The pelvis is the bony structure located at the base of the spine (properly known as the caudal end). The pelvis incorporates the socket portion of the hip joint for each leg (in bipeds) or hind leg (in quadrupeds). It forms the lower limb (or hind-limb) girdle of the skeleton.
The pelvis is symmetrical and each side is actually made up of three separate bones — the upper half (the broad "wings") is the ilium; the middle (the top half of the lower "loops") is the pubis, and the bottom (the lower half of the "loops") is the ischium. These three bones fuse together with age and are collectively known as the hip bone, ossa coxae or the innominate bone. The pelvis is joined to the sacrum bone by ligaments, and the hip bones nest in specially shaped sockets (the acetabulum) on each side. The place at the front of the pelvis where the two sides join together is called the symphysis pubis. This is normally a very inflexible joint, but it softens and becomes more flexible during late pregnancy, allowing it to expand during labour for the baby's head to pass through. A female pelvis is also wider and shallower than a male pelvis.
One easy way to distinguish between genders is to examine the very front of the pelvis, and compare the angle formed by the bones that come from below with your fingers. If the angle is about the same as between your outstretched thumb and index finger, it is a female pelvis (arcus pubis). If it is closer to the angle between your spread index and middle fingers, it is a male pelvis (arcus subpubis).
The pelvis protects the digestive and reproductive organs in the lower part of the body, and many large nerves and blood vessels pass through it to supply the legs.
Pelvic pain can be categorized as either acute, meaning the pain is sudden and severe, or chronic, lasting over a period of months or longer.
Pelvic pain may originate in genital or extragenital organs in and around the pelvis, or it may be psychological, which can make pain feel worse or actually cause a sensation of pain, when no physical problem is present.
Pelvic floor muscle spasm may be the main cause of symptoms in over 90% of CPPS patients.
When they palpated their patients' pelvic floor muscles, they found that 88% of these patients had "myofascial tenderness" in the rectal area which was associated with the inability to relax the pelvic floor efficiently.
We have identified a group of chronic pelvic pain syndromes caused by overuse of the human instinct to protect the genitals, rectum and contents of the pelvis from injury or pain by contracting the pelvic muscles.
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