Welcome! We Are a Patient-To-Patient Support Community for People Living with Chronic Pelvic Pain.
Living with Chronic Pelvic Pain is a dedicated patient-to-patient support community for patients and families affected by Chronic Pelvic Pain. Living with Chronic Pelvic Pain is powered by BensFriends.org, a group of patient support communities for rare diseases, and is run by volunteer moderators who have been affected with chronic pelvic pain disorders. If you or your family has been affected by Chronic Pelvic Pain Disorders, consider Living With Chronic Pelvic Pain your second home. Living With Chronic Pelvic Pain , as well as the rest of BensFriends.org’s patient communities, is free for members to join.
Chronic Pelvic Pain is an Umbrella term to describe chronic pelvic pain including: Interstitial Cystitis, Endometriosis, and PolycysticOvary Syndrome. Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP) is commonly defined as non-malignant intermittent or continuous pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis or intrapelvic structures, lasting at least 3–6 months. If non acute and central sensitization pain mechanisms are present, the condition is considered chronic, regardless of the time frame. Central sensitization is characterized by amplification or increased sensory perception, where stimuli that are normally not painful are now perceived as painful. CPP is in women not exclusively associated with the menstrual cycle, sexual intercourse or pregnancy, but is sufficiently severe to cause functional disability or to lead to medical care.
Epidemiologically CPP has a greater incidence in women than in men, and is mostly present between the ages of 36 and 50 years. The etiology of CPP however is not clear. It can be difficult and complex to determine the cause of pain; in fact, no specific cause may be discovered. Many women are not able to identify a specific set of problems which can cause problems and allow for the diagnosis to be made. CPP may originate from one or more organ systems or pathologies and may have multiple contributing factors. It usually involves an interaction between the gastrointestinal, urinary, gynecologic, musculoskeletal, neurologic and endocrine systems. It can also be influenced by psychological and sociocultural factors.
This site is a virtual community intended to be a safe place for patients and family members as young as age 12, to visit for information, discussion, venting and mutual support. Members come from many backgrounds. Some have a strong religious faith, and others no faith; some are children and others adults, rich and poor, graduate educated or taught by life. Our common denominators are that we share a life journey, and we try to help each other.
In 2007, Ben Muñoz suffered a rare form of stroke caused by an Arterio-Veinous Malformation (AVM). He was unable to find the support he needed during the most difficult time, so he created an online support community AVMSurvivors.org to connect with others like him. AVMSurvivors.org led to the founding of BensFriends.org, driven to provide patient-to-patient support communities for people living with rare diseases. BensFriends.org is a network of patient communities for people living with rare diseases.
Launched in November 2007, Bens Friends provides valuable patient support by creating and running compassionate, responsive communities. BensFriends.org maintains dozens of patient communities and has changed thousands of lives. Bens Friends is supported by donations from its principals and community.
You can learn more about BensFriends.org at http://www.bensfriends.org or watch one of our videos at http://www.youtube.com/BensFriendsVideos