Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
close window
Housecall Archives
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffSeveral gynecologic problems may be the source of chronic pelvic pain. However, other diseases can cause pelvic pain, such as irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial cystitis. In addition, psychological factors may contribute to your pain.
Some of the more common causes of chronic pelvic pain include:
- Endometriosis. This is a condition in which tissue from your uterine lining (endometrium) grows outside your uterus. These deposits of tissue respond to your menstrual cycle, just as your uterine lining does — thickening, breaking down and bleeding each month as your hormone levels rise and fall. Because it's happening outside your uterus, the blood and tissue can't exit your body through your vagina and become trapped in your abdomen. This can lead to painful cysts and adhesions (fibrous bands of scar tissue).
- Tension in your pelvic floor muscles. Spasms or tension of the pelvic floor muscles can lead to recurring pelvic pain.
- Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. This can occur if a long-term infection, often sexually transmitted, causes scarring involving your pelvic organs.
- Pelvic congestion syndrome. This condition may be caused by enlarged, varicose-type veins around your uterus and ovaries.
- Ovarian remnant. During a complete hysterectomy — surgical removal of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes (salpingo-oophorectomy) — a small piece of ovary may be left inside, which can later develop tiny, painful cysts.
- Fibroids. These noncancerous uterine growths may cause pressure or a feeling of heaviness in your lower abdomen. They rarely cause sharp (acute) pain unless they become deprived of nutrients and begin to die (degenerate).
- Irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome — bloating, constipation or diarrhea — can be a source of uncomfortable pelvic pain and pressure.
- Interstitial cystitis. Chronic inflammation of your bladder and a frequent need to urinate characterize interstitial cystitis. You may experience pelvic pain as your bladder fills, which may improve temporarily after emptying your bladder.
- Psychological factors. If you are depressed, experience chronic stress or have been sexually or physically abused, you may be more likely to experience chronic pelvic pain. Emotional distress makes pain worse, and likewise living with chronic pain makes emotional distress worse. So chronic pain and emotional distress frequently get locked into a vicious cycle.
References
- Chronic pelvic pain. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/033.html. Accessed Jan. 8, 2009.
- Chronic pelvic pain. International Pain Society. http://www.pelvicpain.org/pdf/Patients/CPP_Pt_Ed_Booklet.pdf. Accessed Jan. 8, 2009.
- Pelvic pain. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp099.cfm. Accessed Jan. 8, 2009.
- Howard F. Evaluation of chronic pelvic pain in women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 8, 2009.
- Chronic pelvic pain. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?ss=15&doc_id=10940&nbr=5720&string=. Accessed Jan. 8, 2009.
- Howard F. Treatment of chronic pelvic pain in women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 8, 2009.
- Gallenberg MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 16, 2009.
