for more than six months, with symptoms that may come and go or worsen in intensity.
Women living with chronic pelvic pain suffer from various symptoms that range from mild to severe. The discomfort related to chronic pelvic pain may be:
Sometimes, pelvic pain may be mild and come and go or be so severe it takes over your life. It can make you miss work or prevent you from enjoying exercise and other activities. The good news is that we can treat many forms of pelvic pain once we get to the root cause of the problem.
Pelvic pain happens for many reasons; it could be simply bloating from a meal you ate earlier or a severe infection of the reproductive organs. The cause of pelvic pain often determines the symptoms you experience.
Many women experience pelvic discomfort around their menstrual cycle, which is normal. However, there are other causes of pelvic pain as well, and they include:
Women with pelvic pain typically assume that their symptoms are coming from their reproductive organs, which isn't always true. Back problems, urinary tract issues, and gastrointestinal distress can all contribute to pelvic discomfort.
Diagnosing the root cause of pelvic pain may require a few tests and a physical exam. Dr. Valdes will discuss your symptoms when they started and any other pertinent information about your pelvic pain.
Dr. Valdes provides various tests and procedures to get to the bottom of your pelvic pain symptoms. A few of the tests we provide include:
Blood testing gives Dr. Valdes information on your overall health, including the presence of an infection. A urine test may be necessary to rule out a urinary tract infection or pregnancy, both of which can lead to pelvic pain.
A physical exam is an essential aspect of diagnosing pelvic pain. Dr. Valdes performs an internal exam, along with cultures for STDs and a Pap smear, to rule out other issues.
Imaging studies are vital to diagnosing a condition. They may include an ultrasound, CT scan, and X-rays of the abdomen and pelvis. These tests show Dr. Valdes your internal tissues to find areas of concern or inflammation.
A hysteroscopy is a procedure Dr. Valdes utilizes to visualize inside the uterus to find any concerns. It's a simple procedure with little downtime that helps us come to a diagnosis.
A laparoscopy is another procedure that allows us to look inside your abdomen and pelvis to see the structures and any issues that could be causing pelvic pain.
It may take one or more diagnostic tools for Dr. Valdes to come to a diagnosis. However, once we find the cause of your pelvic pain, we can give you the proper treatment for your needs.
To learn more about our pelvic pain treatments, call our office today at 305-200-3878 or schedule a consultation with Dr. Valdes online.
