Pelvic & genital problems

Definition:

Pelvic Pain Syndrome - (chronic discomfort or pain in the pelvis) is commonly only recognised in men, but is frequently seen and often misdiagnosed in women.

Pelvic floor (pelvic support) disorders involve a dropping down (prolapse) of the bladder, rectum, or uterus caused by weakness of or injury to the ligaments, connective tissue, and muscles of the pelvis.

The vestibule is where the vulva (area of the skin on the outside) meets with the vagina. It is an extremely sensitive part of your body and contains the Bartholin¹s gland (which produces vaginal lubrication), the urethra (where you pass urine) and a number of the small minor vestibule glands which also produce vaginal discharge.

Vestibulitis was the former term for vestibulodynia. This term is out of date now. It is slightly misleading as it implies that the vestibule is inflamed – hence the term vestibulitis. It is not believed that an inflammatory process in the skin is to blame for symptoms. An excessive sensitivity of the nerve fibres and even, on occasions, overgrowth of the nerve fibres in the area is believed to be responsible for symptoms.

Vaginismus is a continuous prolonged spasm of the pelvic floor muscles that contract in orgasm. A continuous spasm of these muscles can lead to severe pain and make penetration or intercourse impossible. Vaginismus may be a result of various conditions that cause vulvar pain or irritation. It can also be a result of the anticipation of pain or a recollection of a negative sexual experience.

Vulvodynia refers to a disorder of vulvar pain, burning, and discomfort that interferes with the quality of life. No discernible physical lesion other than perhaps some redness of the vestibule is present. The cause can sometimes be attributed to trauma, but in many other cases its origin is unknown.

Mr Stefan Chmelik on Pelvic pain, pelvic floor problems, genital pain, vestibulitis, vaginismus, vulvadynia, chronic thrush, genital pain, Pelvic Pain Syndrome

As is clear from the long list of names above, problems in the pelvis can present differently and have a number of causes (read A Headache in the Pelvis by Wise for more information). Some of these are quite separate from each other, but I have come to learn that many of them are versions of the same overall problem, which has certain common factors in all women and men.

Women in particular may have been given a number of these diagnoses over several years of symptoms, with each having been treated as if it were a different problem. Genital pain, especially where sex is made difficult, is particularly distressing, and conventional medicine offers few acceptable options for treatment. Surgical procedures are almost never successful for these problems and carry their own risks, and repeated courses of antibiotics destroy the immune system, leading to a chronic version of the problem.

Although sometimes easy to cure, these problems can be complex and require longer-term treatment, particularly when a lot of interventions have already been given. It is essential to take a very thorough and careful case history, so the precise level of the common factors that are usually present can be identified. Once this is known, a tailored treatment plan can be put together that deals holistically with the whole problem.

The components of a treatment plan can include acupuncture, bodywork, herbs and diet. Special breathing, relaxation and muscle exercises have also been shown to be very helpful for certain people, and I use a lot of this in my work. For a certain number of people, there may be a traumatic or distressing event that is linked to their symptoms, and there are gentle and supportive ways that this can be approached and worked with

Dr Brian Kaplan on Pelvic/Genital, pelvic pain, pelvic floor problems, genital pain, vestibulitis, vaginismus, vulvadynia.

This group of problems all of which cause debilitating pain in the genital and pelvic area cause untold misery to thousands of women.

Orthodox medicine: This offers no easy solutions to this complex group of problems.

Homeopathy: The fact that the cause of these conditions is not easy to locate in many cases does not deter homeopathic treatment. This is because a homeopathic remedy is chosen from a detailed description of your symptoms. On taking a history of the condition I will need to ask very specific questions about what aggravates and alleviates the pain, what sort of pain it is and even what you think may be the cause of the pain. Your personal psychological reaction to the pain will also be taken into consideration before a remedy is prescribed. I have found homeopathy to be a useful therapy in the holistic treatment of this condition but inevitable combine it with Autogenic Therapy and any other system of treatment that I think could be helpful in your particular case.

New Medicine Group: The New Medicine Group has taken an interest in this particular group of problems for the past few years. Our conclusion at the moment is that every case of this group of problems is different and needs a tailor-made approach. We seek to provide a viable complementary approach to this very distressing problem and consult each other at our regular group meetings about cases. In addition we sometimes present cases to the meeting in order to put together the optimal integrated approach for your particular situation.

Mr Leon Chaitow on Pelvic-genital - pelvic pain, pelvic floor problems, genital pain, vestibulitis, vaginismus, vulvadynia

The incidence of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is widespread, and has many different potential causes. There is evidence that CPP is relatively poorly understood, even by specialists in genitourinary dysfunction and disease, and certainly by the wider health care community. Recent research has suggested connections between chronic sacro-iliac restrictions/instability and a wide range of pelvic floor related problems, as well as breathing pattern dysfunction. In addition myofascial trigger points seem to be commonly actively a problem. Research and our experience have shown that in many instances CPP can respond to manual therapeutic approaches.

Conditions associated Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP) may include:

• Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) - difficulty in controlling urination.
• Interstitial cystitis (IC) - frequency, urgency, discomfort/pain on urination - non-bacterial. This is also described as Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS).
• Vestibulitis - essential Vulvodynia—with no obvious cause.
• Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome - a subset of urinary and genital pain disorders or ‘‘painful bladder’’ syndromes.
• Dyspareunia - painful intercourse.