Urologic Pain Care

Urologic pain can weigh on your mind and disrupt your favorite activities each day. Our specially trained urologic pain experts can help you reclaim your normal quality of life.

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For Urology related requests:

1-319-356-2421

For all other requests:: 1-800-777-8442

Pain in the pelvic area, pain while urinating, or pain during sex can have a devastating impact on your life. Urologic pain affects your mood and your behavior, and it may limit your ability to enjoy your normal activities each day.

Urologic pain is frequently accompanied by other upsetting symptoms, such as blood in the urine, a feeling of heaviness in the pelvis, incontinence, or fever. And because of the large number of conditions that cause it, urologic pain can sometimes be difficult to treat effectively.

The urologic pain experts at University of Iowa Health Care are fellowship-trained urologists who specialize in helping patients with even the most difficult-to-treat urologic pain. They work closely with experts in other specialty areas, including gynecology, neurology, infectious disease, and more to address the cause of your pain and design a personalized treatment plan to meet your needs.

Symptoms of urologic pain

Symptoms related to urologic pain can vary in their severity and intensity. You should see a urologist if you are experiencing any of the following:

Pain while urinating
Pain during intercourse
Trouble starting to urinate or low flow of urine
Cloudy urine
Hematuria (blood in the urine)

Frequent urination
Heaviness in the area
Pelvic pain
Incontinence (uncontrolled leaking of urine)
Fever

Causes of urologic pain

Urologic pain is any pain that originates in the kidneys, the ureters (the tubes from the kidney to the bladder), the bladder, or the urethra. For men, this also extends to pain that originates in the sexual organs such as the testicles and prostate.

There are many conditions that can cause urologic pain, including:

Kidney stones
Cancer of the prostate, bladder, testicles, or kidneys
Enlarged prostate
Prostatitis
Urinary tract infection
Trauma to the urinary tract or sexual organs
Recent surgery on the area
Inflammation

How urologic pain is diagnosed

If you have any symptoms associated with urologic pain, your provider can help determine the underlying cause.

Your provider will start with a physical examination, a review of your medical history and symptoms, and a urinalysis. Voiding tests to measure bladder pressure and capacity, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scans may also be used to get the most accurate diagnosis.

Urologic pain treatments

Your treatment will depend on the cause of your urologic pain. Some treatments your provider may recommend to manage your pain and treat any underlying conditions include:

Anti-inflammatory medications
Antibiotics
Pain reliever medications
Physical therapy
Surgical treatment

While it may not be possible to eliminate your pain, your provider will work with you to determine a treatment plan to reduce your pain and other symptoms and improve your quality of life.