Confused by pelvic pain and flareups. Help?

[jansid]

I have become very confused at what is considered a flare or pelvic pain or are they the same.

Since the reoccurence of IC I have noticed the following:

sometimes there will be intense pain across my abdomen (burning and throbbing)

I am having tremendous pain (throbbing, pressure and heaviness) in the lower vaginal area. Is that pelvic floor dysfunction? When I have that pain I then have the urgency, frequency issue.

Can anyone define for me what a "flare" consists or feel like and what exactly would be considered PFD. How do they differ?
How do I know if it is just my bladder, or my bladder and pelvic area?

And if it is just the PFD what causes all the pain and throbbing if it is not set by what you eat?

I am going for physical therapy. I use the TENS unit and I believe that it has helped the pain across the abdomen. I have also been given 3 different exersizes which include kegels and I believe that they have helped because sometimes I have very very good days.

And if you may have any advice on how to handle this lower pubic area pain I would be very thankful.

Thanks.
J

[ICNDonna]

When I flare, it feels like extremely severe menstrual cramps, accompanied by extreme urgency.

Donna