Chronic Pelvic Pain
Chronic pelvic pain is a complex and often misunderstood condition that affects people across all genders, though it is more commonly reported among women. It refers to pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic region that lasts for more than three to six months. This pain may be constant or intermittent, and it can significantly impact daily life—including work, school, relationships, and overall well-being.
Chronic pelvic pain can have multiple causes. Sometimes, it develops after surgery, infections, childbirth, or trauma. Other times, it may arise without a clear medical explanation. Conditions like endometriosis, pelvic floor dysfunction, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, bladder pain syndrome, or past injuries can contribute—but in many cases, pain continues even after those causes are treated.
The experience of chronic pelvic pain is real and valid, even when imaging or lab results appear normal. Like other forms of chronic pain, CPP is shaped by a combination of physical, emotional, and social factors. Stress, anxiety, trauma, and nervous system sensitization can all play a role in how pain is felt and managed.
Effective care often involves a team-based approach—addressing not just the physical symptoms but also the emotional and psychological aspects. Pelvic physiotherapy, counselling, medication, exercise rehabilitation, mindfulness, and education may all form part of a personalized treatment plan.
The goal isn’t just to reduce pain—it’s to support your quality of life, rebuild confidence in your body, and help you return to the things that matter most.
- Persistent or recurring pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis, or genitals
- Pain during or after intercourse
- Discomfort with urination or bowel movements
- Muscle tension or tenderness in the pelvic floor
- Fatigue, sleep issues, or low mood linked to chronic pain
Pelvic Pain Empowered Management Course
Pelvic Pain Empowered Management Course
Topic
Pain
Pelvic Pain Empowered Management Course offers
Self-directed Courses
The Happy Pelvis
The Happy Pelvis
Topic
Pain
Provided by: Michelle, a peer health navigator and founder of The Happy Pelvis, draws on her lived experience to raise awareness about pelvic health and support those living with chronic pelvic pain. Through community collaboration and resource sharing, she empowers individuals to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their care.
Summary: The Happy Pelvis offers education, resources, and personal insights to help people better understand and manage chronic pelvic pain and related conditions. Visit the website to find:
- Educational content on chronic pelvic pain conditions (like endometriosis, IC, pelvic floor dysfunction) from a patient-centered perspective
- Practical tools and tips for managing symptoms, improving daily life, and navigating flares.
- A curated list of Pelvic Pain Programs in Canada and USA.
- Resources to support self-advocacy, including how to talk to healthcare providers and seek appropriate care.
- A podcast focusing on pelvic healthcare accessibility and to bring awareness to the hurdles individuals face as a result of chronic pelvic pain.
- A curated list of Support groups connecting you with peer-led communities that offer validation, emotional support, and a sense of community.
The Happy Pelvis offers
Articles Podcasts Support Groups Tools and Resources
Pelvic Pain Support Groups
Pelvic Pain Support Groups
Topic
Pain
Provided by: Michelle, a peer health navigator and founder of The Happy Pelvis, draws on her lived experience to raise awareness about pelvic health and support those living with chronic pelvic pain. Through community collaboration and resource sharing, she empowers individuals to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their care.
Summary: The Support Groups page on The Happy Pelvis offers a curated list of peer-led and community-based groups designed for individuals living with chronic pelvic pain and related conditions. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been managing symptoms for years, you will find:
- Easy access to support groups, both online and in-person, tailored to specific conditions like endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, and pelvic floor dysfunction
- Opportunities to connect with others who truly understand your experience, helping reduce feelings of isolation and build confidence
- A compassionate space to share, learn, and grow, with practical coping strategies and emotional support
- Information organized by region, including options across Canada and beyond, making it easier to find a group that fits your needs
Pelvic Pain Support Groups offers
Support Groups
The Mysterious Science of Pain
The Mysterious Science of Pain
Topic
Pain
Presented by: Dr. Joshua Pate, PhD MRes MPhysio, directed by Artrake Studio. Dr. Pate is a pain scientist, children's book author, clinician and educator from Sydney, Australia.
Summary: In 1995, the British Medical Journal published a report about a builder who accidentally jumped onto a nail, which pierced straight through his steel-toed boot. He was in such agonizing pain that any movement was unbearable. But when the doctors took off his boot, they discovered that the nail had never touched his foot at all. What’s going on? Joshua W. Pate investigates the experience of pain.
The Mysterious Science of Pain offers
Videos
My SleepWell
My SleepWell
Topic
Sleep
Developed by: Drs. David Gardner and Andrea Murphy from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and contributed to by psychologists, psychiatrists, family doctors, pharmacists, people who live with insomnia, researchers, and sleep experts to make sure that our recommendations and content are accurate and practical.
Summary: Sleepwell has two main goals: 1) to help people with insomnia get their sleep back without medications; and 2) to help people stop taking sleeping pills safely and effectively. Sleepwell recommends CBTi (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia) because it has excellent evidence that it works. The challenge for many is getting access to CBTi. This is where Sleepwell comes in. The website includes a highly scrutinized short list of recommended CBTi resources to help get you started without delay. Their recommendations take a self-help approach to CBTi rather than requiring that a therapist be involved, which is also a great option but not available to most people.
My SleepWell offers
Articles Tools and Resources
Well Central
Well Central
Topic
Mood Substance Use
Developed by: The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
Summary: Well Central is an accessible and completely free virtual Recovery College. Well Central offers interactive courses that empower individuals to take control of their mental health and well-being. Well Central offers a tailored online journey providing support, resources and guided courses, valuing each visitor’s unique experience. Courses include:
- Well-being course;
- Recovery 101;
- Overcoming Loneliness and Isolation;
- Developing Self Compassion;
- Postpartum Emotional and Mental Health.
Well Central offers
Self-directed CoursesDon't see what you're looking for?
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About
Chronic pelvic pain can have multiple causes. Sometimes, it develops after surgery, infections, childbirth, or trauma. Other times, it may arise without a clear medical explanation. Conditions like endometriosis, pelvic floor dysfunction, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, bladder pain syndrome, or past injuries can contribute—but in many cases, pain continues even after those causes are treated.
The experience of chronic pelvic pain is real and valid, even when imaging or lab results appear normal. Like other forms of chronic pain, CPP is shaped by a combination of physical, emotional, and social factors. Stress, anxiety, trauma, and nervous system sensitization can all play a role in how pain is felt and managed.
Effective care often involves a team-based approach—addressing not just the physical symptoms but also the emotional and psychological aspects. Pelvic physiotherapy, counselling, medication, exercise rehabilitation, mindfulness, and education may all form part of a personalized treatment plan.
The goal isn’t just to reduce pain—it’s to support your quality of life, rebuild confidence in your body, and help you return to the things that matter most.
Symptoms
- Persistent or recurring pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis, or genitals
- Pain during or after intercourse
- Discomfort with urination or bowel movements
- Muscle tension or tenderness in the pelvic floor
- Fatigue, sleep issues, or low mood linked to chronic pain
Resources for Chronic Pelvic Pain
Pelvic Pain Empowered Management Course
Pelvic Pain Empowered Management Course
Topic
Pain
Pelvic Pain Empowered Management Course offers
Self-directed Courses
The Happy Pelvis
The Happy Pelvis
Topic
Pain
Provided by: Michelle, a peer health navigator and founder of The Happy Pelvis, draws on her lived experience to raise awareness about pelvic health and support those living with chronic pelvic pain. Through community collaboration and resource sharing, she empowers individuals to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their care.
Summary: The Happy Pelvis offers education, resources, and personal insights to help people better understand and manage chronic pelvic pain and related conditions. Visit the website to find:
- Educational content on chronic pelvic pain conditions (like endometriosis, IC, pelvic floor dysfunction) from a patient-centered perspective
- Practical tools and tips for managing symptoms, improving daily life, and navigating flares.
- A curated list of Pelvic Pain Programs in Canada and USA.
- Resources to support self-advocacy, including how to talk to healthcare providers and seek appropriate care.
- A podcast focusing on pelvic healthcare accessibility and to bring awareness to the hurdles individuals face as a result of chronic pelvic pain.
- A curated list of Support groups connecting you with peer-led communities that offer validation, emotional support, and a sense of community.
The Happy Pelvis offers
Articles Podcasts Support Groups Tools and Resources
Pelvic Pain Support Groups
Pelvic Pain Support Groups
Topic
Pain
Provided by: Michelle, a peer health navigator and founder of The Happy Pelvis, draws on her lived experience to raise awareness about pelvic health and support those living with chronic pelvic pain. Through community collaboration and resource sharing, she empowers individuals to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their care.
Summary: The Support Groups page on The Happy Pelvis offers a curated list of peer-led and community-based groups designed for individuals living with chronic pelvic pain and related conditions. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been managing symptoms for years, you will find:
- Easy access to support groups, both online and in-person, tailored to specific conditions like endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, and pelvic floor dysfunction
- Opportunities to connect with others who truly understand your experience, helping reduce feelings of isolation and build confidence
- A compassionate space to share, learn, and grow, with practical coping strategies and emotional support
- Information organized by region, including options across Canada and beyond, making it easier to find a group that fits your needs
Pelvic Pain Support Groups offers
Support GroupsRelated resources to Chronic Pelvic Pain
The Mysterious Science of Pain
The Mysterious Science of Pain
Topic
Pain
Presented by: Dr. Joshua Pate, PhD MRes MPhysio, directed by Artrake Studio. Dr. Pate is a pain scientist, children's book author, clinician and educator from Sydney, Australia.
Summary: In 1995, the British Medical Journal published a report about a builder who accidentally jumped onto a nail, which pierced straight through his steel-toed boot. He was in such agonizing pain that any movement was unbearable. But when the doctors took off his boot, they discovered that the nail had never touched his foot at all. What’s going on? Joshua W. Pate investigates the experience of pain.
The Mysterious Science of Pain offers
Videos
My SleepWell
My SleepWell
Topic
Sleep
Developed by: Drs. David Gardner and Andrea Murphy from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and contributed to by psychologists, psychiatrists, family doctors, pharmacists, people who live with insomnia, researchers, and sleep experts to make sure that our recommendations and content are accurate and practical.
Summary: Sleepwell has two main goals: 1) to help people with insomnia get their sleep back without medications; and 2) to help people stop taking sleeping pills safely and effectively. Sleepwell recommends CBTi (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia) because it has excellent evidence that it works. The challenge for many is getting access to CBTi. This is where Sleepwell comes in. The website includes a highly scrutinized short list of recommended CBTi resources to help get you started without delay. Their recommendations take a self-help approach to CBTi rather than requiring that a therapist be involved, which is also a great option but not available to most people.
My SleepWell offers
Articles Tools and Resources
Well Central
Well Central
Topic
Mood Substance Use
Developed by: The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
Summary: Well Central is an accessible and completely free virtual Recovery College. Well Central offers interactive courses that empower individuals to take control of their mental health and well-being. Well Central offers a tailored online journey providing support, resources and guided courses, valuing each visitor’s unique experience. Courses include:
- Well-being course;
- Recovery 101;
- Overcoming Loneliness and Isolation;
- Developing Self Compassion;
- Postpartum Emotional and Mental Health.