Pelvis Pain

Pelvis pain" is a term that is rarely used by medical professionals, who prefer the term "pelvic pain" instead.

No matter what you call it, pelvic pain or pelvis pain, there is a long list of disorders, diseases and conditions that may be the cause.

In this article, we'll focus only on those that are most common. 

Signs and Symptoms of Pelvis Pain

Generally speaking, pelvic pain (or pelvis pain, if you prefer), refers to pain that occurs in the lower abdomen. In women, pelvis pain is often caused by disorders of the reproductive organs, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and pelvic adhesions. Both women and men can be afflicted by many other conditions that are not gender specific: these include intestinal, urinary or muscular problems.

Pelvis pain can sometimes be traced to anxiety, stress or depression. Here are some of the most common conditions that cause pain in the pelvis.

Appendicitis - inflammation of the appendix, which is a small pouch attached to the end of your large intestine on the right side. It can become inflamed, irritated or blocked, resulting in pelvis pain. Acute appendicitis, which means the appendix is so inflamed that it could burst, is a life threatening situation. Acute appendicitis is extremely painful.

Bladder Infections - A bladder infection occurs when bacteria gets into the bladder and multiplies in the urine. It is also known as a urinary tract infection or UTI. Bladder infections are more common in women then men.

Symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, burning sensation while urinating, and even pelvis pain when not urinating. Urine may be discolored.

Bladder Stones - These are small masses that crystallize in the urine, usually when urine becomes concentrated or stagnant for a long time. They can cause pelvis pain by irritating the bladder wall or blocking the flow of urine.

Endometriosis - This occurs when tissue that normally lines the uterus grows elsewhere the body, causing pain, irregular menstrual bleeding, and sometimes, infertility.

Colon Disorders - Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is abbreviated as IBS, is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea, often alternating with periods of constipation. IBS may be associated with emotional stress. Other conditions related to the colon include colitis, Crohn's disease, and diverticulitis.

Gallstones - These are pebble-shaped objects that form in the gallbladder or bile duct. composed of cholesterol, bile pigments and calcium salts. They can lodge in a bile duct and cause a blockage, resulting in pelvis pain.

Kidney Stones - These are similar to gallstones, but they form in the kidneys. When kidney stones drop down into the ureter between the kidneys and the bladder, they can block the flow of urine and stretch the ureter, causing extreme pain. The pain often presents in the mid-back, but may radiate down into the pelvis.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome - This type of pain centers around sensitive points in your muscles called trigger points. When these trigger points are located in your pelvis, they can hurt merely from the slightest touch, and the pain can spread throughout the entire muscle.

Ovarian Cysts - An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac inside the ovary, possibly related to ovulation disorders, tumors of the ovary, and endometriosis. Many times, ovarian cysts don't cause symptoms. But they may, in some cases, trigger pressure, swelling, or pain in the pelvic area, problems passing urine, abnormal bleeding, nausea or vomiting and breast tenderness.

Pelvic Adhesions - Pelvic adhesions are basically scars that appear after surgery, injury, infections or inflammation in the pelvis. Pelvic adhesions are permanent and adhesions remain in the body for life. They help hold together delicate organs in the pelvis and cause pain when stressed or strained in any way. Something as simple as a bowel movement can cause pain in an adhesion.

Referred Pain - Sometimes, pain in the pelvis doesn't even originate in the area where the pain is experienced. The pain can come from nerve problems in the spine which travel along nerve pathways to an area in the pelvis. When this happens, it's called "referred pain."

Uterine Fibroids - Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors within or attached to the wall of the uterus. This condition is often characterized by pelvis pain and bleeding between periods.

A Word About Pelvis Pain from Cancer

There are many organs and tissues located in the pelvis, and cancer may occur in any of them. Women must be especially vigilant about pelvis pain due to the possibility of tumors in the reproductive organs. Because the topic of cancer in the organs of the pelvis (and the pain they create), is so vast and so varied, it will be covered in other articles.