Management of Pelvic Pain, Dyspareunia, and Endometriosis

Pelvic pain is an enigmatic diagnosis which often brings frustrations to both patient and practitioner. This chapter provides an introduction to the changing categorization of pain, a review of pain pathophysiology, and clinical approaches to three presentations of pelvic pain. Dives into the clinical approach for general pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and endometriosis stress the need for a thorough interview, documentation of history, and a detailed physical exam findings. If these parameters fail to give a clear explanation of the etiology, other techniques may be useful to elicit other common findings associated with pelvic pain, dyspareunia, or endometriosis. Despite the trend toward algorithmic clinical practice for many disease assessments, the diversity of diagnoses related to pelvic pain limits the effectiveness of an algorithmic approach. A focus on the reproductive status of the patient impact may help to guide both diagnostic and therapeutic options. Similar content being viewed by others

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