Why live with pain if you don’t have to? If you’re experiencing debilitating, chronic pain, the Center for Complex Abdominal and Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CAPPS) at Celebration Health may be able to help you reduce it or even eliminate it altogether.
Endometriosis And Pelvic Pain
An estimated 1 out of every 10 women in their reproductive years is affected by endometriosis, which can cause mild to severe pelvic pain.
Endometriosis occurs when endometrial cells grow abnormally in a location other than the uterus. These tissues, which are known as endometriosis implants, can attach themselves to the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, outer surfaces of the uterus or intestines or the surface of the pelvic cavity. These cells can also attach onto other locations in the pelvis, though this is rare.
The cause of endometriosis isn’t completely understood, and many women never know they have the disease, unless it begins to cause pain. If pain is present, it is usually in the pelvic region and usually is worse during menstruation. The intensity of the pain can change from month to month and depends on the location of the endometriosis implants. For example, implants near pain-sensing nerves may cause more pain than ones farther away. Additionally, pain can come from the scarring created by the endometriosis implants.
Left untreated, endometriosis can cause infertility. The pain management specialists at the Center for Complex Abdominal and Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CAPPS) at Celebration Health can evaluate the role endometriosis plays in infertility issues. Infertility can be due to scarring in the pelvis which may be distorting or interfering with the reproductive organs, preventing fertilization.
Treatment for endometriosis varies. The overarching goal is to reduce the pain associated with the disease as well as enhance fertility. Doctors at the Center for Complex Abdominal and Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CAPPS) may recommend non-surgical or surgical interventions, depending on the nature and location of the endometriosis.
Medical options may include the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammation drugs to relieve pain, GnRH analogs, oral contraceptives or progestins. If the symptoms are severe and pain can’t be adequately controlled by medications alone, surgeons at the center may recommend a minimally invasive surgical procedure, especially in cases where the pelvic organs are distorted by the implants or there is an obstruction of the bowel or urinary tract.
If you are suffering from pelvic pain caused by endometriosis, doctors at the Center for Complex Abdominal and Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CAPPS) will be happy to conduct a thorough examination and discuss your options with you so that you can live life free of pelvic pain.
