Pelvic Pain Clinic

Many gynecologic conditions, such as fibroids and endometriosis, may cause pelvic pain, which may be reduced or eliminated once the condition is treated. However, many women suffer from chronic pelvic pain, a more complex condition.

Many women with chronic pelvic pain have experienced pain for at least six months and have already undergone medical and surgical therapies, including:

• Previous treatment with pain medication and hormonal therapies, such as birth control pills, with no relief
• Previous treatment with analgesia pain therapies with no relief
• One gynecologic surgery with no improvement of pelvic pain symptoms

Hope and help at the Henry Ford Pelvic Pain Clinic

Henry Ford West Bloomfield Gynecology offers a multidisciplinary Pelvic Pain Clinic dedicated to helping women find the cause of their chronic pelvic pain and get relief. The Clinic includes specialists in gynecology, pain management, physical therapy and behavioral health to help design a personalized pelvic pain treatment plan for each woman through a combination of therapies.

Multidisciplinary pelvic pain treatment

The Henry Ford West Bloomfield Pelvic Pain Clinic offers a conservative, multidisciplinary approach to chronic pelvic pain. Research has shown that multidisciplinary approaches achieve better long-term results for chronic pelvic pain than medications or surgery alone. Research has also shown that chronic pain causes changes in the system of nerves, muscles, and the brain, and that multiple, interactive medical problems are usually present in women with chronic pelvic pain.

Our team's individualized pelvic pain treatment plans aim to reduce pain and increase function by using any or all of the following techniques:

• Medical therapy using prescription medicines to treat specific conditions, to control pain, to manage anxiety and/or depression, and to manage dependency on pain medications.
• Behavioral or cognitive therapy from a psychologist specializing in chronic pain management strategies and techniques.
• Physical therapy using exercises and various treatment methods to reduce the "triggers" for pain often found in soft tissues such as muscle and tendons.
• Pain management therapy may include electric nerve stimulators or researched-based complementary integrative medicine therapies such as acupuncture and St. John's neuromuscular therapy.

See a chronic pelvic pain specialist

We accept patients at the Henry Ford Pelvic Pain Clinic through self-referral or referral from their doctors. Patients will complete and return a standard questionnaire before the first visit. During the first visit, which requires about a half-day, our team performs a detailed evaluation and makes recommendations for a plan of treatment. We arrange follow-up visits based on the plan of care.