Pain Education Makes a Difference
Pain education helps manage pain and improve quality of life
WHY IS EDUCATION ABOUT PELVIC PAIN NEEDED?
Chronic pelvic pain can cause disability that is severe enough to prevent work and activity, and it can interfere with relationships and social interactions. Pelvic pain is a complex symptom that can be caused by many, and sometimes overlapping, conditions. To make matters worse, most people who live with persistent pelvic pain do not have access to a clinician who specializes in pelvic pain.
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When people have chronic pain, they worry that they may have serious conditions like infections or cancer, but that is rarely the case in chronic pain. Instead, chronic pain is generally caused by less familiar conditions like 'myalgias' and 'neuralgias'. There are also some conditions that are gender specific, so they occur only in females, like 'endometriosis', 'dysmenorrhea', and 'vulvodynia'.
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Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to reduce pain and help improve your quality of life. Your ability to manage your pain, and to get help from your clinicians, depends a lot on how much you know about pain.
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In 2019, the US Department of Health and Human Services stated that education about pain is vital to improve pain care and deliver effective, pain management that focuses on your needs.
DHHS, May 2019
Below, you will find some basic information about chronic pelvic pain. If you are interested in learning more, complete the entire educational module that is composed of videos, frequently asked questions and resources. All you have to do is to browse the above menu to embark on a journey of healing and make a major difference in your life.
BASIC FACTS ABOUT CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN
About 1 out of 10 women in the United States have chronic pelvic pain. More than 16 million women have persistent pelvic pain.
Chronic pelvic pain can be caused by many conditions.
4 out of 10 people with chronic pelvic pain have more than one cause.
Untreated pelvic pain can have many negative consequences, such as problems with sleeping, fatigue, memory, concentration, physical activity, and social relationships. It can also cause anxiety and depression.
There are many options for treatment that can improve quality of life. Treatment often requires multiple interventions over time.