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Visceral Dysfunctions
Caused by organs within the pelvis, these dysfunctions include:
Interstitial Cystitis
Interstitial cystitis – painful bladder syndrome – is a chronic condition that affects an estimated 1 million Americans. While it can affect children and men, it mostly affects women. Interstitial cystitis can have a long-lasting adverse impact on your quality of life.
The signs and symptoms of interstitial cystitis vary from person to person. In addition, the symptoms of each affected person may vary over time, periodically flaring in response to common triggers such as menstruation, seasonal allergies, stress and sexual activity.
Interstitial cystitis symptoms include:
- A persistent, urgent need to urinate.
- Frequent urination that occurs both during the day and during the night, yet which may pass only small volumes of urine each time. People with severe interstitial cystitis may urinate as often as 60 times a day.
- Pain in your pelvis (suprapubic), or between the vagina and anus in women, or the scrotum and anus in men (perineal).
- Pelvic pain during sexual intercourse. Men may also experience painful ejaculation.
- Chronic pelvic pain.
More than 15 percent of people affected by interstitial cystitis experience only symptoms of pain. At least 30 percent experience only frequent, urgent urination. Most, however, experience both pain and frequent, urgent urination.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disorder of the female reproductive system, in which the endometrium – which normally lines your uterus – grows in other places as well. Most often, this growth is on your fallopian tubes, ovaries or the tissue lining your pelvis.
When endometrial tissue is located elsewhere in your body, it continues to act as it normally would during a menstrual cycle: It thickens, breaks down and bleeds each month. Because there is nowhere for the blood from this displaced tissue to exit your body, it becomes trapped, and surrounding tissue can become irritated.
Trapped blood may lead to cysts, scar tissue and adhesions — abnormal tissue that binds organs together. This process can cause pelvic pain, especially during your menstrual period. Endometriosis also can cause fertility problems.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive organs.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease usually occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from your vagina to your uterus and upper genital tract. Pelvic inflammatory disease may also develop when bacteria travel up a contraceptive device or when bacteria are introduced during gynecologic procedures.
Many women who develop pelvic inflammatory disease either experience no signs or symptoms or don't seek treatment. Pelvic inflammatory disease may be detected only later, when you have trouble getting pregnant or if you develop chronic pelvic pain.
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