About the Book
Chronic pelvic pain afflicts 1.6 million Americans (about 55 percent of sufferers are men). It goes by the names of pelvic floor dysfunction and prostatitis, among others. Its causes are hard to pinpoint, so it is often left untreated despite causing excruciating pain. David Wise, PhD, went searching for relief 20 years ago after doctors were unable to help him, diving into the medical literature, self-experimenting, and ultimately joining forces with Stanford urologist Dr. Rodney Anderson. He finally found relief via the muscle relaxation protocol they created.
Their theory is that pelvic floor pain is correlated with psychological distress; the book guides the reader through a holistic treatment integrating physical therapy and meditative relaxation, a protocol that studies show allows one-third of patients to stop all drugs after six months.
About the Author :
DAVID WISE, PhD, the primary author of the book, spent eight years in the Department of Urology at Stanford University Medical Center as a visiting research scholar working with Dr. Rodney Anderson. He is a licensed psychologist in California and his research interests are in behavioral medicine and autonomic self-regulation.
RODNEY U. ANDERSON, MD, FACS, is professor of urology (emeritus-active) at Stanford University School of Medicine. His subspecialty clinical expertise is neurourology and female urology. He continues to be actively engaged in clinical research at Stanford on the Wise-Anderson Protocol and other research.
Review :
“This is a book that helps patients empower themselves in their own healing. It is not a hocus-pocus solution; it is a long-term program that must be adapted into one’s daily routine. To understand that we have the ability to affect our own healing process can be life changing.”—Ragi Doggweiler, MD, associate professor, director of Neuro-Urology and Integrative Medicine, Division of Urology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
“A Headache in the Pelvis demystifies a condition that is so frequently overlooked and often mistreated in clinical practice. It empowers patients to be their own caregiver, while it encourages partnerships with clinicians who can be tremendously helpful in the patient’s path to symptom improvement.”—Robert Moldwin, MD, author of The Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide
“Many pelvic pain patients go from doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist, without improvement, often feeling abandoned. A majority of patients with chronic pelvic pain do not respond to conventional therapies (antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs), leaving a huge void. Drs. Wise and Anderson offer a therapeutic option that can bring relief to many.”—Bart Gershbein, MD, clinical instructor, Department of Urology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco
“The sixth edition of A Headache in the Pelvis, by Drs. Rodney Anderson and David Wise, continues to be one of the most useful books for people who suffer from chronic pelvic floor pain. The book details a method for resolving pelvic pain by rehabilitating the pelvic floor muscles that have often been the brunt of anxiety or a reaction to a trauma or surgery.”—Erik Peper, PhD, professor, Institute of Holistic Health Studies, San Francisco State University
“Drs. Wise and Anderson have updated their important book on pelvic pain. This work has changed the way I think about pelvic pain. I now can find the clues in the physical exam (pelvic muscle spasm) that I had previously missed. This book is required reading for any clinician dealing with pelvic pain patients.”—Stephen Bearg, MD, obstetrician-gynecologist, past chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Marin General Hospital, Kentfield, California
“This book is for people affected by pelvic pain and for family members who care about them; it’s also for the medical providers who work with these patients.”—Marlene Cresci Cohen, PhD, director, Behavioral Sciences, Valley Family Medicine Residency, Modesto, California, and professor, Volunteer Faculty Department of Family Medicine University of California, Davis
“A Headache in the Pelvis is a lamp in the dark human suffering of chronic pelvic pain. This book is a precious document that will help many people.”—Robert Blum, MD, former chief, Department of Neurosurgery, Marin General Hospital, Marin County, California
“I highly recommend this book to colleagues, clients, and friends all the time. It does a great job explaining the connections between muscle tension and pain symptoms. . . . I find that after the first reading, the book needs to be read and reread.”—Marilyn Freedman, PT, DPT, BCB-PMD, CAPP
