Introduction

Pelvic pain is defined as pain in the region of the body just below the belly button extending to the tops of the thighs and in the back in the region of the buttocks. There are both acute (occurring suddenly) and chronic (pain not associated with a woman’s menstrual period or caused by cancer that has lasted greater than 6 months) causes of pelvic pain. It is often associated with bladder and bowel dysfunction and sexual problems. Whether the initial insult is caused by an intrapelvic organ problem or not, the muscular response can become the ultimate culprit particularly in the persistance of pelvic pain.

If musculoskeletal diagnoses causing acute pelvic pain were made more definitively, chronic pelvic pain would not be as rampant. Some research supports that pregnancy and postpartum related pelvic pain can be the initial insult for those who develop chronic pelvic pain (CPP) issues. This article will focus primarily on chronic pelvic pain diagnoses and treatment because it can be a significant disabling pain condition.