Pelvic Pain
Pelvic pain is pain in the pelvis, genitals, tailbone or during sex, in women and in men. It is often linked to pelvic floor muscles that are too tight rather than too weak, and physical therapy can work alongside your gynecologist or urologist. We treat pelvic pain in Chubbuck, Idaho, for patients from Chubbuck and Pocatello.
Pelvic pain is real and treatable
Pain that sits deep in the pelvis can be hard to describe and hard to talk about. Often it comes from muscles and connective tissue in the pelvic floor that stay clenched, like a fist that cannot let go. Tight muscles get irritated, tender and sometimes spasm, and they can refer pain to the hips, back and genitals.
Your doctor makes the diagnosis and rules out other causes. We treat the muscle and movement part, and we keep your doctor informed. The overview is on pelvic floor therapy.
Pelvic pain in women and in men
Pain in women
Pelvic pain and pelvic floor dysfunction, abdominal adhesions and pain, vulvodynia, vestibulitis, vaginismus, bladder pain and interstitial cystitis, and scar pain after a C-section or episiotomy.
Pain in men
Pelvic pain in men is often chronic prostatitis, also called chronic pelvic pain syndrome, with pain in the perineum, testicles, penis or lower belly, and pain with sitting or urinating.
Painful sex, tailbone pain and more
These are the concerns we hear most.
Painful sex
Pain during intercourse, called dyspareunia, can come from muscles that tighten before or during sex, as in vaginismus. Physical therapy works on relaxing and coordinating those muscles, at a pace you control.
Tailbone pain
Coccyx pain, or coccydynia, often hurts most when sitting or getting up. We check the muscles and joints around it and teach positions and cushions that ease pressure.
Pudendal neuralgia
Burning or sharp pain along the pudendal nerve, often worse when sitting. We look for muscle tension and posture habits that irritate the nerve.
Endometriosis pain
Physical therapy is part of care alongside your doctor and does not replace medical treatment of endometriosis. It can address the muscle guarding that builds up around the pain.
The back, the hips and the pelvis are one system
Pelvic pain often overlaps with back pain, hip pain and piriformis syndrome, so we check how your spine, hips and pelvis move together. See Back Pain and Hip Pain for those problems, and Chronic Pain if the pain has lasted a long time and your nervous system has become sensitive to it.
During pregnancy and after birth, pelvic pain has its own causes. See prenatal and postpartum care.
How we treat pelvic pain
We use a gentle approach: education, manual techniques and exercise, adapted to you.
- Manual therapy for the pelvis, hips and low back
- Pelvic floor relaxation, also called down-training
- Trigger point therapy for tender muscle knots
- Biofeedback, breathing and relaxation to calm a guarded body
- Pain science education, so pain makes sense and loses some of its fear
- Dry needling for tight hip and low back muscles, when it fits
Pelvic pain questions
Do I need an internal exam?
Not necessarily. Your therapist will talk with you about which options fit your situation, and nothing will be done without your agreement.
How long will it take?
Visits typically last 30 to 60 minutes. Long-standing pain usually needs more time than recent pain, and you are re-evaluated regularly.
Do I need a referral?
Idaho allows direct access to physical therapy, so you do not need a referral from a doctor to begin. Some insurance plans, and Medicare typically, may still require one. If you are unsure, call us and we will check your plan.
See a doctor first or go to the ER if you have
- Sudden, severe pelvic pain
- Fever with pelvic pain
- Heavy or unusual bleeding
- Blood in your urine or stool
- Pain in the pelvis during pregnancy that comes with bleeding or fluid leaking
We accept most insurance plans and verify your benefits before you arrive. Auto injury liens, Medpay and workers compensation are accepted, and there is a self-pay option. Call the office to confirm your plan.
Pelvic pain care in Chubbuck, Idaho
Call or request an appointment at our Chubbuck clinic. We see patients from Chubbuck, Pocatello and the surrounding area.
We see patients at our Chubbuck clinic from Chubbuck and Pocatello, Idaho.