Common, but not normal
A pain that comes and goes, or never quite leaves. Low in the tummy, in the groin, the tailbone, the perineum. You have had blood tests, scans, perhaps been told “everything looks fine”. And yet it hurts.
We speak of chronic pelvic pain when pain has lasted more than six months. It is far more common than most people think, and it affects sleep, work, intimacy and mood. It is not imagined, and it is not something you simply have to learn to live with.
What may be at the root
Chronic pelvic pain rarely has a single origin. Often it is several things adding up:
- Pelvic floor muscles that are constantly tense. Muscles held tight for a long time become painful and can refer pain to the bladder, bowel, back or thighs.
- Visceral mobility. Surgery, caesareans, old infections or endometriosis can create adhesions that restrict the normal movement of the organs.
- Bladder and bowel. Constipation, irritable bowel or a painful bladder often go hand in hand with pelvic pain.
- Posture, pelvis and spine. An imbalance in the pelvis, a fall onto the tailbone or a pregnancy can change how loads are distributed.
- A nervous system on alert. When pain lasts a long time, the nervous system becomes more sensitive and starts to “turn up the volume”. Stress and tiredness contribute.
How we can help
We start by taking time: your story, the tests you have had, what makes it worse and what eases it. We assess posture, breathing, the mobility of your pelvis and abdomen and, with your consent, the pelvic floor.
Pelvic physiotherapy helps release muscle tension, restore coordination and give you tools for everyday life. Visceral osteopathy aims to restore mobility to organs and scars. Acupuncture may be a complement to help calm the nervous system. This care complements — and does not replace — your gynaecologist or GP, with whom it is important to keep talking.
What you can do now
- Practise diaphragmatic breathing. Five minutes a day, lying down, letting your tummy rise as you breathe in and your perineum soften.
- Use warmth. A hot-water bottle on your tummy or lower back can ease muscle tension.
- Keep moving, gently. Walking and calm stretching usually help more than staying still.
If this sounds like you, get in touch. Let us listen together to what your body is telling you.