When is Medication the Best Treatment for Chronic Pelvic Pain?

Most women are familiar with pelvic pain to some degree as menstrual cycles can lead to discomfort in this area each month. But chronic problems with pelvic pain typically signal a much larger issue that may require a higher standard of care, including medications.

At Commonwealth Pain and Spine Pain Management, our highly qualified team of health care providers offers a wide range of treatments that are designed to relieve pain of most every kind, including chronic pelvic pain.

While there are many effective treatments for chronic pelvic pain, here’s a look at when medications may provide the best solution.

Behind chronic pelvic pain

Women are no strangers to chronic pelvic pain — about 15% of women of childbearing age in the United States reported having pelvic pain that lasted at least six months.

Because your pelvis houses most of your reproductive organs, as well as the lower portion of your digestive system and your urinary tract, there are any number of issues that can lead to chronic pain, including:

• Endometriosis
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Uterine fibroids
• Ovarian cysts
• Interstitial cystitis
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Pelvic adhesions
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Kidney stones

Also, conditions like fibromyalgia can also lead to ongoing issues with pelvic pain.

Finding the right treatment for chronic pelvic pain

Thanks to the sheer number of potential causes of chronic pelvic pain, our first order of business is to diagnose the source. Once we have a better understanding of what’s causing your chronic pelvic pain, we can get started on helping you find much-needed relief, which is our goal as pain management specialists.

In many cases, we recommend starting out conservatively with medications before we consider more aggressive solutions, such as injections that can help block the pain.

If you haven’t tried them already, we recommend anti-inflammatory medications including ibuprofen, which you can find over the counter. If your pain doesn’t respond to these milder medications, we may move on to a muscle relaxer or a prescription painkiller to keep your pain at bay. Also, certain antidepressants have been shown to help with chronic pelvic pain and we’re happy to explore this treatment option with you.

If your pelvic pain is caused by an untreated infection, we will add antibiotics to your medication mix to clear up the problem.

Ultimately, using medications to treat your chronic pelvic pain accomplishes just that — treating your pain. You should note, however, that pharmaceutical management of your pain won’t address the underlying cause. In these cases, we ensure that you get the treatment you need for longer-term results.

If you’re tired of chronic pelvic pain interfering with your quality of life, we invite you to sit down with one of our pain management specialists to discuss your options. To get started, simply contact one of our 12 locations in St. Matthews, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Crestview Hills, Owensboro, and London, Kentucky; Evansville, Vincennes, New Albany, Carrollton, and Jasper, Indiana; and Carmel, Indiana, to set up an appointment.