
Chronic pelvic pain is pain in the area below your bellybutton and between your hips that lasts six months or longer.
Chronic pelvic pain can have multiple causes. It can be a symptom of another disease, or it can be a condition in its own right.
If your chronic pelvic pain appears to be caused by another medical problem, treating that problem may be enough to eliminate your pain.
However, in many cases it's not possible to identify a single cause for chronic pelvic pain. In that case, the goal of treatment is to reduce your pain and other symptoms and improve your quality of life.
When asked to locate your pain, you might sweep your hand over your entire pelvic area rather than point to a single spot. You might describe your chronic pelvic pain in one or more of the following ways:
In addition, you may experience:
Your discomfort may intensify after standing for long periods and may be relieved when you lie down. The pain may be mild and annoying, or it may be so severe that you miss work, can't sleep and can't exercise.
For more information checkout this Symptom checker.
With any chronic pain problem, it can be difficult to know when you should see a health care provider. In general, make an appointment if your pelvic pain disrupts your daily life or if your symptoms seem to be getting worse.
Chronic pelvic pain is a complex condition that can have multiple causes. Sometimes, a single disorder may be identified as the cause. In other cases, however, pain may be the result of several medical conditions. For example, a woman might have endometriosis and interstitial cystitis, both of which contribute to chronic pelvic pain.
Some causes of chronic pelvic pain include:
This article is written by Mayo Clinic staff. Find more health and medical information on mayoclinic.org.
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