Hip & Pelvic Pain Treatments

Physical Therapy & Home Exercise Programs

Physical medicine for pelvic pain aims to restore strength and function to the pelvic floor muscles and other tissues in the pelvis. Your physical therapist guides you through exercises and movements that build up the targeted muscles and help reduce your pain. 

After an evaluation, your therapist may: 

• Recommend lifestyle changes like diet and exercise to help with your pelvic pain
• Prescribe specific exercises to improve the strength of your pelvic floor muscles
• Use electrical stimulation or other treatments to reduce inflammation and pain
• Help you identify and avoid activities that make your pain worse

In some cases, our team may recommend physical therapy as the only treatment you need for your pelvic pain. In other cases, physical therapy is part of a larger treatment plan that includes medication and/or injections.

TENS, Compound Topicals, Biofeedback, and Meditation

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy is a pain management technique that uses low-voltage electrical currents to stimulate the nerves and reduce pain signals. The Southern Pain and Spine team may recommend TENS as part of your pelvic pain treatment plan.

For some types of pelvic pain, our team may also prescribe topical medications. These medications may be applied directly to the skin over the painful area. They can provide targeted pain relief without the side effects that some oral medications cause.

Biofeedback is another technique we may use to help you manage your pelvic pain. This treatment uses sensors to measure your body’s response to stress and pain. The information is then displayed on a computer screen or another type of monitor. You can use this feedback to learn how to control your body’s response to pain, which may help reduce your pain symptoms.

Meditation and other relaxation techniques may also be helpful in managing pelvic pain. These techniques can help you focus on something other than your pain and may help reduce stress and anxiety.

Psychological Evaluation

Chronic pain can take a toll on your mental health. Our team offers psychological evaluations to help you cope with the emotional aspects of living with chronic pelvic pain. 

We may also recommend therapy to help you manage stress, anxiety, and depression, which can contribute to chronic pain. This is particularly true for pelvic pain that has no clear physical cause.

Injections

In some cases, our team may recommend injections to help manage pelvic pain without the need for invasive hip joint replacement. These injections can be used to reduce inflammation, relax muscles, and provide targeted pain relief. Some of the injection procedures we use include:

• Trigger Point Injection: This injection is used to relax tight muscles that may be causing pain. A needle is inserted into the muscle and a small amount of anesthetic medication is injected.
• Botulinum Toxin for Spasm and Dystonia: This injection is used to relax muscles that are in spasm. A small amount of botulinum toxin is injected into the muscle, causing it to relax.
• Epidural Injections: This injection is used to reduce inflammation in the epidural space, which is the area around the spinal cord. A needle is inserted into the epidural space and a steroid medication is injected.
• Coccyx Injection: This injection is used to reduce pain in the coccyx, or tailbone. For this type of pelvic bone pain treatment, a needle is inserted into the coccyx and a local anesthetic is injected.
• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP): This injection is used to accelerate your body’s natural recovery process and reduce inflammation. A small sample of your blood is drawn and then injected into the area of pain.
• Sacrococcygeal Injection: This injection is used to reduce pain in the sacrococcygeal joint, which is the joint between the tailbone and the pelvis. A needle is inserted into the joint and a local anesthetic is injected.

Nerve Blocks

Nerve blocks are another type of injection that may be used to manage pelvic pain. Nerve blocks can be used to temporarily or permanently disable a specific nerve or group of nerves. This can help relieve pain by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain. Some of the nerve block procedures we use include:

• Pudendal Nerve Block: This injection is used to block the pudendal nerve, which is a nerve that runs from the pelvis to the genitals. 
• Ganglion Impar Block: This injection is used to block the ganglion impar, which is a nerve located at the base of the spine.
• Superior Hypogastric Block: This injection is used to block the superior hypogastric plexus, which is a group of nerves located in the pelvis.
• Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Block: This injection is used to block the anterior cutaneous nerves, which are another group of nerves located in the pelvis.
• Ilioinguinal Nerve Block: This injection is used to block the ilioinguinal nerve, which is a nerve that runs from the lower abdomen to the groin.
• Genitofemoral Nerve Block: This injection is used to block the genitofemoral nerve, which is another nerve that runs from the lower abdomen to the groin.

In all of these procedures, a needle is inserted into the area around the nerve and a local anesthetic is injected. This numbs the nerve and can provide relief from pain without the need for surgery.

Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure that uses heat to disable a specific nerve. This can provide relief from pain by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain. 

A needle is inserted into the area around the nerve and a local anesthetic is injected. Then, a small amount of radiofrequency energy is delivered to the nerve. This disrupts the nerve’s ability to send pain signals.

Spinal Cord Stimulation & Nerve Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation is a procedure that uses electrical impulses to block pain signals from reaching the brain. A small device, called a stimulator, is implanted under the skin. This device sends electrical impulses to the spinal cord, which blocks pain signals from reaching the brain.

Nerve stimulation is similar to spinal cord stimulation, but the stimulator is implanted in a different location. With nerve stimulation, the stimulator is implanted near the nerves that are sending pain signals to the brain. This blocks those signals and can provide relief from pain.