Pelvic Pain Treatment in Guelph & Wellington County

Most individuals who experience pelvic pain suffer in isolation. They’re hesitant to disclose their concerns to their healthcare professionals for fear of the unknown or the likely pelvic examination, and are often reluctant to even speak to their partners out of embarrassment or concern about how it may affect their relationship.

Pelvic pain can have an explanation, and is most often caused by dysfunction such as tightening or shortening of the pelvic floor muscles, fascia, and ligaments. When these muscles are functioning optimally, they help maintain urinary and fecal continence and allow for pain-free, pleasurable intercourse.

When the pelvic floor muscles become hypertonic (holding increased tension) or develop trigger points, this can result in urinary symptoms such as increased frequency, urgency, painful urination, or incomplete emptying of the bladder; bowel dysfunction such as constipation, diarrhea, straining, or pain with bowel movements; unexplained shooting or sporadic pain into the low back, pelvic region, hips, or genital area; and pain during or after intercourse, orgasm, or sexual stimulation.

Common causes of pelvic pain

A number of factors can contribute to or accompany pelvic pain, including:

• Constipation, which can be both a cause and an effect of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction
• Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction, which can lead to irritation in the lumbar spine and pelvic region
• Surgical trauma, which can change the strength and integrity of the pelvic floor musculature
• Psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, reduced self-esteem, and decreased quality of life

Medical diagnoses for Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain can stem from a number of specific conditions, including:

• Interstitial cystitis / painful bladder syndrome — pain, frequency, and urgency
• Endometriosis — tissue that lines the uterus grows outside of it, on other organs or structures in the body
• Myofascial trigger points (hypertonic muscles) — pain in the pelvic floor region, along with urinary urgency and frequency
• Vulvodynia — a broad category of pelvic pain that can include vestibulodynia (pain at the vestibule, or “front porch,” of the vagina), vulvodynia (pain in the superficial tissues of the vulva), and clitorodynia (pain at the clitoris)
• Dyspareunia and vaginismus — painful vaginal intercourse, or an inability to achieve penetration due to pain
• Pudendal neuralgia — irritation of the nerve that supplies the rectum, vagina or penis, perineum, and mons pubis, often aggravated by excessive sitting or activities like cycling

How we treat Pelvic Pain

Through our Path to Improved Health, we address the causes of your pelvic pain using:

• A comprehensive health history, along with an internal and external assessment of your pelvic region — including pelvic floor muscle tone, your ability to contract and relax the muscles, a biomechanical assessment of your lower back, hips, and sacroiliac joints, and an assessment of your abdomen for soft tissue dysfunction, including diastasis rectus abdominis
• Hands-on release or lengthening techniques to address tissue health in the pelvic floor region, followed by strengthening exercise once tissue health has improved
• Education on the progression of your strengthening and stretching exercises, as well as activities that can exacerbate your symptoms
• Persistent pain education, since the pelvic area is often where we hold stress — understanding how the pain system works can help reduce the threat of ongoing pelvic pain problems
• Therapeutic modalities when indicated, such as acupuncture, muscle stimulation, and biofeedback
• A home-based exercise program to maintain your progress after discharge, with follow-up support if your symptoms return or change

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