Pelvic Pain Explained: Real Answers for Real Symptoms

Pelvic HealthChronic PainReproductive Health
Written By Krista Merrell

Chronic Pelvic Pain Is Real — And You Deserve Better Than “Just Deal With It”

Let’s get one thing straight: chronic pelvic pain isn’t in your head — and you’re definitely not alone. Millions of people (yes, millions) are living with stabbing, aching, bloating, burning pain… often without clear answers or a diagnosis that makes sense.

And because pelvic pain doesn’t always show up on a scan, it’s often ignored, minimized, or flat-out misdiagnosed. But pain that affects your period, your sex life, your gut, your energy, and your mental health? That’s real. And it’s worth taking seriously.

This guide was created to help you understand what might actually be going on in your body, advocate for better care, and learn how to start tracking symptoms that could uncover the full picture.

Whether you’re newly frustrated or chronically gaslit, you’ve found a place that sees your symptoms and listens to your story. Your pain is valid. And no — you don’t just have a “low pain tolerance.”

What Is Chronic Pelvic Pain?

Chronic pelvic pain is pain in the lower belly area (between your belly button and hips) that persists for more than 3 to 6 months. This pain can:

  • Be constant or sporadic

  • Occur with or without a menstrual cycle

  • Be associated with activities (e.g., sex, urination, bowel movements) or occur at rest

  • Be localized (specific area) or generalized (spread across the pelvic region)

Pelvic Pain Isn’t Just One Thing — And It Doesn’t Just Affect One Part of You.

Chronic pelvic pain can come from multiple sources — your reproductive organs (like the uterus or ovaries), your bladder, the pelvic floor muscles, or even the nerves that connect it all. It’s complex, and it rarely stays in one lane.

This kind of pain can seep into every part of your daily life — draining your energy, shifting your mood, disrupting your sex life, and leaving you physically and emotionally exhausted.

If your pain only shows up during your period, it could be something more specific — like primary dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) or a menstrual-related condition like endometriosis. Pain in areas like the vulva or perineum (the space between the vagina and anus) may feel similar, but those conditions are often categorized differently from chronic pelvic pain.

Understanding the where and when of your pain is the first step toward finding answers — and the right kind of support.

Is My Pelvic Pain Actually Something Deeper?

Pelvic pain isn’t a condition — it’s a clue.

It can signal a range of underlying issues across your reproductive, urinary, digestive, or musculoskeletal systems. Sometimes, it’s even tied to emotional health. And in many cases, the cause isn’t obvious — but that doesn’t make it any less real.

Here are some of the most common conditions linked to chronic pelvic pain:

Reproductive Causes:

  • Endometriosis: Tissue like the lining of the uterus grows on other parts of the body, causing chronic pelvic pain.

  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: A previous infection in the reproductive organs leaves behind lasting pain.

  • Ovarian Cysts: Fluid-filled sacs on the ovaries that can hurt if they grow or burst.

  • Adhesions: Scar tissue inside the pelvis that can pull on organs and cause pain.

  • Adenomyosis: The lining of the uterus grows into the muscle of the uterus, making periods heavy and painful.

  • Fibroids (Leiomyomas): Non-cancerous lumps in the uterus that cause cramping and pressure.

Urinary Causes:

These symptoms involve the bladder, kidneys, or urethra (your urinary tract). Common signs include frequent urination, pain or burning when peeing, and sometimes blood in the urine.

  • Bladder Pain Syndrome: Ongoing bladder pain and the need to pee often, even without an infection.

  • Kidney Stones: Hard lumps that form in the kidneys and hurt when they move.

  • Bladder Foreign Body: Something stuck in the bladder that shouldn't be there.

  • Urethral Diverticulum: A small pouch in the urethra that can cause pain, leaks, or a lump.

  • Urine Flow Problems: Trouble peeing, like a slow stream or feeling like you didn’t finish, can come from something blocking the flow.

Digestive Causes

These symptoms point to your digestive system — like your stomach or intestines. If you're dealing with abdominal pain along with things like diarrhea, constipation, or blood in your stool, a GI issue could be the culprit.

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Belly pain with changes in bathroom habits, like going too often or not enough.

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn’s or colitis that cause long-term inflammation in the gut.

  • Celiac Disease: A reaction to gluten that harms the small intestine.

  • Diverticulitis/Colitis: Swelling or infection in the colon.

  • Constipation or Colon Cancer: Ongoing issues with pooping or more serious illnesses.

Musculoskeletal Causes

These involve muscles, bones, or joints.

  • Myofascial Pelvic Pain: Muscle knots in the pelvis that cause pain and pressure in nearby areas like the thighs or hips.

  • Fibromyalgia: A condition that causes widespread pain in muscles and joints all over the body.

Emotional Causes

Your mental health and physical pain are connected — seriously connected. Anxiety, depression, past trauma, and stress don’t just affect your mood; they can amplify pain and make it tougher to manage or treat.

Unknown Cause

Sometimes, there’s no obvious cause doctors can pinpoint — but that doesn’t mean your pain isn’t real. It just means it’s harder to diagnose. Pay attention to any other symptoms you’re experiencing, even if they seem unrelated. They could be the missing pieces your provider needs to see the full picture.

Steps to Start Feeling Better (Yes, Even Today)

Let’s be honest — working through chronic pelvic pain can feel like trying to solve a mystery with no clues and zero help. Overwhelming? Absolutely. But here’s the good news: you can start making sense of it today.

One of the most powerful tools? A good old-fashioned (or app-powered) symptom tracker. Logging your pain helps you spot patterns, connect the dots, and have way more productive convos with your healthcare provider. Not sure what to track? Start with questions like:

When do you usually notice the pain?

  • Does it show up more at certain times of day?

  • Is it linked to your period — before, during, or after?

  • Does it tend to flare up during activities like eating, using the bathroom, having sex, exercising, or trying to sleep?

What does the pain actually feel like?

  • Would you describe it as sharp, dull, cramping, or burning?

  • Does it stay constant or come and go?

  • How long do the episodes last?

  • How strong is the pain, on a scale of 1 to 10?

Where do you feel the pain?

  • Is it in one exact spot or spread out across a larger area?

  • Does it always hurt in the same place, or does it shift around?

What affects your pain levels?

  • Are there things you’ve noticed make it better or worse — like movement, rest, certain foods, or stress?

  • What medications or remedies have you tried so far, and did they help at all?

What Can Help Chronic Pelvic Pain? It Depends (Annoying, We Know)

There’s no one-size-fits-all fix for chronic pelvic pain — if only it were that easy. The right treatment really depends on what’s actually causing your pain (which, spoiler: can take time to figure out).

That said, there are some common options worth bringing up with your doctor, including:

  • Pelvic floor physical therapy

  • Medications to manage pain or inflammation (e.g., Ibuprofen, Tylenol)

  • Hormone treatments (hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy)

  • Changes to diet 

  • Stress management

It might take some trial and error, but there is a path forward. Talk to your doctor and figure out what works for you.

You Deserve Relief (Like, Real Relief)

If you’re living with chronic pelvic pain, here’s what we need you to know:
Your pain is real. You are not alone. And no — you don’t have to keep powering through without answers.

You deserve to be heard, understood, and supported by tools that actually make sense for what you're going through.

✨ Enter: the Lasa Health® app — your go-to for tracking symptoms, spotting patterns, learning what’s actually going on in your body, and connecting to support that gets it. It’s more than just an app — it’s a resource, a community, and one very important step toward feeling like you again.

Resources & Support

Lasa Health® is dedicated to supporting people suffering with endometriosis through personalized care, education, and a community.

Here's how we help:

  • Our mobile Lasa Health® app creates individualized plans to help manage endometriosis, offering insights into symptoms, treatment options, and at-home flare-up strategies.

  • Our 24/7 chatbot, provides instant answers to questions, suggests coping strategies, and assists with pain management techniques like pelvic floor and breathing exercises.

  • An AI-powered online Endometriosis Assessment Tool helps users understand their symptoms and receive guidance on next steps toward diagnosis.

  • Online support groups provide a platform for people to share patient stories and foster a sense shared experience among those affected by endometriosis.

References

Krista Merrell
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