Pelvic Pain Explained: What Everyone Needs to Know

At its heart, Pelvic Pain Explained is the story of how patients develop pelvic pain, the challenges patients and providers face throughout the diagnosis and treatment process, the difficult task of sifting through the different available treatment options, and the impact that an “invisible” condition has on a patient’s life and relationships, and much more. Those who develop pelvic pain find the path to proper diagnosis and treatment frustrating and unsuccessful, oftentimes because they are trying to work within the model of recovery they are used to; one in which they go to the doctor, maybe take some tests and then get a very specific diagnosis that dictates a very specific mode of treatment. This simply is not the path to healing from pelvic pain. Pelvic pain is a health issue that crosses the borders between medical disciplines and requires the patient to be a proactive participant in the healing process.

Here, Stephanie Prendergast and Elizabeth Rummer offer readers guidance on navigating a pelvic pain diagnosis and treatment, helping them to better understand their pain from a physiological perspective as well as how to digest the current treatment options available and put them on the path to healing. Providers, too, will gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary treatment approach. Major topics the book tackles include: the anatomy of the pelvic floor with an explanation of the many ways pelvic pain occurs; the different diagnoses and contributing factors associated with pelvic pain; a discussion of the current treatment landscape with guidance on how to navigate it; the vital role that PT plays in treatment; male pelvic pain; pregnancy and pelvic pain; sex and pelvic pain; the role of the patient in healing; the role of the brain in pelvic pain; and much more. Anyone with pelvic pain will find here a starting point on the road to healing and living pelvic pain free.

Editorial Review

The key to treating almost any person suffering with pelvic pain, vulvar pain, or pain with sex is to address their pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Stephanie Prendergast and Liz Rummer are leading experts in the evaluation and treatment of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction and patients travel from all over the globe to receive their specialized treatment. Pelvic Pain Explained will give you the answers to critical questions such as: “What is the best way to treat my pelvic pain?” “How can I find a provider to help me treat my pain?” “What can I do at home to speed up my recovery?” The answers to these, and many more essential questions can be found in Pelvic Pain Explained. (Andrew T. Goldstein, MD, FACOG, IF, Director, the Centers for Vulvovaginal Disorders; coauthor of When Sex Hurts: A Woman’s Guide to Banishing Sexual Pain)

Pelvic Pain Explained is exactly what it promises—an explanation of how chronic pain develops and evolves, as well as a discussion of the rationale for various treatments. It will is a valuable tool to give patients to help them understand how their pain came to be chronic and how they can best navigate the treatment options. I would highly recommend this book to any medical professional who has at some point encountered a chronic pain patient and felt they have run out of treatment options. (John Thiel, Interim Academic Head of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Saskatchewan)

This book is a MUST for every person suffering from chronic pelvic pain. The authors do a fantastic job of explaining the complexities of pain from the patients’ perspectives as well as the science about why people develop chronic pelvic pain. This will positively impact people’s lives who often live in isolation with their pain and help them realize they are not alone. The book explores avenues to reduce and manage this difficult chronic condition. Pelvic Pain Explained: What Every Patient and Provider Should Know will become a recommended read to all my chronic pelvic pain patients as part of their healing process. This book is a MUST for all health care providers who care for people with chronic pelvic pain and in my opinion, all health care students. The authors expertly lay out the complex biopsychosocial pathology associated with chronic pain and the concept of a health care team approach to address all aspects of how pain affects the body, mind, and spirit. (Danielle Staecker, MD FACOG, Assistant Professor, Director of the Center for Pelvic Pain and Sexual Health, Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center)