Understanding Pelvic Pain: Enhancing Pain Education for Better Management

A recent research initiative at the University of South Australia is prioritizing individuals' firsthand experiences of pelvic pain to advance pain education, aiming to develop more effective pain management strategies and achieve better treatment outcomes (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
What women want: Female experiences to manage pelvic pain

Go to source). Persistent pelvic pain refers to ongoing pain in the lower abdominal region, often accompanied by symptoms related to gynecological issues, urinary tract problems, bowel dysfunction, sexual difficulties, or pelvic floor dysfunction.

Key Pain Management Concepts

In Australia, approximately half of women and individuals assigned female at birth endure persistent pelvic pain, with one out of every four individuals indicating that this pain interferes with their daily activities like work, studying, or physical exercise.

This study is hoping to improve this reality through pain education concepts that have been designed for and by females with persistent pelvic pain.

Using semi-structured interviews, the consumer-centric, qualitative study captures rich and nuanced experiences of 20 females with pelvic pain who had engaged in pain science education and seen improvements.

The study identified four important pain concepts that females say can help with pain management:

1. A sensitised nervous system can lead to overprotective pain - this concept is important as it provides a biological explanation for pelvic pain and validates that pain is real, and not ‘in your head’.
2. Pain doesn't always mean my pelvis is damaged (although sometimes it does) – it is important because it provides reassurance that not every flare up means your pelvis is damaged or getting worse and that tissue pathology (like endometriosis lesions) is just one piece of the pelvic pain puzzle.
3. How I think, feel, and 'see' my pain can make it worse – this concept speaks of how there are many factors that can influence pelvic pain. As such, there are many ways to manage pain beyond just medication or surgery.
4. I can change my pain... slowly - this concept was important because it provided hope and empowerment to pursue pain improvement as a viable goal.

The findings follow the announcement for a landmark South Australian inquiry into endometriosis, and the Australian Government’s 2022-23 Budget commitment of $58.3 million commitment to improving women’s health, in particular endometriosis and pelvic pain.

Transforming Pain Perception and Clinical Care for Persistent Pelvic Pain

UniSA researcher and PhD candidate Amelia Mardon says educating people about pain can help improve pain conditions.

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“Learning how pain works is pivotal to managing persistent pain. But while preliminary evidence suggests that pain science education can help women with persistent pelvic pain, there has been little information about what these consumers value learning,” Mardon says.

“This study addresses this gap by capturing people’s experiences of persistent pelvic pain and identifying what knowledge could help others.

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“By putting consumers’ voices, experiences, and opinions at the forefront of any intervention, we’re ensuring that pain education is relevant and aligned with their needs or priorities. Without that, it will just miss the mark.”

Reference:

1. What women want: Female experiences to manage pelvic pain - (https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2024/what-women-want-female-experiences-to-manage-pelvic-pain/)

Source-Eurekalert