Pelvic Floor Symptom
Pubic Bone Pain
By Dr. Anthony J. Gordon, Doctor of Acupuncture | Last reviewed September 2026
The pain sits right over your pubic bone, or just beside it. It might flare with walking, running, kicking, stairs, sex or even a full bladder. Several structures meet at the pubic bone: a joint, the adductor tendons, the abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor. Treatment depends on which one is the source.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (516) 597-5400. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.
Overview
Understanding Pubic Bone Pain
The pubic bone is where the two halves of the pelvis meet at the front, joined by the pubic symphysis joint. The adductor muscles of the inner thigh, the rectus abdominis and other abdominal muscles, and parts of the pelvic floor all attach here.
Pubic bone pain can come from the joint itself, as in pubic symphysis dysfunction during pregnancy or osteitis pubis in athletes. It can come from the adductor or abdominal tendons, as in groin strain or athletic pubalgia. It can come from pelvic floor trigger points that refer pain to the pubic bone, or from the bladder beneath it. Hernias and stress fractures should be ruled out by your physician.
Dr. Gordon identifies which structure is involved and treats the muscles, tendons and pelvic floor attached at the pubic bone.
Pubic Bone Pain at a Glance
Also called
Pubic pain
Structures involved
Pubic symphysis joint, adductor tendons, abdominal attachments, pelvic floor
Who it affects
Pregnant and postpartum women, athletes, people with pelvic floor tension
Causes to rule out
Hernia, stress fracture, bladder conditions
Common aggravators
Walking, running, kicking, stairs, sex, full bladder
The Gap in Care
What Tests Check, and What They Can Miss
Pubic bone pain is often labeled a groin strain or joint problem. The pelvic floor attachment and referral patterns are frequently overlooked.
What routine testing is looking for
- Hernia
- Stress fracture
- Joint changes on imaging
- Bladder conditions
What often keeps symptoms going
- Adductor tendon irritation
- Abdominal attachment strain
- Pelvic floor trigger points referring to the bone
- Uneven load through the symphysis joint
- Hip mobility limits that increase strain
These are assessed with hands-on, movement and pelvic floor examination.
Signs & Symptoms
Does This Sound Like You?
Symptoms vary from person to person. These are the patterns Dr. Gordon sees most often.
Pain over the pubic bone
Pain at the center front of the pelvis.
Pain beside the bone
Pain just to one side, near the groin.
Pain with walking or running
Pain increasing with activity.
Pain with kicking or cutting
Pain in sport.
Pain with sex
Pain at the pubic bone during intercourse.
Pain with a full bladder
Pain that increases as the bladder fills.
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.
Adductor tendons
Inner thigh tendons attach to the pubic bone and can become irritated.
Abdominal attachments
Abdominal muscles attach from above and can be strained.
Pelvic floor trigger points
Pelvic floor muscles refer pain to the pubic bone.
Joint load
Uneven load through the pubic symphysis irritates the joint.
Your First Visit
How Dr. Gordon Evaluates Pubic Bone Pain
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 physician's findings, imaging, medications and past treatments so he knows what has been ruled out and what has already been tried.
Movement and tendon testing
Tests of adductor and abdominal strength and hip movement.
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.
Activity review
Dr. Gordon reviews sport, pregnancy history, and what triggers pain.
Plan and coordination
A clear plan, plus communication with your physician or pelvic floor PT when that helps your care.
When to see a physician first
- Fever or chills with pelvic or urinary symptoms
- Inability to urinate
- Visible blood in the urine or stool
- Sudden, severe pelvic or abdominal pain
- Unexplained weight loss
- 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 pubic bone pain, 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 adductor, abdominal and pelvic floor muscles attached at the pubic bone. 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 to calm pain around the pubic bone.
See servicesBetween visits
Load Plan & Team Coordination
Activity and loading guidance, coordinated with your physician or PT.
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 have seen Dr. Gordon for back pain, knee issue and most recently foot pain and I have to say every single time I visit the very next day I'm back to resuming my very active lifestyle."
Judy Castellanos, Google Review
Pubic Bone Pain Questions
Answers About Pubic Bone Pain
Still unsure whether this is the right fit? Reach out before you book and Dr. Gordon will talk through your history with you.
It can be, but pelvic floor and joint sources are also common. The exam helps clarify.
Your physician should check for a hernia.
The bladder sits behind the pubic bone, and pelvic floor tension can add pressure.
Usually with modifications while the area settles.
Many people improve within six to ten sessions.
It can be. Pubic symphysis pain is common in pregnancy and postpartum.
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 pubic bone pain, 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. Pubic bone pain can affect people of every gender, and Dr. Gordon treats adults of all genders and identities.
It helps to have had a medical workup so serious causes have been checked. If you have not seen a physician for your pelvic 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 Pubic Bone Pain
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