Pelvic Floor Symptom
Pain After Hysterectomy
By Dr. Anthony J. Gordon, Doctor of Acupuncture | Last reviewed September 2026
The surgery was supposed to end the pain. Instead, it continued, or new pain started: a deep ache at the top of the vagina, pain with sex, bladder urgency or groin pain. Removing the uterus does not undo years of pelvic floor guarding, and surgery itself can leave scar tissue and irritated nerves behind.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (516) 597-5400. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.
Overview
Understanding Pain After Hysterectomy
Hysterectomy is often performed to treat pain from fibroids, adenomyosis or endometriosis, or for other reasons. Many women feel much better afterward, but some continue to have pain or develop new symptoms.
Common reasons include pelvic floor muscles that stayed tight after years of pain, scar tissue at the vaginal cuff or incision sites, irritation of nerves such as the ilioinguinal, genitofemoral or pudendal nerves during surgery, and remaining endometriosis. Bladder and bowel symptoms can appear because of changes in support and pelvic floor guarding.
Your surgeon or gynecologist should evaluate for complications and remaining disease. Dr. Gordon treats the pelvic floor, scar tissue and nerve contributors to post-hysterectomy pain.
Pain After Hysterectomy at a Glance
Also called
Post-hysterectomy pelvic pain
Common sources
Pelvic floor guarding, scar tissue at the vaginal cuff or incisions, nerve irritation
Common symptoms
Deep pelvic ache, painful sex, groin pain, bladder urgency
Causes to rule out
Infection, cuff complications, remaining endometriosis, hernia
What Dr. Gordon addresses
Pelvic floor tension, scar tissue, nerve irritation, hip and abdominal tension
The Gap in Care
What Tests Check, and What They Can Miss
Post-surgical care checks healing and complications. Pelvic floor guarding and nerve irritation are often not assessed.
What routine testing is looking for
- Infection or wound problems
- Vaginal cuff complications
- Remaining endometriosis
- Hernia at incision sites
What often keeps symptoms going
- Pelvic floor guarding from years of pain
- Scar tissue at the vaginal cuff and incisions
- Irritated groin or pudendal nerves
- Abdominal wall trigger points
- Changes in bladder and bowel support
These are assessed gently once you are cleared after surgery.
Signs & Symptoms
Does This Sound Like You?
Symptoms vary from person to person. These are the patterns Dr. Gordon sees most often.
Deep pelvic ache
An ache deep in the pelvis or at the top of the vagina.
Pain with sex
Pain with deeper penetration after surgery.
Groin pain
Burning or aching in the groin.
Incision pain
Pain, pulling or numbness around incisions.
Bladder urgency
New urgency or frequency after surgery.
Bowel changes
Constipation or pain with bowel movements.
Root Causes
The Four Drivers Dr. Gordon Looks For
Most people have more than one of these in play. Finding which one leads makes treatment more efficient.
Pelvic floor guarding
Years of pain train the pelvic floor to tighten, and surgery does not reset it.
Scar tissue
Scar tissue at the vaginal cuff and incisions can be tender and restrict movement.
Nerve irritation
Nerves in the groin and pelvis can be irritated during surgery.
Abdominal wall tension
Abdominal muscles can develop trigger points after surgery.
Your First Visit
How Dr. Gordon Evaluates Pain After Hysterectomy
The initial evaluation runs 60 to 75 minutes. You leave with a clear picture of what is driving your symptoms, a written plan, a realistic timeline, and in most cases your first treatment.
Records and history review
Dr. Gordon reviews your surgical reports, the reason for surgery, pathology and recovery.
Scar and abdominal assessment
Gentle assessment of incisions, abdominal wall, groin and hips.
External pelvic floor assessment
The pelvic floor muscles are examined from the outside, with no internal exam. With you draped for comfort, gentle pressure around the perineum, sit bones, tailbone and inner thighs checks tone, tenderness and trigger points.
Bladder, bowel and intimacy review
Dr. Gordon reviews how surgery has affected daily function.
Plan and coordination
A clear plan, plus communication with your gynecologist or pelvic floor PT when that helps your care.
When to see a physician first
- Fever or chills after surgery
- Redness, swelling or drainage at an incision
- Heavy vaginal bleeding
- Sudden, severe abdominal or pelvic pain
- Inability to urinate or pass stool
- New numbness in the saddle area or loss of bladder or bowel control
If you have any of these, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
Bring to your first visit
Records
Recent lab results, imaging reports and specialist notes. These can also be faxed ahead.
Treatment history
A short list of what you have tried and what did or did not help.
Clothing
Something comfortable and loose fitting.
Treatment
How Dr. Gordon Treats It
These are the tools Dr. Gordon uses most often for pain after hysterectomy, chosen from your exam findings.
Primary approach
Intrapelvic & Extrapelvic Dry Needling
Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in both intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling. Treatment releases pelvic floor guarding and works around scar tissue from surgery. The needles go in through the skin of the buttock, perineum or inner thigh, never through the vagina or rectum.
Learn about pelvic floor treatmentNerve focus
Neuro-Functional Acupuncture
Electro-acupuncture along groin and sacral nerve pathways to calm post-surgical nerve irritation.
See servicesBetween visits
Recovery Plan & Team Coordination
Guidance on activity and intimacy, coordinated with your surgeon or gynecologist.
Referring provider? Contact the clinicWhat to Expect
A Typical Recovery Arc
Visits 1 to 3
Find the main driver
Dr. Gordon confirms which muscles and nerves are behind your symptoms and starts calming the most reactive areas. Many people notice early changes between visits.
Visits 4 to 8
Lower the baseline
Day-to-day symptoms ease, flares become shorter and less frequent, and normal routines start to feel more manageable.
Visits 9 to 12 and beyond
Build resilience
Visits are spaced out as improvement holds. You leave with a maintenance and early-flare plan.
Most patients are seen weekly or every other week during active care. Individual results vary with how long symptoms have been present and how reactive they are. Progress is reassessed at every visit.
Not sure how to describe it? Put your pain or discomfort into words before your visit
"I've known Dr Gordon for many years. I have many health issues and can honestly say he always takes my ailments seriously and does extensive research to find and help my problems."
Susan Miele, Google Review
Pain After Hysterectomy Questions
Answers About Pain After Hysterectomy
Still unsure whether this is the right fit? Reach out before you book and Dr. Gordon will talk through your history with you.
Usually after your post-operative clearance, often around six to eight weeks.
Pelvic floor guarding, scar tissue and nerve irritation often remain after surgery.
Possibly. Your gynecologist can evaluate for remaining disease.
Often. Scar tissue and pelvic floor guarding are common causes.
Many women improve within eight to twelve sessions.
Yes, once healed and with care.
Before You Book
General Questions
The clinic is an out-of-network practice. The initial evaluation is $300 and follow-up visits are $250. After each visit you receive a detailed superbill to submit to your PPO plan for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are accepted, and the clinic can run a complimentary benefits check before your first appointment. The check is a courtesy, so please confirm your coverage with your plan. See Insurance & Fees for details.
The first evaluation is 60 to 75 minutes and usually includes treatment. Follow-up visits run 45 to 60 minutes.
Yes. Call (516) 597-5400 or send a message through the contact page. This is especially helpful if your case is complex and you want to understand the approach before committing to a full evaluation.
1508 Union Turnpike, Suite 133, North New Hyde Park, NY 11040, with free parking on site. The clinic is an easy drive from Manhasset, Great Neck, Garden City, Lake Success, Floral Park and Mineola. Early morning, evening and weekend hours are available.
Most people feel a quick muscle twitch or a deep ache that lasts a few seconds. That twitch is a normal sign the trigger point is releasing. Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours afterward, similar to a hard workout, is common. Depth, angle and stimulation are adjusted to your comfort.
Both use the same fine, sterile, single-use needles. Dry needling targets specific trigger points and tight bands in muscle based on your exam. Neuro-functional acupuncture targets nerve pathways, often with gentle electrical stimulation, to calm nerve sensitivity. For pain after hysterectomy, Dr. Gordon commonly uses both.
When performed by a trained, licensed provider with detailed knowledge of anatomy, it has a strong safety record. Tell Dr. Gordon if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are pregnant or have a weakened immune system so he can plan accordingly.
It is a technique that reaches the internal pelvic floor muscles, including the levator ani, obturator internus and coccygeus, to release trigger points and restore normal muscle function. Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in this technique, which few practitioners in New York have.
Yes. Your privacy and comfort come first. When undressing is needed for the area being treated, you are fully draped, and nothing internal is done without your clear consent. You can pause or stop at any time.
Yes. Many of Dr. Gordon's pelvic floor patients come to him after difficult experiences elsewhere. Every step is explained before it happens, you set the pace, and Dr. Gordon treats adults of all genders and identities in a respectful, welcoming setting.
It helps to have had a medical workup so serious causes have been checked. If you have not seen a gynecologist for these symptoms yet, call the clinic to talk through the best order of steps.
About Dr. Anthony J. Gordon
Dr. Anthony J. Gordon is a Doctor of Acupuncture licensed in New York and board certified. He holds ASE certification in intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling, along with advanced certifications in Functional Dry Needling and Neuro-Functional Acupuncture. With more than 18 years of clinical experience and over 3,000 complex cases treated, he focuses on pelvic, spinal and orthopedic conditions that have not responded to standard care, and works closely with each patient's physicians and physical therapists.
Read Dr. Gordon's full bioBook an Evaluation for Pain After Hysterectomy
Book a full evaluation with Dr. Gordon and find out what is behind your pain after hysterectomy.
Early morning, evening and weekend appointments available. Free on-site parking.
Keep Reading