Alyssa tells us she has chronic pelvic pain and during her menstrual cycle, she says the pain is severe. She says she has tried heating pads, switching her birth control, physical therapy, and acupuncture to deal with the pain.
She undergoes a treatment from vascular surgeon Dr. David Greuner where he identifies veins in her pelvis region which are enlarged. He then injects a solution which seals off certain veins to stop them from pooling with blood and causing discomfort.
Watch: 30-Minute Treatment for Menstrual Cramps?
A week after the procedure Alyssa tells us, “I feel awesome… I can’t ever remember feeling this good.” She says that sitting in the car no longer causes her pain, that her bloating has subsided, and that she feels "lighter" now. She says the procedure was painless and she feels like she could have gone back to work the same day.
Dr. Greuner says that Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS) is common and often goes undiagnosed, noting that 50 percent of women of child-bearing age have it.
If you are experiencing the following symptoms, talk to your doctor about Pelvic Congestion Syndrome:
- Continual pelvis discomfort
- Pelvic pain during or after sexual intercourse
- Low back pain
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Abdominal bloating
- Aching pain in legs
- Pelvic pain that worsens at the end of the day
To see if you have Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, you can ask your doctor to perform a venogram of the pelvic area. More information about Pelvic Congestion Syndrome can be found at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/interventional-radiology/conditions/pelvic/index.html
