The Wise-Anderson Protocol for Healing Pelvic Pain

I studied this book thoroughly, and attended one of the 6-day immersion clinics described in the book. I suffer from chronic pelvic pain caused by pudendal neuralgia and interstitial cystitis, and Dr. Wise assured me that the clinic would help my IC along with my chronic pelvic pain. I was so hopeful I gave my all to the process, practicing paradoxical relaxation throughout the day, working with a trained physical therapist as described in the book, and faithfully following the relaxation protocol. However, after doing the protocol for over a year I was still not getting better. In fact, I finally had to go on disability, as I am no longer able to sit, I cannot walk very far and spend much of my day in bed with ice and heat for the constant pain. For a long time I thought it was just me because all the reviews are so positive, but I recently contacted other members of my group and found out most of them are still suffering as well.

The authors have taken some aspects of mindfulness meditation, visualization therapy, yoga, and physical therapy, recombined them and repackaged them with more technical names. Basically, the book is a fraud.

this is to advertise their protocol instead of spending money for advertisement on tv. i do not find a single tool that u can do without going to attend their clinic practice. that is how most doctors get money from us. when we are in pain and need to relieve this pain.

My first instinct was to give this book three stars--reflecting an average of one star for being such a poorly written and cruel self-promotion book written for an audience who are suffering from chronic pelvic pain (a very debilitating and depressing condition), and five stars for at least moving the discussion of pelvic pain in a forward direction by pointing out the weaknesses in the Western medicine treatment of the condition and suggesting a way forward. But, for patients who are barely able to sit for more than 10 minutes to half an hour, a book that is very long and poorly organized and poorly written (can someone please get these guys a professional editor (even more coherent headings and subheadings would help), and can the authors please decide if the book is intended to be a self-help book for sufferers or a book directed at the medical community or a philosophy textbook) is a cruel joke, and the cruelty is only exacerbated by the fact that, somewhere deep in the middle of this long work, is the statement that actually the only way a patient with this condition can get better is to go to California (a virtual impossibility for many people suffering from this condition) and participate in an expensive workshop sponsored by the authors. For patients who do have this condition and want real help, I suggest Amy Stein's book Heal Pelvic Pain, and Stephanie Prendergast and Elizabeth Rummer's book Pelvic Pain Explained. Both of these books, by physical therapists, are written with a patient in mind, and are very helpful. If you are interested reading about this condition from the perspective of a person who has had this condition and has healed, I highly suggest Teach Us to Sit Still by Tim Parks. It is a very honest and heartfelt account of the author's journey to healing. His solution to his pelvic pain (meditation) may not work for everyone, but just reading about his experiences was helpful for me, and meditation has helped me even if it has not cured me.

This book does not deal with the problem of nerve entrapment due to any other cause but muscle tension. Many well-regarded pain-management professionals believe as much as 80% of the chronic pain conditions in this country are related to dysfunctional muscle tension, for example, Dr. Bernard Filner in Maryland. But those same proponents of this approach to chronic pain will also tell you that it is never a safe choice to assume that muscle tension is the cause, or even a contributing factor, in your particular pelvic pain without first undergoing adequate medical testing to rule out other potential causes. In the case of pelvic pain, nerve entrapment may also be caused by spinal-disc or abdominal-organ injury or disease; it may be caused by abnormal formations of hard-tissue structures entrapping nerves, or it may be due to adhesions, that is, fibrosis or scar tissue which clings to nerves. These types of medical issues will not be relieved by muscle-release techniques such as this book recommends.

Sadly, not everyone in this country who has pelvic-floor pain has the material resources, family support, and patience in the face of extreme pain, to undergo the huge amount of medical screening involved to solve the riddle of pelvic pain, whose true origins are often extremely hard for physicians to determine. The initial diagnostic process is extensive, time consuming and, even with an excellent health-insurance policy, the out-of-pocket portion the patient is required to pay can be quite expensive. This screening process can involve some or all of the following: lab tests of the genitourinary system to check for possible infections; ultrasound, abdominal x-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans, and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look for abnormal body structures or abnormal tissue growth; colonoscopy to check for diverticulitis or other inflammatory bowel disease; laparoscopy (a thin tube attached to a small camera inserted through a small incision in the abdomen) to closely examine abdominal organs to check for abnormal tissue growth or infections in the abdominal cavity; specialized nerve blocks to figure out which nerves in the pelvic region are being compressed. Many patients also undergo surgeries which often are not truly warranted because the surgeon's approach is a classic case of, "When you only own a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Surgeons are trained to cut, and each specializes in particular surgeries. If you go to a given surgeon, chances are high they will offer you the surgeries they know how to do, whether or not that particular surgery is what you need. On top of that, all surgeries, even those offered to remove scar tissue, lead to the body creating new scar tissue which can, in and of itself, become a new source of pain.

If all of these tests listed above turn out to be normal, and/or the surgeries the patient has been put through by well-meaning doctors are a failure at eliminating pelvic pain--or create additional pelvic pain--then at that point, and out of sheer desperation, many pelvic-pain sufferers come to the idea of muscle tension as a last resort. It is important to know, though, that it is highly doubtful if insurance will cover a trip to Dr. Wise's clinic, and this book is *not* an offer by the doctor of a do-it-yourself, home-treatment program. Instead, it is a sales pitch for Dr. Wise's clinic.

The only at-home care that Dr. Wise does offer in book form is in another book he has written, not this one. It is called Paradoxical Relaxation: The Theory and Practice of Dissolving Anxiety by Accepting It. Some people may find that book sufficient in and off itself to learn and practice on their own the particular type of relaxation technique that Dr. Wise prefers above all others of the countless relaxation techniques available today.

The only other at-home-care opportunity on offer by Dr. Wise are those that he and the physical therapists on his staff train patients to do. These include specific stretches and his recommended method for using a special, rectal/vaginal probe that Dr. Wise invented to release deep, internal, trigger points in pelvic-floor muscles.

For those who have gone through substantial testing to discover the cause of their pelvic pain and are mostly, but not 100%, sure that their pain is caused by a "headache in the pelvis," or are simply desperate and looking for something, anything, that might possibly help their excruciating pelvic pain, one possible way to be sure before racing off to Dr. Wise's expensive clinic in California that you are a candidate for his treatment is to test out his main theory for yourself. Dr. Wise asserts that habitual "tail tucking" behavior (which happens when someone hangs their head or curls in fetal position when afraid, depressed, or in pain) is the cause of entrenched spasms of the pelvic-floor muscles. It is possible to mentally create a reaction in the body which is the opposite of this behavior by using the technique of visualization.

Visualization is a well-respected technique that has been used for many decades by professional athletes to enhance performance and medical patients to heal illness. Utilizing the image of tail-tucking, one could start out imagining oneself as an unhappy, frightened dog (perhaps one's own beloved pet--when I do this, I imagine my 10-lb rat terrier, Dottie, who frequently engages in tail-tucking behavior). Then, imagine your visualized dog-self becoming happy--your imaginary ears perk straight up, and so does your imaginary tail. Purposely put a smile on your face at the same time. When you do this while standing, you will notice that your head instinctively lifts up and the spine straightens, improving stooped posture, which physical therapists everywhere will inform you is a major contributor to back and neck pain. It is a simple matter to do this free, easy visualization multiple times a day for a few seconds. Not only does this visualization set up a new pattern in the body to counteract any unconscious tail-tucking, but the smile and the happy-dog visualization releases endorphins, which are known to be natural painkillers.

Test out this visualization for at least a week. If you notice any amount of improvement in your pelvic pain, it is possible you might be a candidate for further training in methods of releasing your pelvic-floor muscles at the doctor's expensive clinic.

I rate this book as follows:
Introduction of an interesting spin on pelvic pain with the tail-tucking concept: 4 stars
Self-help training for pain control at home: 1 star
Overall: 3 stars

Worked for me after being falsely diagnosed by a urologist in Los Angeles that turns out never even sent my prostate sample for culture test. Situation with my prostate began to improve immediately after applying the principles outlined in this book. No drugs, no BS. True, honest science.

I found this book to be the most informative book available on Pelvic Pain. If you are experiencing Pelvic Pain this is a must read. This book could possibly be life changing for you.

I had been experiencing debilitating Pelvic Pain for 5 years. I went with every medical recommendation offered by all of the Doctors I had seen. Not one of the Urologists, Gastroenterologists, Physical Medicine Specialists, Nutritionists, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists or Physical Therapists had a clue as to what was causing my pain. Not one of their treatments or medicines gave me relief. Their answer was for me to see an Anesthesiologist for spinal blocks to manage the pain. This is all they had to offer. I went with it out of desperation but these also were not effective. At this point I was getting depressed. I had tried everything with no results; I had given up on recovering.

I started Physiotherapy due to my depression and the therapist recommended the book. Upon getting the book I could not put it down. I had finally found someone who knew exactly what I was going through and offered a solution. Just reading the book made my spirits rise.

I attended Dr Wise's monthly immersion clinic in August 2012. My first impression was that there are other people with the same dysfunctions that I have. During the six days of intense training offered by Dr Wise and Sawyer PT I was trained in the Wise-Anderson Protocol. With the knowledge and tools in hand I am working on my Pelvic Pain at home. This self treatment is by far the best thing that has come my way in a long time. I am still symptomatic but with what started with the reading of this book I now can look forward to being pain free.

Please do not read any of the negative comments! This book is not a magic pill but most certainly is a life saver. This requires a lot of patience and good therapists around your area. DO NOT GO to the internet to read discouraging stories, please remember this book gives you a very very clear idea of what you are dealing with and IT WILL GET BETTER. Thank you Dr. Wise.

After suffering from pelvic pain, bladder pressure and sleepless nights for several months, I decided to buy this book. I had no other options as I had gone through 4 urologists, back doctors, my primary care physician and NONE of them offered up much hope. The last Urologist I saw mentioned PFD (Pelvic Floor Dysfunction) but wanted to try other routes before he treated me for this. This forced me to start researching about PFD and I landed on this book. I even sent a message through the website that supports the book/protocol and Dr. Wise called me back the same day. He took the time to listen to my story and felt very strongly that I was not dealing with IC (Interstitial Cystitis) but was dealing with PFD. After reading the book, it all made a lot of sense to me and I am convinced that pelvic floor dysfunction is/was my issue. For the last few months I have slowly recovered following many of the steps outlined in the book. I've lost most of the pain and my bladder pressure is nearly gone. I do have bad days but feel I know how to push through it. If you are one of the many who feel this horrible pelvic pain and bladder pressure and your doctors have no answers, this book is for you! Thank you Dr. Wise! You certainly helped give me my life back and I am forever grateful.....

To anyone who is dealing with pelvic pain or pain of any kind please try to grasp what I am telling you. First of all I dealt with pelvic pain for roughly 6 years. My story of pelvic pain began in my teens, but it never completely consumed my life until recently. I have had many diagnosis like most of you had such as, "prostatitis" "CPP" , pelvic tension, but regardless of the diagnosis I had no cure. Therefore, like many of you probably are doing, I was endlessly searching the internet for cures and truly believing your life is over at this point. After searching I discovered this A headache in the pelvis book and thought that I was on the right track for a while but it never really helped that much. So fast forward about 8 months I was still religiously doing the stretches, trigger points, and the paradoxical relaxation? and still I dealt with pain.This book is so close to getting it right except it still convinces you something is structurally wrong. Sadly, this is not the case what is happening to you is a Mindbody Syndrome

What you guys really need to read is Mindbody prescription by Dr. Sarno.
. This has nothing to do with your body structurally you are just fine. I never have felt better in my life. For years I thought I completely ruined myself but what happened was I triggered distraction. There are also great websites for this I believe tmswiki? is a popular one. Anyways guys don't waste your time with this book the only reason it may help some is because the paradaxial relaxation calms your brain.

About 18 months ago I began suffering a severe, burning pain that felt like it was about 3 inches inside my rectum on the left side. I also had a stinging pain on the right side at the anus. As time went on, the pain got worse and worse. The pain was so bad that I could only sit for very brief periods of time, and it was excruciating to do so. I endured multiple exams by doctors who repeatedly told me they could find nothing wrong. About six months into this nightmare, I truly began to understand the meaning of the word `hopelessness'. I had to stop working, and the thought of living out the rest of my life in terrible pain was simply unbearable. I felt totally isolated and alone. On a scale of 1 to 10, my physical pain was a constant 7. My emotional pain was an absolute 10.

The internet only made things worse. There are an unbelievable number of horror stories out there that simply terrified me. But, while perusing one of the many message boards on `Levator Ani Syndrome', I stumbled across a reference to "A Headache in the Pelvis". Reading this book has saved my life, it's that simple. I began to implement the ideas of Dr. Wise in my life and began to feel some slight improvement in my symptoms almost immediately. I sought out a Physical Therapist who specializes in internal trigger point therapy. After my first appointment, I KNEW I was on the right track. After about 12 hours of `flare up', my pain virtually disappeared for almost 2 days! But then it graaaaadually came back. I continued this cycle for about a dozen visits (one per week). As my savings account dwindled (I couldn't work remember), I realized I HAD to learn to manage my symptoms on my own. I went to Dr. Wise's seminar earlier this month, and it was a truly remarkable experience. I spent 6 days with 13 other people who knew exactly what I was going through. I left the seminar VERY optimistic! Since it's only been a week or so since finishing the seminar, I can't yet speak to the protocol's long term efficacy with any credibility. However, my pain level now hovers around a 3 or 4, which is much more bearable.

One thing I feel I must express is my personal opinion of Dr. Wise. After attending his seminar, I believe him to be one of the most compassionate and empathetic people I've ever had the pleasure to meet. It's like he knows the `secret answer', and he is shouting out at the top of his lungs to try and help anyone who will listen.

Overall, his protocol is rather simple really: 1) Treat internal trigger points, 2) Treat external trigger points and 3) Do Paradoxical Relaxation to bring your stress/tension etc under control. The key is, you MUST do all three, otherwise it just keeps coming back.

If you are suffering from Pelvic Pain, I know EXACTLY what you are going through. Recovery is very much a journey. BUY this book! Read it. If it doesn't resonate with you... sell it on e-bay. If it does resonate with you... welcome to the rest of your life :-)

I can be contacted at [...]. I sure wish I had had someone to ask questions 18 months ago.... I could have avoided a lot of pain. Knowledge is power.

Some parts of this book are really helpful, like the diagrams that help pinpoint pain/trigger points and figure out which muscles are directly involved in pelvis pain.
BUT there are way too many problems with this book for me to recommend it. For one thing, the author doesn't believe in the power of physical therapy to help relieve pelvic pain -- he said that an hour of stress can completely undo all physical therapy work! That's crazy! Ongoing physical therapy is a huge part of true pelvic pain recovery, and no, one session won't fix it, you have to go consistently and do the work in between to make a recovery. But getting that help is in NO WAY useless!
This author also does not recommend doing Kegel exercises, saying that they only make the problems worse. That may be true for men -- honestly, since I am a woman, I have no idea what will help a man with pelvic pain recover. But for many women, muscle weakness is a large contributor to pelvic pain, and Kegels are an easy way to start to build strength. If you do just those, yeah, you might not get better (only about 40% of women can do a Kegel properly anyway), but in coordination with a physical therapist and other strategies for relaxation, building muscle strength will go a long way.
Finally, as others have said, this book is WAY too self-promoting. Multiple times, this author claims that his method is the only one that works to treat pelvic pain! I have been suffering with pelvic pain for YEARS and have been on the path to recovery for a long time (almost there now) and I have never even seen this book before. My success does NOT come from this book! That's not to say that it won't help, but there are MANY methods to helping someone recover from pelvic pain.

My ultimate advice: Get this book from the library, make notes on the important parts or the relevant parts for your recovery, and ditch the rest.

Using Paradoxical Relaxation and related methods, Dr. Wise assisted me in resolving my pain/dysfunction/related emotional issues and fully return to my life, free of pain. While others criticize this book for its emphasis on faith and spirituality, I found the hopefulness Dr. Wise offered as essential in my healing. Not all pain patients will experience resolution of their physical pain as a result of using the Stanford Protocol. No methodology is universally successful, even when practiced with regular commitment. However, it is also of great value to learn to not exacerbate and perpetuate pain through anxiety and tension. Dr. Wise's method offers a very successful philosophy and practice for limiting and containing pain and separating physical pain from psychological suffering. I am very grateful to Dr. Wise and the methods he provides.A Headache in the Pelvis, a New Expanded 6th Edition: A New Understanding and Treatment for Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes

A much different perspective to treatment and healing. I am practicing some of the physical and emotional exercises suggested in the book and feeling a sense of change and healing. I am so thankful to the authors!

I am not a life long sufferer like many reviewers of this book, but still, I needed help and found it with this protocal. After a stressful move I suddenly began having urinary difficulties that the medical world put the prostate scare in me about. Then soon after I began having spasms and discomfort in my perineum area when sitting and with certain other common activities. After reading a lot of prostate health books, I came across a blog which led me to this book. It all made so much sense to me and I found some relief even just reading the book (of course I was doing a lot of the relaxation techniques, exercises and external trigger point work as I went through the book). I was already familiar with trigger point muscle work from previous issues.

This is the best of all possibilities for sufferers of pelvic pain. It was developed by someone who had the problem and who is clearly a brilliant problem solver. It is very practical, science and psychology based and best of all it is a self help program. If your suffering is great you can take their 6 day course to get direct instruction and then continue on your own. ** AND, as a side affect everything you will learn about health and relaxation is helpful to your whole life and happiness. This is the real thing and I appreciate it so much.

After struggling for three years, I finally have validation that I'm really not crazy. This is a book for women, men and couples to enhance their lives from no quality to the start of some kind of quality. It will take time, more time for others such is my case. Thank you for a proactive prescription for someone who has has reactionary medicine.

It was my doctor that recommended I read Headache in the Pelvis. This was the book that opened my eyes to what I suffer. My only critique is with the title, but the content is excellent. Dr. Wise addresses both the physiological and psychological concerns associated with chronic pelvic pain. He also offers the best protocol for overcoming pelvic pain. I highly recommend this book. Terry Michaels, author of 'Pain in the Offering'
Pain in the Offering

Pelvic pain could possibly caused from PNE due to surgery, an injury or scar tissue. See a sports doctor, orthopedic physician dealing in neurology or someone in pain management familiar with PNE. A contacting all of the aforementioned, my pain doctor sucessfully implanted a Medtronic Spinal Cord Stimulator. This device sends a signal to the brain when I have the painful spasms, and as such will result in a less painful experience. Lori Andresen, Malakoff, Texas.

I had TRUE pudendal nerve entrapment (anterior branches) and required surgery from Doctor Arnold Lee Dellon in Baltimore, MD. This was from a weight lifting accident I sustained. This book leaves you to believe that there is no medical reason for your painful condition - meanwhile there COULD BE... Dr. Wise is anti main stream medicine and this bothers me. Try this book out but at the same time continue your search for answer. My advice is start stretching out the muscles that attach to your pelvis (ie: posas, piriformis, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, etc). If you are in SERIOUS pain like I was this book is unlikely to help. However, for $20 why not purchase it? Its your life. Search for answers.

Id recomend the following:

Pudendal Nerve EMG test
3-Telsa MRI by Hollis apotter at HSS in NYC
Pelvic Floor Therapy internal/external
Exercise and stretching

Things like Lyrica, Cymbalta
, Valium and Neurontin can help

My teenage son suffered from unrelenting, acute tip-of-the-penis pain for three years. We spoke with numerous specialists in three different countries, faithfully followed medication/testing programs, psychotherapy, various chronic pain treatments, etc, with no lasting results. By the time we read this book, my son was as skeptical of "pelvic pain treatment options" as a teenager can be. (Is there a creature more skeptical??) As such, no one was more shocked than he when it worked.

Although we read the entire book, the approach we took was mostly physical-therapy oriented, based upon an encouraging Dec 2009 study from the Journal of Urology, [...]

Before using this book to start self-therapy, we also contacted the author, David Wise, with some specific questions. Both he and Tim Sawyer were, from the beginning, highly professional and very clearly stated that not everyone will benefit from this approach... which I found refreshing and well-balanced.

Though desperate for relief, my son started this program with no expectations; the goal was to try it for four months. Within 6 weeks the pain had gone from a constant "6" (on a 10 scale) to nearly zero. This after 3 years of opiates, nerve blockers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, acupuncture, relaxation therapy, etc. Even better, continuing this treatment on a reduced schedule seems to quickly catch new muscle tension *before* it can again generate a continual pain cycle.

My 2 Cents: If you suffer from "Chronic Pelvic Pain" do yourself a huge favor and read this book. Even if you remain a hardened skeptic, try the program defined in the book. Maybe it won't work. But maybe, as with my son, it will give you back your life.

[Note: Contrary to what some other reviewers say, we never had any pressure from Dr Wise to attend their 6-day clinic. And, although my son did NOT attend the clinic, David Wise and Tim Sawyer have remained extremely attentive and helpful. I know this is unrelated to the book itself, but I did want to respond firsthand to the negativity from some reviewers who felt the book was an advertisement for the clinic. I personally didn't find this true of either the book or the authors.]

For those, both men and women, who know the frustration of this issue and how little correct help is available in the medical community. This book contains the correct answers you need to return to a pain free life.

"A Headache in the Pelvis" is an extremely helpful, comprehensive and practical book offering relief to the frustrations of debilitating pelvic pain. It focuses on understanding and treating the enflamed areas from medical, physical and psychological perspectives. Personally, I found it takes all these perspectives to truly get a handle on relieving the pain. The book clearly illustrates the varying approaches and how you can help yourself. There is no quick fix, but there is a lot you can do to deal with your pain and get back to doing the things you love.

My urologist suggested the reading of this book. I have been treated by a different urologist for over a year who had prescribed NSAIDs , antibiotics elevation and rest. None worked. My new urologists approach is much more in line with the david wise protocols. I really would like to pursue further and will look in the Long Island ny area for possible solutions. I think the book was an eye opener for me. Thank you for this feeling that I am not crazy nor alone with this issue.

I studied this book from cover to cover, and attended one of the 6-day immersion clinics described in the book. I suffer from chronic pelvic pain caused by pudendal neuralgia and interstitial cystitis, and Dr. Wise assured me that the clinic would help my IC along with my chronic pelvic pain. I was so hopeful I gave my all to the process, practicing paradoxical relaxation throughout the day, working with a trained physical therapist as described in the book, and faithfully following the relaxation protocol. However, after doing the protocol for over a year I was still not getting better. In fact, I finally had to go on disability, as I am no longer able to sit, I cannot walk very far and spend much of my day in bed with ice and heat for the constant pain. For a long time I thought it was just me because all the reviews are so positive, but I recently contacted other members of my group and found out most of them are still suffering as well.

A lot of great truths start out as blasphemy before becoming the conventional wisdom. Thankfully `A Headache In the Pelvis' has now reached its 6th edition and far from being blasphemy has entered the realms of conventional wisdom and has given hope to many sufferers. Someday all sufferers of pelvic pain syndromes will be treated this way. Dr Wise and Dr Anderson have combined their disciplines of urology and psychology over many years and perfected a treatment process that identifies the central cause of a range of urinary complaints. You cannot offer a cure until you familiarise both you and your patients with the cause and effect of their condition. Once established a pathway to recovery can be charted in understandable language. As a psychologist and from a personal point of view I took great comfort from discovering that my phantom bladder pains which had eluded much medical intervention were being generated in great part by my lifestyle and circumstances that were causing a vice like grip in my pelvis. Even learning to relax my pelvis has brought great relief. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I have a shelf full of others which are well intentioned - but this is the only one that I recommend. Indeed many of my colleagues are fascinated by the insights it provides - at last we have found a truth.
Dr Francis Teeney

This is a rare book. The treatment that they developed at Stanford and so beautifully described in this book hits the target. This is a real deal for addressing body and mind for people who have chronic pelvic pain. It's no run of the mill self help book that promises the world if you read it but rather an honest and amazing description of how people can get out of pain if they commit themselves to it. It's easy to read and full of compassionate wisdom.

A lot of great truths start out as blasphemy before becoming the conventional wisdom. Thankfully `A Headache In the Pelvis' has now reached its 6th edition and far from being blasphemy has entered the realms of conventional wisdom and has given hope to many sufferers. Someday all sufferers of pelvic pain syndromes will be treated this way. Dr Wise and Dr Anderson have combined their disciplines of urology and psychology over many years and perfected a treatment process that identifies the central cause of a range of urinary complaints. You cannot offer a cure until you familiarise both you and your patients with the cause and effect of their condition. Once established a pathway to recovery can be charted in understandable language. As a psychologist and from a personal point of view I took great comfort from discovering that my phantom bladder pains which had eluded much medical intervention were being generated in great part by my lifestyle and circumstances that were causing a vice like grip in my pelvis. Even learning to relax my pelvis has brought great relief. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I have a shelf full of others which are well intentioned - but this is the only one that I recommend. Indeed many of my colleagues are fascinated by the insights it provides - at last we have found a truth.
Dr Francis Teeney

This is a rare book. The treatment that they developed at Stanford and so beautifully described in this book hits the target. This is a real deal for addressing body and mind for people who have chronic pelvic pain. It's no run of the mill self help book that promises the world if you read it but rather an honest and amazing description of how people can get out of pain if they commit themselves to it. It's easy to read and full of compassionate wisdom.

Buy "A Headache in the Pelvis, Sixth Edition" if you have any pelvic issues! There is likely something in it that can help you, either a lot or a little bit. This book has been an amazing resource for me. It has helped me regain my life. Traditional methods have not worked for me for decades. I am now very happy that I resisted surgery. I recommend this book to anyone with pelvic pain.

The stories of what happened to other people gave me hope and encouraged me to try new techniques.
The style of writing was also helpful because I am not a professional person. The diagrams were valuable in helping me understand what has been going on with me. I learned what I can do about my conditions.

I have not had much faith in medical doctors; however, this book has helped me regain some trust. My doctor has become an enthusiastic supporter of the methods described in by David Wise Ph.D. and Rodney Anderson M.D.

Relieved...

A Headache in the Pelvis is an enlightening book. I became engaged with it and gained much from it. I learned new levels of self awareness that allowed me to help myself with releasing my own pain and tension. Well done, Doctors!

This is a wonderful book. There was an article about this book in the London Times which inspired me to order the 6th edition as I have read some of the earlier versions before. All I can say is it is a great book with a lot of new information. It gives a completely different theory about pelvic pain, with the focus on physical therapy and relaxation methods as the main way to treat chronic pelvic pain that is not caused by a bacterial infection etc. It is the only book that I have read that makes intuitive sense. I think the way in which the doctors show how anxiety affects the body and turns into pelvic pain is brilliant.

The book entitled "A Headache in the Pelvis" is the vehicle that has recently restored my desire to live life to its fullest. I have sought a means to bring me back to think that I may once again live a life of satisfaction and fulfillment. David Wise and Rodney Anderson have provided that means for me through their writing. Very simply, their book is a manual for anyone suffering with chronic pelvic pain that provides advice and instruction for reducing chronic pelvic pain dramatically. They stress the fact that there is no "quick fix", but there is a "fix" over time that could literally save your life. All one has to do is read "A Headache in the Pelvis" and implement an "improved" way of thinking along with pelvic floor massage therapy that is so clearly scripted in the book to give you the peace in life you never thought you'd have ever again.
For the last 5 years I have gone to sleep with chronic pain and awake in pain. Virtually, my pain has ruled my life. I suffer from Levator Syndrome, a condition that 99 out of 100 physicians have never even heard of. It was a condition that took me over 2 years to have diagnosed. I had seen a dozen different doctors who could find "nothing wrong" with me. Finally, through my own research, I found a gastroenterologist at Cornell Pain Medicine who, after examining me and asking the "right" questions, informed me of my condition. Levator Syndrome is the toughest challenge I have ever had in my life.
I have been treated by Cornell and Penn Pain Medicine for pain on a treatment built mostly around medication and a lot of guessing. Although "A Headache in the Pelvis" is not a book that guarantees a cure to chronic pelvic pain, it has been a guide to so many over the last several years to a path of dramatic pain reduction through hard work that includes working "trigger points" on your body and having a "set" of mind that will lift you from stress and anxiety into a harmonic mind and body experience that ultimately can give you a life diffused of pain.
Personally, I bought a copy of "A Headache in the Pelvis" for my family Practitioner so he may be better prepared in diagnosing and working with his patients by now being able to spot what once may have been considered as "nothing to worry about" or something serious that may involve surgery. He will now know as I do through this reading what chronic pelvic pain is and how it may be dealt with properly rather than not being dealt with at all. One of my doctors at Penn Pain Medicine bought the book for himself. He is a pain specialist and anesthesiologist by degree. He has practiced medicine for years. Once scanning through "A Headache in the Pelvis", he felt it necessary reading. He intends to incorporate the book into his series of lectures to other doctors who practice pain medicine.
I am not a "professional" book reviewer. However, I am a patient with Levator Syndrome who had given up on "HOPE" until I was blessed to have connected with this wonderful guide to possibly life without pain.
Thanks to 2 sincere and caring men who have helped so many and many more to come. David Wise and Rodney Anderson are to be commended for their writing and their dedication to helping all of us who are willing to take the time to digest their words and thoughts with the hope of having a life where we can awake in peace and sleep calmly through the night.

I just finished this long sought-after guide and I am certain I will refer to it often as I get better.

Stan Burke 6/29/10

This book was warm, thoughtful and inspiring. I loved the stories of the people who were in the book, many which reflected my own experience. The authors are compassionate, caring people who have a genuine interest in offering relief for people with pelvic pain, and finding relief through non-surgery and without drugs - love it! Taking their advice during this time when every doctor's fall back is about drugs and surgery, this is such a welcome find.

Having been given this book by Marilyn Freedman, who actually came from a neighbouring town and made a house call when hearing I'd been in pain so long, I couldn't wait to read it.

It is a wonderful book, full of love and very interesting, and comfortable reading.

This book really solved this long standing problem for me. I had previously spent months and months going from urologist to urologist trying to find a solution to chronic urinary problems which then developed into pelvic pain. There was a lot of gloomy information on the internet which didnt help matters. However I one day by chance came accross an article by David Wise which made total sense. I then ordered this brilliant book attended the clinic in California and have never looked back since. The protocol requires a fair degree of time but its worth it to be free of the troubling symptoms. I really hope that as many suffers as possible of "prostatitis" find this book and adopt the methods described therein. It is well written and debunks a lot of the key myths about prostatitis.

Pelvic pain can have a devastating effect on a persons life and when I first read Headache in the Pelvis I was filled with hope. This book offered me my ticket back to a healthy, pain free life. After finishing the book I was eager to attend the clinic and almost immediately phoned the author and booked a place to attend the clinic.

After attending the clinic I diligently practised the protocol described in the book for more than a year. I would stretch, have hot baths , practice the relaxation methods taught to me and also have trigger point therapy performed on me all as described in the book and practiced at the clinic. In the first few months I was full of enthusiasm and even recommended the book to other patients. However as the months passed by my enthusiasm began to wane. I was not seeing the progress I hoped for. I still faithfully persevered with the protocol but after a year I still had not seen any significant progress. The protocol helped me deal with the pain but it was not reducing it at all. At first I thought it was just me that it had not worked for but after contacting other people who had also been to the clinic I found that they had not made progress either and had moved onto to try other treatment. After a year and a half I resigned myself to the fact that the protocol was ineffective.

In my opinion when you suffer from chronic pelvic pain your desire to recover can cloud your judgement. This happened when I read this book for the first time and I was not objective in my appraisal of the book. I so wanted to become pain free that I pushed niggling doubts to the back of my mind. The book in some respect encourages you to do this. It says you must have faith in the treatment. After a few read throughs of the book I realized that there are very real problems with Headache in the Pelvis.

The major problem is the authors way of arguing for the main theory of Headache in the Pelvis. A central premise of the book is that psychology creates pelvic pain, for example sexual abuse, guilt of cheating on a partner, anxiety, etc causes pelvic pain. So if we simplify this premise we can say A causes B. Now the correct scientific approach to this would be to try to collect all the evidence that suggests A does *not* cause B. If you cannot disprove your theory then there's a good chance it is correct. The book does not do this though. The authors instead look for all the evidence that suggests A does cause B. That's a recipe for believing any quack theory ever created.

I've heard of women who got pelvic pain after pregnancy, patients developing pelvic pain after a car crash, after an infection which has since resolved, from weightlifting, from falling badly, from hernias, nerve entrapments, etc. The authors appear to ignore these possibilities as this does not fit the theory, in other words these points suggest that A does not cause B. The book cannot be taken seriously as it does not want to confront the obvious flaws in its central theory. I have to say I have yet to meet a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic pain who believes in the central theory of this book.

I suspect the authors are making the classic mistake of all bad science mistaking correlation for causality. Please find me a person with pelvic pain for which there is no obvious diagnosis who is not anxious.

On the authors website you will see the following statistic. ''In the latest Stanford study, the global response assessment revealed that 82% of our patients reported improvement (59% marked/moderate, 23% slight)''. This was after 6 months of treatment. What is not made clear in this statement is that these scores are taken after the study failed to follow up 42% of the original sample. The categories of marked and moderate have also interestingly been merged into one category. The global response assessment is derived by asking 'As compared to when you started the study [treatment], how would you rate your symptoms now?.

When average CPSI (Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index) and pain scores are compared at the beginning and start of the study the results of the study are poor. The latest Wise Anderson study published in 2011 demonstrated that the average reduction in CPSI scores of men tracked in their study after 6 months of treatment was only 7 points. Pollen extract , massage and placebo have been associated with the same reduction in other studies. The average pain scores after 6 months of treatment only dropped by one point (pain on a scale of 1 to 10). This was after the Wise Anderson study failed to follow up 42% of their original sample which begs the question would the results have been even poorer if they had followed up all the patients in their original sample? The study also mentions that these scores were sustained in patients who were tracked after 23 months. So it seems that after 6 months patients make no further improvement.

The book is written by a urologist and a Ph.D graduate. Admittedly its reassuring that the book is co authored by a urologist but I have to say I am not so impressed with a Ph.D qualification. I accept it takes a great deal of effort to obtain a Ph.D but as the book Bad Science points out ''there are few opinions so absurd that you could not find at least one person with a PhD somewhere in the world to endorse them for you and similarly, there are few propositions in medicine so ridiculous that you could n't conjure up some kind of published experimental evidence somewhere to support them'' I have to say I would be curious to know what subject the authors Ph.D is in.

The book also contains no references. The reader is expected to blindly accept the claims of the authors. In addition most of these claims are speculation. The phrase 'we speculate' is common in the book. A nice way of saying 'well we don't have any evidence to support our claim but this is what we think'. The book bases most of its assumptions on a single experiment that showed electrical activity increases in a trigger point when a patient counts backwards which they suggest is a way of inducing anxiety. What is new about this finding? It has been known for some time now that anxiety can increase chronic pain but this experiment does not suggest that anxiety creates trigger points only that it increases activity within it.

In my opinion when looked at objectively and rationally this book is a poor contribution to the study of pelvic pain with the sixth edition being another money spinner for its authors. The book is described as 'ground breaking' and 'revolutionary'. I suspect this is just marketing for the book but if this is the case I would suggest the field of pelvic pain research is in serious trouble.

I suffered from the misery of pelivc pain for three years before I bought this book. Having read the book, spoken to Doctor Wise and travelled to California (from the UK) to attend his clinic I am now 99.9% free of symptoms. The only reason it is not 100% is that sometimes I lack the discipline to follow the programme that is outlined in the book. Now I am better I don't want to go back to my old way of living and I am keen to maintain what I have learnt from the book and the clinic... so it hasn't just cured my symptoms it has improved my life in general and I believe it has made me a better father, husband, son and friend.

It is a big step to travel from London to the CA to attend the clinic but one of the great things about the book is that once you are back you can keep on referring to it, something that I found reassuring.

I can't say that it can help everyone with pelvic pain but I think Messrs Wise, Anderson and Sawyer are great and visionary men and in the future their work will be recognised more widely. My guess is that their approach will be applied to other chronic, "mysterious" conditions (I have already used what I learnt in the book to help friends with headaches and IBS).

Freeing myself from Pelvic Pain was probably the biggest challenge of my life, my next challenge it to try and work out how we make the techniques described in "A Headache in the Pelvic" more accesible to sufferers from outside of the US.

A friend recently shared this very informative, well written and illustrated book with me. What a find! As a Registered Nurse I have seen several women who have had numerous treatments attempting to alleviate pelvic pain without success. A Headache in the Pelvis provides an approach that focuses on the integration of mind and body, which I have found to be crucial to healing. This is a book that I will share with other medical professionals. It brings a new understanding and help, with kindness and compassion to patients suffering with pelvic pain. Thank you, Dr. Wise and Dr. Anderson.

I found this book several years ago on the recommendation of a friend. I love the new edition. It is incredibly detailed and thorough. This book can change lives. I've witnessed this now for the second time with a very close friend who was suffering with terrible pain in his genital area. My friend , a young and vibrant new lawyer was beyond distressed. He couldn't focus on work and was not even able to leave home on weekends. He did the rounds of medical doctors, everyone from dermatologists to neurologists, each having their own theories and solutions, none of which worked for him. It wasn't until I suggested that he read Dr. Wise and Dr. Anderson's book that he was able to have any relief. I know firsthand that after he read the book and began the treatments that his pain subsided and today he is almost symptom free. He regards A Headache in the Pelvis as a" miracle of a book", a non surgical solution to a problem that remained a mystery to every doctor he saw. Both he and I ( as his intimate partner) are enormously grateful to the work and efforts of Wise and Anderson. Anyone with unexplained pelvic pain would benefit from this book .

My experience is the polar opposite of the reviews posted here, as I was helped greatly by both the book and attending the seminar as were many of the people who attended with me (we have stayed in touch by e-mail.) I received no relief from conventional medical treatments. That said it may not work for everyone and after a lifetime of chronic pain and a horribly difficult last summer I have nothing but compassion for the reviewers here. True Drs. Wise and Anderson are not professional writers, but that's irrelevant in my view. Nor did they ever claim to be offering a complete one time cure. Again, I'm not denying the reviewers' particular experience, but urge caution if generalizing their experience to the program as whole. After attending last fall I have been substantially pain free for several months and am able to manage occasional flare ups and the stress management has helped in many areas of my life.

This book describes a protocol for the rare people who have given themselves pelvic floor dysfunction by being tense and that unconsciously contract their pelvic floor muscles. This type of patient is described in the book "a Headache in the Pelvis", as the typical pelvic pain patient. In my opinion, it is just not true.
Even if it is the case, you may as well take one of the many classes in relaxation that are readily available and a trigger points book.
The vast majority of pelvic pain sufferers have non-trivial pathologies. You cannot repair dysfunctional joints or melt scar tissue by listening to tapes and poking your pelvic floor muscles. In short, if you are a chronically anxious person that suffers from self inflicted pelvic floor dysfunction this method may work, but most likely you will have to look elsewhere for more rational explanations.

This is quite a dangerous book and presents an incredibly narrow view of pelvic pain. Research shows us that muscles are not the only things that can create pain. Nerves also cause pain and muscle constriction. Nerves have to be free to move with every action and before each muscle stretches the nerve or its coverings (meninges) will stretch first. Any bruising, repetitive trauma or infection around areas where nerves exit from the spine or where nerves pass through muscles (such as after a fall), can cause adhesions around nerve coverings and stop the necessary movement they need. What happens then? Well when nerves are caught up through adhesions or scarring and prevented from moving they get very irritated. The first thing an irritated nerve does is to start to send messages to the muscles to tighten up. So the vicious cycle starts. Tight nerves lead to tight muscles. This is called Neuromeningeal tension. Any neurosurgeon will tell you this and so will most physical therapists. Neuromeningeal tension is not discussed in A Headache in the Pelvis.

We have all come across people who seem not to be able to stretch out they hamstrings no matter what. Well it's not because they are lazy or simply don't stretch enough and it's certainly not because they are not relaxed enough as this book implies. It's because they have neuronieningeal adhesions which cause the nerves to send signals to the muscles to tighten up at the beginning of every stretch. If you have adhesions around nerves no amount of basic stretching is going to loosen the adhesion from the nerve. Physical therapists can utilise neural mobilisation techniques however these techniques are not mentioned in this book. This book seems obsessed with trigger points. Failing these techniques surgery will be required to remove adhesions.

My advice would be to avoid this book as it will more than likely send you down the wrong ,narrow treatment path. Find a doctor or physical therapist who looks at all the possible causes for pelvic pain.

for those who are long suffering pelvic pain individuals this book is empowering and relieving. it is understandable and informative. works for the professional and the general public. if you are looking for info and practical steps to help manage this problem this book is the place to start

If you suffer from pelvic pain, please do yourself a favor, and read this book. After a long struggle with pain, and consulting doctors, chiropracters, and other traditional and non traditional medicine, this book helped me overcome my pain and resume normal daily life. I highly suggest reading it.

In health care today we need more approaches like this one by Dr. Wise. These days there is too much emphasis on expensive and potentially harmful drugs and procedures. His approach should be taught in training and promoted by health care providers everywhere.

David Wise makes the classic mistake in his book "A headache in the pelvis" of projecting on others his own case and what has worked for him. He sees every pelvic pain patient as somebody that is chronically tense just like himself. You see that attitude often in self help books. Unfortunately it is completely unscientific. While that approach has worked in his own personal case, for the rest of us there is very little evidence the approach is of any value.