Treatment

Tibial Nerve Stimulation is an effective, less invasive way of stimulating the tibial and sacral nerves to provide relief for pelvic pain and incontinence. Visit our pelvic pain treatment page to learn more about solutions to conditions such as endometriosis, vulvodynia, and UTIs.

What is the Tibial Nerve?

The tibial nerve is found in the leg and branches off from the sciatic nerve. The tibial nerve runs from your pelvis all the way down into the ankle, and then branches into sensory nerves in the sole of your foot.

What is the Function of the Tibial Nerve?

The Tibial Nerve has both motor and...

Sacral Nerve Stimulation can be a safe and effective way of relieving the pain and discomfort caused by a number of pelvic floor disorders. To learn about the other causes of pelvic pain, click here.

Where are the Sacral Nerves?

The sacral plexus is an area located in your pelvis where several spinal nerves come together and then brand out to control most of your lower body. The sacral plexus contains 31 nerves that reach from your lower back to your rectum, bladder, sphincter and pelvic floor muscles.

The nerves in the sacral plexus split to form sensory and motor nerves that then travel to parts of your pelvis, legs, feet, and genitals. Without these nerves, you would not be able to stand, walk, or control your bladder and bowel movements.

There are 5 main nerves that emerge from the sacral plexus:...

In this guide we explain how to complete exercises to help with pelvic floor muscle relaxation and pain relief.

Suffering from chronic pelvic pain can cause your pelvic floor muscles to spasm. The muscles can become tight and uncomfortable and worsen your symptoms. A tight pelvic floor can even become an issue in itself. When the muscles spasm they stop functioning correctly, the symptoms of this can be similar to that of a weak pelvic floor. You may be unable to control your bladder and bowels. If you misunderstand this to be a result of a weak pelvic floor you can cause further pain by attempting traditional Kegel exercises. Therefore it is essential that a correct diagnosis of your pelvic floor condition is obtained before proceeding.

The following exercises can be supported by a Women's Health Physiotherapist to advise on how to make them most effective for you. They will also ensure you are disciplined and committed to the exercises, as consistency is the...

Women who suffer from chronic pelvic pain take 3 times the medication than women who do not suffer. Medication is often central to coping and recovering from pain. The aim being to improve the sufferers quality of life by improving their behaviour and mobility, as well as the pain itself.

A recent analysis of pelvic pain treatments promoted the use of the following medications to treat chronic pelvic pain. The lowest effective dose of any medication will be provided by your GP, and its prescription will stop if there is no improvement in the condition or another drug with fewer negative side effects is available. This will be accessed regularly with your doctor, to prevent ineffective drug use.

Always check that each drug you are taking is compatible...

Pelvic pain is a complex condition. To successfully treat it you will need a formal diagnosis from a doctor, followed by an interdisciplinary approach to treat the original cause of the pain (if known), alongside the symptoms. Counselling will be offered to ensure you are adequately supported throughout your treatment as the emotional impact of suffering can be more substantial than the pain itself. This holistic approach is essential to resolve the full impact suffering from pelvic pain has had on your life.

In 61% of pelvic pain cases, the original cause of the pain is never known and impossible to identify. In these situations the treatment plan will include dietary and psychosocial (social, environmental and physcological) treatments which look to resolve the symptoms, before turning to medication. The general principles of treating chronic pelvic pain are often added to if further diagnosis becomes available during the programme of treatment.

You may be referred...