13 possible causes of pelvic pain that aren’t your period

Whether it’s a sharp pain that comes and goes, or a dull, steady ache, pain in the pelvic area can be exhausting and, for some people, even debilitating. Pain in this area, generally described as the lower abdomen between your hip bones, can be caused by a variety of different conditions and sometimes more than one condition at the same time.

Pelvic pain may originate from any of the organs in the lower abdomen, including the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel, and bladder, says Alex Letham, DO, an OBGYN with LewisGale Hospital Montgomery in Blacksburg, Virginia. It can be hard to pinpoint the exact source, due to the complexity of nerves in the pelvis. That’s also why pelvic pain can be felt in the back or thighs, he adds.

Depending on the cause, the pain can present itself in different ways and on different sides of the pelvis. Determining the underlying cause can help find the best ways to treat it and get relief.