When Is Pelvic Pain a Sign of Disease?

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The menstrual cycle is a built-in part of the female experience and it usually comes with cramps. As a result, most women experience pelvic pain, often monthly. In fact, discomfort in the pelvic area can become so commonplace that women ignore it.

That could lead to issues, though, since this pain could indicate a bigger problem, like a disease.

With expertise in gynecology — and specifically in pelvic pain — Rachel Spieldoch, MD, FACOG, Jennifer Kolle, PA-C, and our team at McDowell Mountain Gynecology can help you find out what’s causing your pelvic pain. Then, we can address it — whether it’s a disease or something else — to bring you relief.

Causes of pelvic pain

Pelvic pain can come from common issues like dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) or a urinary tract infection (UTI). But it can also be a symptom of a range of conditions, including:

A problem with a pregnancy
Crohn's disease
Endometrial tissue problems, including endometriosis and adenomyosis
Interstitial cystitis
Kidney stones
Ovarian cysts
Ovulation pain (mittelschmerz)
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Uterine fibroids
Vulvodynia

Clearly, a lot could be at play if you’re experiencing pain in your pelvis. That becomes even truer if your pain is chronic and doesn’t seem to tie to your menstrual cycle. If you experience persistent pain that doesn’t ease during certain times of the month and has lasted six months or more, talk to our team.

Figuring out the cause of your pain

Here at our office, Dr. Spieldoch and our team can assess whether your pain comes from a disease — like endometriosis or PID — or something else. We may use a laparoscope, which is a thin tube with a camera at the end that we insert into your vagina. This allows us to see what’s going on inside your body.

With a wide range of diagnostic tools at our disposal, we can figure out what’s going on inside your pelvis to cause your discomfort. From there, we tailor a treatment plan for you. In some cases, conservative treatments like medication or hormone therapy may bring you relief.

If your pain comes from something specific in your pelvis (like a large ovarian cyst, for example), Dr. Spieldoch may recommend minimally invasive surgery to remove it. We can perform any procedure you need right here at our in-office, state-of-the-art surgical suite. And using the latest technology and techniques — like da Vinci robot-assisted surgeries — allows Dr. Spieldoch to perform your procedure with fewer or no incisions, fewer risks, and a shorter recovery period afterward.

Ultimately, if you have pelvic pain, it could be a sign that your body’s dealing with a specific disease. Don’t ignore your discomfort. Instead, schedule an appointment with our team by calling our office or booking online today.