Healing Pelvic Pain

by Peta Wright

This is a book for the one in five Australian women suffering chronic pelvic pain.For decades the biomedical model has prevailed, with many women going under the knife - often multiple times - to treat their endometriosis or being prescribed heavy-duty drugs for period pain without noticeable improvement.Women with pelvic pain who haven't been diagnosed with endometriosis suffer in silence with little support, often giving up after multiple attempts for answers and appropriate medical relief.Prominent gynaecologist and fertility specialist Dr Peta Wright makes links between this condition and trauma-associated physical symptoms, which is now very well researched and documented.Drawing on her extensive experience working with patients, many of whom have been through the medical mill, Dr Wright makes the case for a range of other treatments not usually prescribed, including an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise, stress management, and therapeutic work focused on addressing the effects of trauma in the body. Thoroughly researched, compassionately argued and highly accessible, Healing Pelvic Pain aims to empower women to ask the right questions, get the right treatment, and make lifestyle changes that bring about release from pain.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2023

Reviews

[Brea Roadley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please if you have endometriosis do not read this book. It invalidated so many of our experiences. It mentions ginger root, tea and yoga in a list as ways to deal with endometriosis pain. It mentions leaky gut syndrome which is not an evidence based syndrome. It mentions that there is no difference in pain after excision versus ablation surgery when the personal experiences of people make it clear there is a huge difference. It also questions if people with superficial endometriosis even need surgery, I can say with 100 percent confidence while I still have chronic pain it is so much better after having surgery. I feel so sorry for anyone who is seeing is doctor and having there pain invalidated.

[caity ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some good ideas and is a small step forward in a more holistically driven approach to endometriosis which is desperately needed. I also think there is some merit to the idea that stress/trauma/history can impact the experience of pelvic pain, and further the idea that there are alternatives to heaps of surgery or hormonal intervention.

However, this book also has some significant shortfallings, especially in its discussion around endometriosis. At times the book completely conflates pelvic pain with endometriosis which does both a disservice and kind of invalidates endometriosis. It is very clearly written by someone who doesn't have endometriosis and at times oversteps on what the experience of endometriosis is actually like. It lacks a lot of nuance and for a book claiming to 'listen' and 'take into account' women's experience with endometriosis, but, it ultimately fails to do that.

It is true that the medical industry is failing people with endometriosis and that a lot of the treatments pushed onto people with endometriosis are ultimately not effective, I am intimately acquainted with this as a woman with endometriosis who has spent the past 6-7 years bouncing from Drs, specialists, gynaecologists etc trying to manage this illness. However, there is an irony to recognising the shortfallings of the medical industry when handling endometriosis and then going on to also mishandle discussions about endometriosis.

Overall, I think this book has some salient points about managing pelvic pain however if you are a woman with endometriosis I would take this book with a MASSIVE grain of salt.

[Lauren Minihane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those who experience pelvic pain, pain associated with periods, and or chronic pain. I finished this book feeling more empowered due my understanding of pain and chronic pain in the body and educated surrounding pelvic floor dysfunction, how trauma impacts pain and fear responses, and understanding the body’s various phases throughout the month of your period relative to hormonal and inflammatory changes. It’s a paradigm shift in understanding periods and pelvic pain and offers a holistic care plan that incorporates the mind, body, and spirit- not just a bandaid pain numbing approach. I have read this in the context of feeling very invalidated and exhausted by the medical system specifically in their treatment of chronic pain and pelvic pain, this book therefore helped me to understand the body’s pain functions and to feel safer. I am excited and hopeful for a future where there is more emphasis on and a deeper understanding of women’s health.

[Marrissa Blackburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can not say thank you enough to Dr Wright for writing this book. For the better part of 20 years (early teens) I have been in pain and after reading your book it has given me the hope I needed to continue changing the way I look at my body and the pain. Being slapped with a endometriosis diagnosis and then not have anyone look at more than that has been demoralising. My pelvic floor therapist put me on to this after I told her I was done with surgery and wanted to understand what was going on with my body. It was the best thing I could have done and I will be thanking her again when I see her.

[Merridy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredible. I haven’t read or heard this approach to pelvic pain before. A lot of the information re the nervous system was reminiscent of ‘Manage your Pain: practical and positive ways of adapting to chronic pain’ that I was recommend over 5 years ago. At that stage of my chronic pain journey I wasn’t ready to hear that I could be a major part of my healing journey. I wanted to be told what was wrong and what would fix it. In retrospect I wanted to be disconnected from my pain and my body, I wasn’t ready to be in control. Reading Peta’s insights after living with chronic pain for almost 10 years, now feels refreshing. Her point that our current gold standard for care in treating pelvic pain is failing us. This rang true for me, I followed a very similar story: I was put on the pill, internal exams, scans, the implant, surgery, the mirena. I felt no relief physically but briefly I felt relieved that I finally had an answer for some of my pain: endometriosis. The problem is, although I felt validated, seen and accepted, I wasn’t ‘crazy’ and it wasn’t ‘all in my head’. My heart broke reading about the women being told there was no endometriosis found and that their specialist didn’t know what to do next. I remember so vividly laying in the hospital bed, sore, swollen and all I could think of was ‘what if it’s not endometriosis, what then?’ The dread was overwhelming and it’s hard to admit how relieved I was to finally have the answer. This dissipated quickly when I received the ‘treatment’ and you have the ‘reason’ for your pain, but the pain hasn’t gone away... but I’m lucky at least I was taken seriously.

Not one of the professionals I spoke to asked me about my life... it was only ever from the mechanical model of my body and how this compares to others. It was never about me, the individual human being struggling in front of them. There is no blame here, just a reflection. Reading how this can be different with the right people gives me hope for the future of caring for those with pelvic pain.

Although my initial reactions to reading that there is a reason my nervous system responds this way was one of shame. This quickly turned into one of hope. I now have hope that I can actually re-wire these pain pathways. I feel inspired to find the right people, to find a team of professionals that view me as I am, as a whole person.

I feel as though I can’t say ‘I needed this book 10 years ago’ because I’m not sure if I was ready. I think instead I needed my ancestors to read this book, for my grandparents, my parents, my siblings, my friends, my teachers etc before I even had the chance to fear my period and to view my uterus as a seperate entity. Perhaps without this deep ceded fear and shame of bleeding once a month. We could view our menstrual cycles as powerful and something that needs to be celebrated. The way I talk about my body from now on, will be one of care, compassion and awe.

I’m not sure if this review is helpful, as I’ve butchered a lot of what I learnt. But this was the first book that I’ve written in and underlined. I’ll be taking time to go back over what I learnt and making a plan. Enough blaming my endometriosis for my pain and taking back the power I have over my insanely wonderful body.

Here’s to being a woman in a world designed for men, take care of yourself. I could go on reflecting, it just doesn’t stop with me, but I’ll leave the rest for my journal.

[Fallon Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an excellent book!! Before I read this I had pelvic pain every single day but since reading I only have flare ups on certain days and I know exactly what to do to calm everything back down.

It has a wealth of information and it has given me hope as someone who lives with chronic conditions. It was such a different and holistic perspective that answered so many questions I had. I know it’s something I’ll continue to come back to throughout my life.

I couldn’t not recommend this enough! Wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having recently been diagnosed with endo via laparoscopic surgery after being dismissed for 16 years, I was hoping this book would be helpful however I found myself sitting there thinking “why do I feel like I’m being told off?” There are a few things that are worth thinking about but I would urge anyone reading to not let this book lead your health journey.

[Emma Cleugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this and learning more about the menstrual cycle, because even as a nurse it wasn't something focused on. I found it a little bit repetitive but think it was intentionally trying to reinforce those key points. Definitely a worthwhile read for any woman suffering from chronic pelvic pain with some incredibly powerful tools to help overcome what can be so debilitating for so many.

[Erin Kercher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably more a 4 star reading experience but some of the ideas it expresses and what I've learnt from this book is 5 stars.

To get soppy for a second; as someone who suffers from chronic pelvic pain, this book (along with specialists I am seeing) helped to get me on the path of healing myself and life is better because of it.

[Cvitana Vucicic · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be reductive and unhelpful. Whilst I agree that stress can exacerbate problems, I found myself feeling blamed for my endometriosis. Those who suffer from endometriosis already have so many issues surrounding validation of their pain in the medical field, it was disheartening to read yet another medical professional downplay endometriosis.

[Rea · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who works in the women’s/pelvic health space, I still re-read this book once a year with new insight and golden nuggets of wisdom each time. This book is so beautifully written, whole person and body in its thought and aware of the realities of living with pelvic pain. One of my top ten books ever

[Elizabeth Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any women experiencing pelvic pain!!!!!