Overview

Chronic pelvic pain is a complex problem that often has many causes. Although the onset of pain may occur after a simple injury or surgical procedure, there are typically a myriad of factors that both contribute to the genesis of the pain, and amplify the pain once present. These factors may be anatomic, hormonal, psychological, iatrogenic (caused by the physician), psychiatric, or nerve-related. Since pelvic pain is often so complicated, simple treatment approaches used alone often fail to relieve the patient's pain adequately.

This would suggest that a more comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of chronic pelvic pain is more appropriate. In fact, rigorous clinical studies have confirmed that, indeed, pelvic pain is more effectively treated with such a comprehensive approach.

Patients who are treated in a multidisciplinary fashion will see multiple health care providers, including physicians from different specialties, physical therapists, psychologists, and even acupuncturists. Once initial evaluations are complete, the health care providers will often discuss individual patients at an interdisciplinary conference. When a comprehensive team of health care providers participates in the care of a patient in this manner, the needs of the patient across a variety of disciplines may be addressed, and the appropriate treatment plan may be created. Using their specialized skills and knowledge, each health care provider contributes to the successful treatment of the patient.

In this fashion, the complexities of a patient's chronic pelvic pain problem can be recognized and treated effectively. For example, a typical patient may have pelvic pain from endometriosis. A solo treating physician, who is focused upon the diagnosis and hormonal treatment of the endometriosis, may not recognize that in addition to the hormone imbalance, there has been a recent divorce that has caused a great deal of stress, thus amplifying the pain syndrome. Also missed may have been the fact that one of the endometriosis implants has been compressing a peripheral nerve. All of these factors must be addressed for this patient to be successfully treated.

Of course, it is possible that one subspecialist could recognize and treat all of these problems. It is more likely, however, that a team of providers, each utilizing their subspecialized abilities, would reveal the complex nature of this patient's pain problem. In this fashion, fewer detail are missed, and patients receive better care. And most importantly, patients who receive multidisciplinary care get better results!

At the Columbia Center for Chronic Pelvic Pain, it is our mission to provide the most complete evaluation and treatment necessary to successfully treat your pain syndrome.

References

Kames LD, Rapkin AJ, Naliboff BD, Afifi S, Ferrer-Brechner T. Effectiveness of an interdisciplinary pain management program for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain. Pain 1990;41:41-6.