Researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine have found that irritated colon is the real reason behind pelvic pain, which is caused among women after they have a piece of pepperoni pizza. This study discarded the traditional notion, according to which, spike in the symptoms was triggered when digesting the foods produced chemicals in the urine that irritated the bladder. The recent study revealed that it's the colon, irritated by the spicy food, that's responsible for the "painful bladder syndrome," or interstitial cystitis.  

This disease adversely affects the personal and social life of the patients. This disease can force one into the abyss of depression. During a flare up, the pelvic pain is so intense, some women inject anesthetic lidocaine directly into their bladders to get relief. Generally during this aliment, patients feel an urgent need to urinate up to 50 times a day and are afraid to leave their homes in case they can't find a bathroom.  
David Klumpp, lead researcher and assistant professor of urology at the Feinberg School said that this disease has a devastating effect on people's lives. It affects people's relationships with family and friends.

Using animal models, researchers found out that colon's central role in the pain is caused by the wiring of pelvic organ nerves. The study showed that nerves from the bladder, colon and prostate are bunched together like telephone wires and plugged into the same region of the spinal cord near the tailbone. 

People with interstitial cystitis have bladder nerves that are constantly transmitting pain signals to the spinal cord: a steady beep, beep. When pepperoni pizza or another type of food irritates the colon, colon nerves also send a pain signal to the same area on the spinal chord. This new signal is the tipping point. It ratchets up the pain message to a chorus of BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!  

The importance of the new study lies in the fact that it can explain how the body actually "hears" pelvic pain and opens the doors for new treatment possibilities for this condition. 

The study showed that the bladder pain can be treated rectally with an anaesthetic in a suppository or gel. Klumpp said that it can also be treated by applying an anaesthetic patch to pelvic skin. Earlier studies in back pain have shown that anaesthetic patches applied to the skin can reduce back pain.  

He said: "We imagine a similar kind of patch might be used to relieve pelvic pain, which might be the best solution of all," he noted.