Pelvic Pain: Practical Ways to Manage Pain in Real Life
If you’ve found your way here, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with pelvic pain that doesn’t feel normal or manageable.
Heavy periods, pain that is intense, unpredictable, or exhausting.
Maybe you’ve been told it’s “just part of having a cycle"
It’s not.
Pelvic pain isn’t one condition. It’s often complex, multi-factorial, and unique to each person.
Pelvic pain can be caused by conditions that can be physically and emotionally draining and for many people, are underdiagnosed, misunderstood, or dismissed altogether.
Some of these conditions include:
Endometriosis
Adenomyosis
Primary Dysmenorrhea
Interstitial Cystitis
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Vulvodynia
And so many more...
This is a simple, realistic list of things that may help + a toolkit to help you feel more supported, more informed, and more in control. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t.
1. Track your cycle and symptoms
This is not just for you, although it is extremely helpful to notice patterns to your pain, menstrual blood volume and cycle length, it is also data that can be used by a specialist to help diagnose and treat.
2. Create a box (or bag) of items that help you and keep it somewhere in reach
When you are in pain, the last thing you want to do is go all around your home searching for your TENS machine or your wheat bag or your NSAIDs. Keep them all together so you can reach in and grab what you need when you need it.
You can even create a list that includes all the items in your toolkit and when they work for you. Save the guesswork when you are in pain and make it easy to remember what you need to reach for. This is about making pain easier to respond to, not something you have to push through
Inside the toolkit:
Your toolkit should be tailored to you built from things you know help your body in different moments. It's best to try different things at different times so you know what works for you and when. For example, a wheat bag may be great for you when you are resting but not so convenient when you need to rely on long-lasting relief or when you are on the go. What works at one time, may not be the best option another day.
A list of ideas to try, select a few that stand out to you:
-Pain Relief Tools
Heat: wheat bag, hot water bottle, electric heat pad
Cool: ice packs, cooling blankets, herbal balms/creams
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation or TENS (Tap 2.0 was designed specifically for pelvic pain and is great for taking on the go or using all day long when pain persists)
Over the counter meds: simple pain relief is most effective when you keep on top of dosage- read the packet and take as directed to reduce breakthrough pain
Prescribed medications: their purpose is to be hard hitting when you need it most, work with your GP or specialist to ensure you have what you need on hand
-Body-Based Support
Things like tigerbalm, a spikey ball for you to rub in to high tension spots, a shakti mat, relief patches, lycra wraps- sometimes it helps to actively touch your body and provide proprioceptive input to calm your nerves
-Environment & Comfort
Lifestyle aides: a showerstool to conserve energy, chairs placed strategically across your home for moments of rest, a favourite nook to cuddle up in- this makes your environment suitable for pain flares without needing to adapt in the moment
Comfort items: a weighted soft toy, an ipad pillow, colouring books, a favourite scented lotion- these things help you feel cared for and boost morale
-Emotional & Social Support
A support person: someone you can call or invite over when things get tough who 'just get's it' without needing too much explanation or direction
Online support: tailor your algorithm to serve you empowering and community-driven accounts so when you scroll you can also see credible and authentic experiences and ideas.
You’re not weak for needing support. You’re responding to pain. Pain is real.
3. Create daily habits that enhance your health and reduce the likelihood of flares.
Fall in love with the diet changes and lifestyle adaptations you need to make in order to calm symptoms. Need to be dairy free? Yes it sucks but you can also (try) to choose to fall in love with that almond milk ice cream your supermarket stocks.
Enable wellbeing by ensuring your pantry, clothes and daily product set you up for success. If alcohol is a trigger for your pain, keep delicious flavoured soda waters in your fridge that feel indulgent but don't disrupt your life. If coffee flares your pain find a decaf that tastes amazing so you don't feel hard done by or like you need to 'cut another thing out'.
4. Use period products that reduce pain
The products you use during your period can either support or worsen your pain and this is often overlooked
Menstrual cups? May create suction and feel heavy in your vagina.
Menstrual discs? Are soft and malleable and may be more comfortable.
Period undies and pads allow free flow of blood which may help reduce the 'bearing down' pain that comes with day 1 & 2 bleeding.
It's all about trial and error. Does a menstrual cup cause extra pain on day 1 & 2, but feels convenient and awesome day 3? Great- that's data you can use next month to tailor the products you reach for when you start bleeding.
5. Write down all of your symptoms and questions before an appointment with a Specialist or Doctor
Sitting with a specialist can feel intimidating and sometimes the conversation can flow causing you to forget an important point you wanted to bring up. Specialists love when you come in prepared with a list of your concerns so they can best help you. Being vague on your needs will result in needing more consults over time.
6. Choose a career or line of work that suits your life.
This is a bigger one, but it matters. You should not feel like a burden for dealing with chronic pain. Being limited by sick days is a systemic problem, not a 'you' problem. This is a tough one when the job market is slim and easier said than done. Seeking self-employment (which has changed my life!) or working with a manager who understands your needs and sees you as a person will enable you to live well with a chronic condition.
7. Engage the work of a Pelvic Physiotherapist or Pelvic Occupational Therapist
Health professionals that train in the pelvic floor understand so much about how pelvic pain can be treated, managed and understood. Here at Tap. we work with countless amazing professionals in the field who are incredibly empathetic, knowledgeable and helpful.
8. Seek out your local NGO that advocates for your condition(s)
The likes of Endometriosis New Zealand, Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia and so on not only provide helpful information but also create community and normalise what it's like to live with a pelvic condition. Feeling less alone is a huge marker for social satisfaction.
9. Focus on the basics- hydration, sleep, movement and rest.
Drinking enough water means your body has a chance to work as optimally as possible. Sleeping well means you can recover and heal. Moving your body ensures good bloodflow and endorphin release. Sometimes you will feel like you can try new things, sometimes just getting the basics in order is the only thing you can achieve. The basics will carry you through the hard times and you don't need to accomplish more than just eating, drinking, sleeping and moving.
10. Acceptance & Self-Trust
This doesn't mean rolling over and letting the pain win. This means accepting that you can live with pain and still live a life of meaning. It means choosing yourself, loving yourself and seeing the capability in yourself everyday. This means advocating when you need to, or on the flip side choosing rest when you need to, because you know and respect what your mind and body need from day to day.
You can be angry and also see the strength in your actions.
You can be sad and also feel worthy of love.
You can feel that having a pelvic condition is unjust and aspire to your dreams.
Acceptance is a state of loving and being yourself while still working towards a future you want to live in.
If you’re looking for practical tools to support pelvic pain in real life, we’ve created Tap with exactly that in mind. Find our products and information here.
There is so much more that could be added to this list and each individual topic can be explored more in depth. This is a starting point for those new to pelvic pain or those who want a refresher on some of the top helpful things.
This article is written by an Occupational Therapist with lived experience of pelvic pain.
What would you add? Let us know below.