Chronic Pelvic Pain

Trusted Care for Pelvic Disorders

Lahey Clinic specialists have the training and experience to diagnose your condition and provide patient-focused treatment. Our specialists continuously work to better understand the conditions that cause long-term pelvic pain and discomfort.

About Chronic Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain is any pain that lasts more than six months. Chronic pelvic pain often leads to:

• Physical symptoms such as pain and difficulty sleeping
• Other medical problems such as depression
• Lost income or difficulties at work due missing work or decreased productivity
• Strain in relationships 

Common Causes of Chronic Pelvic Pain

Experts at Lahey care for common causes of pelvic pain. We also care for other reproductive health conditions that can cause pelvic pain, such as:

Diagnosing and Treating Pelvic Pain

Lahey has advanced diagnostic equipment to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis. From there, your gynecologist will work closely with you to develop a personalized care plan based on several factors, including your condition and your personal goals. For treatment to be effective, it often needs to treat the body and the mind.

Chronic pelvic pain is commonly caused by more than one problem. When multiple problems are contributing to pain, it is important to use multiple forms of treatments.

Treatment may also mean seeing providers from more than one specialty. It is common for women to need a combination of gynecology, urology and urogynecology, gastroenterology, pelvic floor physical therapy, and pain psychology working together to manage multiple sources of pain.

This coordinated approach is so important that patients can now be seen through the Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic, where appointments with gynecology, urology and pelvic floor physical therapy are streamlined for more convenient, comprehensive care.

Pelvic Pain Treatments

Treatment options may include:

Discuss your symptoms and goals with your doctor. Your doctor will be able to connect you with providers in our endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain multidisciplinary team.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

The pelvic floor includes the hip bones and different layers of muscle and ligaments. The pelvic floor acts like a hammock to support the pelvic organs, including the uterus, bladder and rectum. If the muscles become overactive, strained or uncoordinated, it can cause pelvic pain. This pain may cause the muscles to fail to contract, relax or work together.

Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include:

Pelvic floor dysfunction is often linked to other pelvic diseases, such as endometriosis, bladder pain syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and vulvar pain. Pelvic floor dysfunction can also be caused by repeated straining, such as with bowel movements.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Treatments

Treatments can include:

Pelvic floor dysfunction often requires a mix of treatments in addition to physical therapy. Physical therapists can help you set goals and develop an individualized treatment plan. That may include patient education, manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, postural training and breathing exercises.

If you also have chronic pain, other treatment methods may help, such as: