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Persistent pelvic pain

The pelvis (or lower abdomen) is the area below your belly button and between your hips. It’s where your bowel, bladder, ovaries, uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes are. In your pelvis, there are also muscles and joints, such as your pelvic floor muscles, abdominal wall and muscles around your hips, bottom and back.

Pelvic pain is quite common. It can be short term (acute), lasting from a few days to a few weeks, or it can become persistent (chronic).

Persistent pelvic pain (PPP) is pain in your pelvis that is felt most days and lasts for more than six months. This type of pain is complex and can be influenced by many things, including:

If you have pelvic pain, it’s important to see your doctor. It can take some time to diagnose persistent pelvic pain. It might also take time to learn how to manage it.

Learn more about persistent pelvic pain, including how it develops, where you can get help, and what you can do to manage your pain.

Persistent (chronic) pelvic pain (PPP) is pain in your pelvis or lower abdomen – the area below your belly button and between your hips. Persistent pelvic pain is felt most days and lasts for more than six months. It affects about 15% to 25% of women. It may be even more common in young women. Sometimes the pain is a symptom of other conditions, but it can also become a condition of its own. Read more

Persistent (chronic) pelvic pain (PPP) is a complex condition. Many things may contribute to this type of pain, including: biological factors (e.g. physical health conditions, inflammation and hormones)psychological factors (e.g. how you think about pain and how pain impacts your sleep and mood)social factors (e.g. relationships, social connections and work environments). It’s important to remember that your pain is real, no matter what is causing it. Read more

Some people find their pain gets better without treatment. Others need to work at reducing their pain over time. Everyone is different and there is no ‘one way’ to manage persistent (chronic) pelvic pain (PPP). It’s a complex process to diagnose persistent pelvic pain. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may refer you to different healthcare professionals (e.g. gynaecologist, pain specialist, physiotherapist, psychologist). If other obvious causes of pain are not found, your healthcare team may diagnose chronic pelvic pain syndrome. This process can take time. Read more

It’s important for you to learn about persistent (chronic) pelvic pain (PPP) and different strategies that may help you. Research suggests that learning about pain can lead to a gradual reduction in pain. It can help you understand your pain and find ways to manage it better. Read more

There are many things you can do to manage your persistent (chronic) pelvic pain. In addition to your treatment plan, you can try practical strategies. Read more

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This con­tent has been reviewed by a group of med­ical sub­ject mat­ter experts, in accor­dance with Jean Hailes pol­i­cy.

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