Chronic Pelvic Pain: Diagnosis and Treatment

The treatment for your pain depends on the diagnosis. The primary options are medical: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the pain, continuous oral contraceptives or a shot of Depo-Provera, a progestin contraceptive.

Another medical option is a drug called leuprolide (Lupron). This medication suppresses estrogen, essentially mimicking menopause. However, Lupron is only used for three to six months at a time because the loss of estrogen could affect bone density. One option if you need Lupron is for your doctor to "add back" supplemental progestin to help maintain bone density and alleviate some of the side effects.

While surgery to remove endometriosis tissue or scar tissue that may be causing the pain can provide short-term relief, the pain tends to return in most women within a year or two.

Your health care practitioner should also talk to you about nonmedical options, such as counseling to help you better cope with chronic pain, physical therapy and a referral to a pain management clinic. Often, you will need a multifaceted approach to your pain involving medicine, counseling and behavioral changes. And, as with anything so complex, you will need to give your health care team time to find the right options for you.