Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I: Pelvic Pain: A Roadmap
1: Pelvic Pain 101
2: How did I get Pelvic Pain?: The Importance of Uncovering Contributing Factors
3: Demystifying the Neuromuscular Impairments that cause Pelvic Pain
Part II: Getting on the Road to Healing
4: I have Pelvic Pain, What do I do now?
5: Pelvic Pain PT: In the Treatment Room
6: A Guide to Navigating Treatment Options
7: The Pelvic Floor and Pregnancy: Treating New Moms Right
8: Pelvic Pain and Sex: The Facts
Part III: In the Driver’s Seat: Taking Control of your Healing
9: At-home Self Treatment: Taking Matters into your own Hands
10: Exercise to Stay Fit without Flaring Symptoms
11: Tips for Optimizing Communication with your Providers
12: Tips for Day-to-Day Living
Appendix A: Pelvic Pain Resources
Appendix B: Evaluation Interview: Complete List of Questions

About the Author

Stephanie Prendergast and Elizabeth Rummer, are the founders of the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center (PHRC), a physical therapy practice that focuses solely on the treatment of pelvic pain/dysfunction for men and women. With locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Gatos, and Boston, PHRC is the premiere pelvic floor rehabilitation clinic in the country with upwards of 10,000 patients treated per year. Both Stephanie and Liz are well-recognized experts and thought leaders in the treatment of pelvic pain/dysfunction. They lecture worldwide and have been interviewed and/or contributed articles to publications such as the New York Times and The Los Angeles Times along with several medical textbooks, including Chronic Pelvic Pain and Dysfunction: Practical Physical Medicine published by Churchill Livingstone. In addition, they teach the leading, post-graduate pelvic floor physical therapy course in four cities worldwide each year as well as hold leadership roles in numerous pelvic pain-related organizations. Also, they publish a well-trafficked blog on pelvic pain, titled Pelvic Health & Rehab, which is syndicated on two leading online health communities, Wellsphere.com and EHealth.com.

Reviews

'Pelvic pain is not something we run marathons or distribute ribbons for. On the contrary, it's an invisible condition.' That assessment from a patient captures the sense of isolation and longing for support shared by many who suffer from this complex, challenging, and sometimes chronic malady. Approximately 20 percent of women experience pelvic at some time in their lives. Men get it, too (but are often misdiagnosed). Anatomically, the pelvic floor - a collection of muscles, nerves, and connective tissue - props up abdominal organs, aids posture, and assists with sexual, urinary, and bowel function. Prendergast and Rummer, physical therapists specializing in the treatment of pelvic pain, provide an overview of the causative factors, symptoms, and therapeutic options for the problem. Management of public pain may include physical therapy, injections, topical medication, prescription drugs (anticonvulsants, antidepressants, benzodiazepines), cognitive behavioral therapy, and surgical procedures. Excellent explanations on how pelvic pain and dysfunction impact sexuality and pregnancy are included. Overall, a sound and sensitive discussion about a vexing medical disorder. Booklist Pelvic pain can be indicative of many things, and tends to be associated with difficult diagnoses and treatments. This book helps lead both patients and practitioners through the intricate realm of pelvic pain by offering straightforward solutions. The book is structured into three general sections which cover the definitions of pelvic pain, how to treat pelvic pain, and how to maintain pelvic health. These sections are further broken down into concise and effective chapters with paragraphs that make generous use of subheadings for ease of reference. The material is presented logically and clearly. For example, the material in Pelvic Pain: A Road Map moves from defining the pelvic floor through common pain symptoms, difficulties of diagnoses, contributing factors, and so on. A judicious use of charts, bulleted lists, black-and-white illustrations, tables, personal stories and more will be very helpful to readers. Readers may find some information surprising; for example, that treatment may be best handled via an interdisciplinary approach, that men are also susceptible to pelvic pain, and that there is significant support out there for this particular condition, from the Happy Pelvis online support community to, well, this first-rate book. Appendixes convey a very good list of pelvic pain resources, including books, products, blogs, and more, as well as a basic evaluation interview which is a good starting point on the path to recovery from this condition. Detailed notes, a bibliography, and an index follow. American Reference Books Annual This book aids the patient and clinician to give overview of pelvic pain symptoms, causes and treatment options. For some patients this problem can really be misunderstood and medical knowledge can be lacking from the medical teams. This book gives good clear processes for patients and clinicians to follow. The book is easy to read, written by experts and educators. The first sentence in the forward gives the patient confidence and reassurance 'if you suffer with pelvic pain, you need to read this book' the hand of reassurance is there for the sufferer and partner. It also reassures the reader they are not alone (which sometimes feels like the case). There are interesting patient stories and their journeys, which are interesting and can aid the sufferer. This gives a personal feel to the book without it being too weighty on the medical aspects. For nursing students who have no experience of this there is good chapters regarding anatomy and contributing factors for great understanding... The overarching strength for the sufferer is that there is so much hope in this book. Although this is written in the US, this book is just as apt for the sufferer and medical teams in the UK. The title extends the arm of help and advice to all involved with this condition, as it is titled 'what everyone needs to know'. The authors have helped numerous people with this problem so the reader knows this is based on experience and practice. Overall I found no weaknesses in this book. The patient, medical and nursing (whatever stage in their career) and medical teams (particularly useful when looking at individual cases) [should read this book]. Nursing Times 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