Pelvic Congestion Syndrome Linked with Chronic Pelvic and Lower Back Pain in Women

Although pelvic congestion syndrome was first discovered by Richet M.A. back in 1857, it has been shockingly overlooked in women experiencing chronic pelvic and lower back pain. Once considered psychosomatic, doctors have developed better means of explaining and diagnosing this painful and very real condition to the point where its treatment has a high success rate.

Pelvic congestion is caused by varicose veins deep within the pelvis. The veins which take blood from the pelvic area back up to the heart have faulty valves that leak blood back down and cause pooling. This pooling of the blood is what causes the pain and can effect the ovaries, uterus and vagina.

Pelvic congestion syndrome presents in women between 20 and 40 years old. Symptoms include constant dull or achy pain in the pelvic area, sometimes presenting in the lower back with occasional stabbing pain. Prolonged sitting, walking, daily activities and lifting can increase the discomfort. Lying down usually significantly decreases the pain and can all but disappear when the patient stands again. This has to do with the re-pooling of the blood when the patient is upright and dissipation while lying down.

Symptoms related to pelvic congestion syndrome include pain during periods and sexual intercourse, tender ovaries especially when prodded by your physician, backache, bladder irritation, abnormal bleeding and vaginal discharge and symptoms related to irritable bowel syndrome. The general pain experienced is usually a dull aching sensation with occasional sharp pains. Women with a history of a tilted or prolapsed uterus or varicose veins in their legs and/or anus have a higher risk of pelvic congestion.

Pelvic congestion syndrome symptoms are rather common and can be linked to other conditions as well, which makes a diagnosis difficult to come by. Conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and fibroid tumors are usually ruled out first before a doctor suspects pelvic congestion syndrome. Unfortunately, this syndrome is too often overlooked and patients continue to suffer from chronic pain.