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Pelvic Pain & Inflammatory Conditions

Living with pelvic pain can be distressing, debilitating, and demoralising experience. Finding a practitioner to help you diagnose the often-confounding symptoms of pelvic pain can feel all-consuming, typically taking years with women often made to feel like it’s “in all in their head.” Understanding the relationship between emotional distress and pelvic pain can be a liberating experience in navigating your pelvic pain journey.

Understanding pelvic pain:

Pelvic pain is pain that originates from your lower belly to above your legs. A number of conditions can lead to pelvic pain including reproductive, digestive, urinary, sexually transmitted disease, musculoskeletal issues nerve damage, sexual trauma.

Common causes of pelvic pain:

Painful periods - occurs when the muscles of the uterus contract, feeling like cramping or a heaviness in the pelvic area, lower back or stomach. Despite it being a common feature of getting your period, if the pain is severe, it could be an indicator of something more serious, such as endometriosis. Period pain lasting longer than the first two days of your period, does not improve with period pain medications, that gets in the way your normal daily activities, is not considered normal and a reason to see your GP.

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Endometriosis - cells similar to endometrial cells lining the uterus grow in other parts of the body - most typically but not confined to the pelvic area such as the lining of the pelvis; on the bowel, bladder; ovaries and just about any other organ of the body. These cells cycle through the same menstrual changes as those inside the uterus; unlike period blood leaving the body via the uterus, these cells build up, resulting in pain, scarring and inflammation.

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Adenomyosis - similar to endometriosis, however endometrial cells implant into the muscular wall of the uterus.

Irritable Bowel Disease - can cause painful bloating sometimes in the response to eating particular foods.

Uterine fibroids - noncancerous tumours that grow in the uterus can cause heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding; bleeding between periods; pelvic pain or pressure; frequent urination or difficulty urinating; constipation.

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Urinary tract infections & bladder pain - causes burning sensation when weeing and/or lower abdominal pain, lower back pain. Left untreated can lead to bladder and/or kidney infections.

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Vulval pain - can be caused by skin irritation, infections, inflammatory skin conditions, tissue damage related to surgery or childbirth and other causes.

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Vulvodynia - a chronic condition that can last for months or years, associated with pain, discomfort or a burning sensation in the vulva. Pain can be triggered by touch to a specific location or across the entire vulva. 

Frozen pelvis - persistent pelvic muscle pain causing extreme and persistent muscle spasms. It can feel like you have constant cramp in your pelvis.

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Pelvic inflammatory disease - is a bacterial infection of the upper reproductive tract in women is usually caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia, gonorrhoea. It can affect the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. 

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Pelvic girdle pain - a condition causing pain and mobility problems during and after pregnancy. During pregnancy the hormone relaxin softens the ligaments around the joints of your pelvis, enabling it to open in preparation for childbirth. This is an essential process, however, for some women the effect of relaxin on the ligaments can be intense, destabilising the joints of the pelvis.

Psychosocial impact of pelvic pain:

Pelvic pain can be so severe for some women - pain may be sharp; hot; heavy; dull; or stabbing occurring at any location within the pelvic region; may also radiate from the lower back; vagina or rectum. Pelvic pain may occur during or after penetrative with sex or while attempting to use tampons.

The psychosocial impact of pelvic pain can be significant, studies consistently show women experiencing pelvic pain are more vulnerable to depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, relationship difficulties, disruption of daily activities, and a reduced quality of life due to the constant stress and discomfort associated with chronic pain in the pelvic region; this is especially prevalent when the pain is persistent and the cause remains unclear. 

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Emotional distress - chronic pelvic pain can lead to feelings of frustration, helplessness, and hopelessness, increasing the risk of developing depression and anxiety. 

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Social isolation - pain and discomfort, individuals may avoid social activities, leading to social withdrawal and feelings of isolation. 

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Relationship difficulties - pelvic pain can negatively affect intimacy and sexual function, leading to strain in romantic relationships. 

 

Impact on work and daily life - pelvic pain can interfere with daily routines, work productivity, and ability to participate in hobbies and activities. 

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Body image issues - pelvic pain can be associated with negative body image, particularly related to sexuality. 

Almost 20 years ago, in my womanly yoga practice - mamashanti -  struck the phrase “Yin and Yang of Life-Long Pelvic Floor Integrity” to describe my approach to pelvic health.  It's a phrase that has resonated with hundreds of women, recognising as it does the fundamental truth that we are fluid beings and our emotional well-being, self perception and physical health are equally fluid over our life-times.  

There are times when we feel strong, toned and very much in control of our bodies and maybe even our lives.  Other times have us feeling fatigued and somewhat diminished in our personal outlook.  As a whole person, you know your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic health are intimately entwined.  I see, pelvic health as being equally and essentially wrapped in over-all health and well-being.  

Womanly Counselling for pelvic pain is trauma oriented practice​, in recognition of female sexual assault statistics and that women store emotional and physical trauma deep within their pelvic core.  

My practice integrates Trauma Focussed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (TFACT) with somatic psychotherapies created for my Pelvic Floor Rx program to offer you a place to be sincerely seen and heard in your pain and tools of breath awareness, subtle and effective somatic movement to help you find a place of acceptance and healing on your own terms.

Recognising that your pelvis is not separate from your whole body, therefore a natural consequence of engaging with these practices will be felt in your capacity to accommodate each moment in your cycle/ life-stage; building energetic and emotional reserves; stimulating circulation; soothing tired mind and frayed nerves; boosting immunity; improving sleep; moderating your metabolism and building healthy emotional boundaries. The vitality of your precious pelvis affects this all!

Holistic Women's Counselling & Somatic Psychotherapy Appointments:

In Person Appointments:

Thursdays: Twentynine - 29 High Street Kyneton

Fridays: Kundalini House – 391a St Georges Road Fitzroy North

Telehealth Appointments:

Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays

To make an appointment, please contact Nina 0432078899

I acknowledge the traditional owners of this beautiful, fertile land on which I live and practice - the Wadawurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung and Taungurung people. I pay my respects to all first nations people and elders, both past, present and emerging. I recognise sovereignty of these lands was never ceded.

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© 2025

Nina Isabella

womanly counsellor

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