Experiencing Pelvic Pain?

Get Answers and Get Relief!

At some point in her life, almost every woman will experience pelvic pain. It could be fleeting or chronic, and it could happen at any age. But often when women experience pelvic pain and talk about their symptoms to others, the reaction or lack thereof makes them less likely to bring it up again.

“It gets brushed off. It gets normalized,” said Dr. Jillian Babu of the OB/GYN Department at our Canandaigua Medical Group.

For example, she said, some might chalk the pain up to being a natural part of a monthly menstrual cycle, but “women aren’t supposed to have severe pain every month.”

Feeling as though what they’re going through is no big deal can cause women to stop talking to others about their pelvic pain altogether. It can also make them hesitant to seek answers. As a result, some go undiagnosed for years.

“With pelvic pain, I have an opportunity to make somebody feel heard as well as improve their quality of life,” Dr. Babu said, noting she was fortunate to train at the University of Rochester with Dr. Fred Howard, a world-renowned pelvic pain specialist. Working with Dr. Howard gave her the confidence and skill set to be able to pick apart the nuances of this condition.

According to Dr. Babu, much of what needs to be known can be discerned from the history surrounding the pain. The provider will need to know details about how the pain has changed over the course of time and how the pain is perceived in relation to the menstrual cycle (if they still have one). The provider will also want to learn about associated symptoms and try to determine what tends to trigger the pain, such as working a long day or lifting something heavy. Those are just a couple of the factors explored as the provider asks a slew of questions and in some cases orders tests.

“If they feel pain in their pelvic area, they immediately blame their uterus or their ovaries, but bowel, bladder and musculoskeletal issues can all cause pain that mimics gynecologic pain,” Dr. Babu said.

Endometriosis – a condition in which tissue similar to the inner lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus - is one of the more common causes of pelvic pain, affecting approximately 10 percent of women.

Pelvic floor disorders are another common cause. When that is the case, Dr. Babu said, women in our area are fortunate because Thompson Health’s Canandaigua Rehabilitation Services has Women’s Health Physical Therapist Kimberly Tonovitz.

Tonovitz has a Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy (CAPP-Pelvic) and the Certificate of Achievement in Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Therapy (CAPP-OB) through the American Physical Therapy Association’s Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy, not to mention many years of experience.

“Many of my patients need no other intervention other than a few visits with Kim. And this can drastically change their quality of life,” Dr. Babu said.

The goal with chronic pain is always to improve the quality of life and at least be able to decrease the intensity and the frequency of the pain. “In many cases, we can relieve the pain all together,” Dr. Babu said.

The bottom line, she added, is this: “The sooner you come in, the sooner we can help you find relief.”