Reviews of A Headache In the Pelvis, 6th Edition

After reading over the 6th edition of “A Headache in the Pelvis,” all I can say is “Wow”…Drs. Wise and Anderson have done it again! This has truly become the “Bible” for patients, both men and women, who suffer from pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. The book demystifies a condition that is so frequently overlooked and often mistreated in clinical practice. It empowers the patient to be their own caregiver; while it encourages partnerships with clinicians who can be tremendously helpful in the patient’s path to symptom improvement.  “A Headache in the Pelvis” is on the top of my recommendation list.

Robert Moldwin, MD
Author, The Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide

This is a book that helps patients empower themselves in their own healing. With this book, patients learn how to gain control over their chronic pelvic pain. It is not a hocus-pocus solution; it is a long-term program that must be adapted into one’s daily routine. I have witnessed firsthand how patients willing to change their behavior have been able to find healing…When I see patients after they’ve read the book I can often see a change in their faces. 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, TN

Since its first edition, A Headache in the Pelvis has been enthusiastically welcomed by patients suffering from urological pelvic pain syndromes (UCPPS), which may have been previously diagnosed as prostatitis or interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

I have specialized in UCPPS for over 15 years, and have been impressed by the educational merits of this book, which provides factual medical information to the patient without exacerbating fears or anxieties. Indeed, I have witnessed the therapeutic benefits of this book, as it provides validation to patients along with empowering management strategies. A Headache in the Pelvis addresses both the physical and emotional aspects of UCPPS in a caring and methodical way, which patients find accessible and nurturing. It has become a wonderful adjuvant to physiotherapy and self care, as well as a support tool for loved ones living with a man or woman who has UCPPS.

Although I recommend A Headache in the Pelvis to all of my patients, I have happily discovered that more and more physical therapists are recommending the book to their referring doctors and to their patients. In many ways, this book communicates effectively to a wide audience, as it is accessible and empowering to patients, interesting and insightful to healthcare providers.

Jeannette Potts, MD
Director, Center for Pelvic Pain, Alternative and Medical Urology Services
Urological Institute
University Hospitals of Cleveland
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio

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, California

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. This new edition has filled in many of the answers raised since the publication of the first edition of this book in 2003….This new treatment model is based upon Drs. Rodney Anderson and David Wise’s work at Stanford University Medical Center.

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

A Headache in the Pelvis is an excellent book, brimming with warmth, compassion and insight.  It describes a pioneering method that empowers patients with pelvic pain to understand and help reduce their pain and symptoms.  It is the very best kind of medicine, in that it teaches patients how to reduce their own symptoms themselves. 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
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 re-read……

Marilyn Freedman, PT DPT BCB-PMD CAPP
Certificate of Achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy

This compelling understanding of chronic pelvic pain syndromes offers a new and pioneering approach to its alleviation.

Frank Werblin, PhD
Professor of Neuroscience
University of California, Berkeley