Chronic Pelvic Pain: 5 Injections That Can Offer Relief

Chronic pelvic pain is common but sometimes difficult to discuss with others and complicated to diagnose. Studies estimate that up to 33% of women of childbearing age experience chronic pelvic pain, which is defined as pain associated with the pelvic region that lasts for more than six months. This type of pain can have a significant impact on physical activity, sleep, and sexual relations.

The root of chronic pelvic issues can be challenging to diagnose because there are often multiple causes of this pain. In about half of cases, there are one or more associated conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, endometriosis, or pelvic adhesions. In fact, the presence of both endometriosis and interstitial cystitis is a common issue. 

Treatment options range from lifestyle changes and over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories to injections and surgery. If noninvasive therapies haven’t produced relief and you don’t want to go through surgery, injections are effective at helping you get back to living your life without pain and discomfort. 

At Commonwealth Pain & Spine, we offer effective in-office treatments for chronic pain. Here are the top injection options for pelvic pain that one of our specially trained board-certified physicians can discuss with you.

Nerve block

Nerve blocks are a minimally invasive way to treat chronic pelvic pain. During a nerve block treatment, one of our doctors uses injection therapy to deliver medications to one or a group of nerves to block pain signals and ease or eliminate your pain.

Ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric block

The ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric nerves start at the first lumbar nerve on each side of your body. These small nerves run together through your abdominal wall to your pelvis. Both nerves provide sensation to areas in your groin. Ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric blocks can help treat persistent pain after inguinal surgery or groin trauma.

Hypogastric plexus block

The hypogastric plexus is a bundle of nerves near the bottom of your spinal cord. A hypogastric plexus block can help prevent those nerves from carrying pain information from your colon, bladder, lower intestines, uterus or ovaries, prostate or testicles, or other parts of your pelvis.

Ganglion block

A ganglion block, also called sympathetic block, helps treat pain stemming from your sympathetic nervous system — the nerves that radiate from your spine throughout the rest of your body.

Trigger point injections

Trigger points are tight knots in your muscles. Unlike common muscle tightness, when your muscles can’t relax to release these knots, it can lead to chronic pain.

Trigger point injections are injections of small amounts of anesthetic and steroid to help relax the muscle knots and reduce inflammation. Trigger point injections can be especially helpful in treating myofascial pelvic pain syndrome, which is characterized by pelvic floor muscle spasms. 

For more information on finding relief from chronic pelvic pain, call for an appointment with the experts at Commonwealth Pain & Spine. We have offices conveniently located in Louisville, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Crestview Hills, Owensboro, London, and Carrollton, Kentucky. We’re also located in Evansville, Vincennes, New Albany, and Jasper, Indiana, and, most recently, in Mt. Carmel, Illinois.