By Stephanie Prendergast Pudendal Neuralgia seems to be a diagnosis that is more polarized and controversial than other pelvic pain diagnoses. Why? Over a series of posts we will look at the evolution of this diagnosis, and why we need the perspective of a pelvic floor physical therapist, pain management specialist Dr. Sheldon Jordan, and gynecologist/pelvic pain specialist/pudendal …
New Classification System for Persistent Vulvar Pain
By Stephanie Prendergast In a previous blog post I described my experience while participating in an International Nomenclature Consensus Conference. As you may recall, the motivation for a consensus meeting originated because there was “an unmet medical need for a comprehensive, evidence-based set of vulvovaginal pain diagnoses that can be easily utilized by …
Pelvic Pain: Why a “Diagnosis” isn’t the Key to Recovery
When symptoms of pelvic pain strike, it’s natural to want to know: What’s my diagnosis? Every patient just beginning his/her journey to recovery from pelvic pain grapples with this question. But more often than not the quest to get that diagnosis leads to frustration and disappointment. On top of that, it can actually cause roadblocks to getting on the …
Is “Vaginismus” an Outdated, Useless Term?
VAGINISMUS IS AN OUTDATED, USELESS TERM. This was the debate topic the Journal of Sexual Medicine posed to two teams of clinicians back in February at the annual ISSWSH conference. (ISSWSH is the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health.) Liz was asked to take a spot on the team that argued that “vaginismus” is not an “outdated, …
Must-read Nuggets from the 2012 Annual IPPS Meeting
This year’s annual International Pelvic Pain Society meeting wrapped up this past Sunday, and our team at PHRC is thrilled to begin sharing all of the exciting and thought-provoking information we took home with us. In the coming weeks we’ll be doing just that right here on our blog. In the meantime, here are a few nuggets from the lineup …