Managing pelvic pain in adolescents

[Extract] Adolescents presenting with pelvic pain deserve a considered approach for several reasons. Firstly, by recognising and treating pain at an early stage, we can reduce the likelihood of a lifelong battle with chronic pain. We know that repeated or prolonged episodes of pain lead to central sensitisation and predispose to chronic/persistent pelvic pain. Most importantly, how pain is explained and the language that is used will significantly shape how the adolescent sees and copes with the pain that she is experiencing.