Most people will have some pain with their period for at least 1-2 days of their cycle. Management with pain relief can include heat packs and pain medication like Ponstan and Paracetamol.
If your period causes you to have a day off school or work, further investigation is warranted, and it is best to speak to your GP. If you have already spoken to your GP, your next step is to be referred to the clinic’s gynaecologists, Dr Pat or Dr Kate
Period Pain
Endometriosis
This is a common disease where the tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. It can cause varied symptoms such as painful periods, deep pain during sex, painful bowel movements, back pain and difficulty conceiving.
If your GP is worried about your pelvic pain they may send you along to discuss further investigation.
Ultrasound can be very useful in investigating female pelvic pain but sometimes an operation called a laparoscopy is needed as well. This is keyhole surgery to look into the pelvis to investigate, and treat, pelvic pain.
At laparoscopy we can sometimes see many inflamed black spots on the ovaries, tubes or the pelvic lining. This is endometriosis. In most cases endometriosis can be removed in the same operation and the patient can go home the same day.
Adenomyosis
Uterine Fibroids
This is when the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows into the muscular wall of the uterus.
Symptoms may include heavy periods, painful sex and ongoing chronic pelvic pain that isn’t linked to the menstrual cycle.
This is a non-cancerous tumour that grows in and around the uterus. Most fibroids, or myomas, don’t cause pain. For some people though, they can cause pain or pressure in the pelvis, period pain, painful sex and frequent urination. For others, they can cause fertility issues and issues in pregnancy.
Ovary Pain
Ovulation pain is pain on one side of the pelvis which occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle. The pain might last minutes or hours and is generally temporary and requires no specific treatment. Ovarian cysts are a common problem. They can cause bloating, pressure or and/or pain.
“By the time women with pelvic pain seek help many may have been putting up with it for a long time.” – Dr Patrick Moloney
Ongoing pain around the bladder can be a combination of inflammation of the bladder, the nervous system and pelvic floor muscles. Patients can experience pain with the bladder filling and frequent urination or experience ‘UTI’ like symptoms.
Bladder Pain
Irritable bowel syndrome
This is a gut disorder that cause pain and symptoms, including constipation, diarrhoea and bloating. We see this sometimes in combination with reproductive symptoms and needs a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.
Muscular and Bone pain
The pelvis has a complex system of muscle, bones and nerves. Issues such as overactive pelvic floor muscles, pelvic girdle pain and pudendal neuralgia can be stand alone issues or combined with other causes of pelvic pain.
