Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is described as noncyclical pain lasting 6 months or more affecting the pelvis, anterior abdominal wall, lower back, or buttocks. It is a worldwide problem affecting women of all ages.(1) It can lead to lower physical performance and quality of life in women.
When pain becomes persistent, maladaptive neuroplastic changes can occur resulting in upregulation and decreased ability of the nervous system to detect tissue damage. (2) This sensitization of tissues can lead to nonplasticity, where the sensation of pain occurs in uninjured and unthreatened tissues.
Finding a way to reduce your pain might be a process of trial and error. Pain management comes down to being prepared to deal with symptoms before they start.
Here are some things you can try to help manage your symptoms:
- Try yoga: Yoga has been established as an effective pain management technique for persistent pelvic pain. Yoga postures can help stretch the pelvic floor muscles as well as stretch and strengthen the hip and back muscles. The evidence suggests that patients should be open to incorporating 3 to 5 hours of yoga practice per week for 6 to 8 weeks to achieve the best results.
-Practice diaphragmatic breathing: This is a simple and effective strategy to reduce pain through relaxation of your nervous system, abdominal muscles and pelvic floor.
– Give meditation a try: Can help to address the sensitization of the nervous system, decrease sympathetic nervous system activity, inflammatory markers, and cortisol levels, in addition to an increase in strength, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory capacity.
- Try to get enough high-quality sleep: There is increasing evidence to suggest that sleep deprivation can amplify pain, so it’s important that you do all you can to get as much sleep as possible.
If you struggle with chronic pelvic pain, seeking assistance from a specialized pelvic floor physiotherapist is highly recommended.
REFERENCES:
- Saxena R, Gupta M, Shankar N, Jain S, Saxena A. Effects of yogic intervention on pain scores and quality of life in females with chronic pelvic pain. Int J Yoga. 2017 Jan-Apr;10(1):9-15. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.186155. PMID: 28149062; PMCID: PMC5225749.
- Yang S, Chang MC. Chronic Pain: Structural and Functional Changes in Brain Structures and Associated Negative Affective States. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jun 26;20(13):3130. doi: 10.3390/ijms20133130. PMID: 31248061; PMCID: PMC6650904.