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Glossary - P
Pain: The body’s response to damage or injury. It is subjective and everybody has different tolerances of pain. It is a message that travels through the nerves into the brain and is there as a defence mechanism - to alert us to when something has happened to us. It can range from mild discomfort to agony. Pain can be classified as acute or chronic; pain is usually defined as ‘chronic’ when it lasts 6 months or longer.
Definitions of pain include, neuropathic, chronic, and visceral (coming from the organs).
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): A ‘catch-all’ description for an infection in the pelvic area (around the fallopian tubes, ovaries etc). It can be caused by various bacteria – including developing from the sexually transmitted disease, Chlamydia. It can lead to damage of the pelvic organs, cause ectopic pregnancies, other complications and eventually cause infertility if serious or left untreated.
Peritoneum: The thin tissue that covers the walls of the pelvis and abdomen on the inside, as well as the pelvic organs.
Physiotherapist: A specialist healthcare professional who treats patients with exercises, activities and physical manipulation. Physiotherapists treat muscles and joint problems. They can be seen privately or under the NHS (with a referral from your GP).
Pituitary gland: The area of the brain that acts as the ‘control centre’. It controls all hormonal functions, including reproductive organs.
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