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Dr. Dugan discusses if chronic pelvic pain is an indication of another problem.
Dr. Dugan:
I think it depends again on what literature you look at, how you’re defining chronic pelvic pain. In the American College of Gynecology or the Obstetrics and Gynecology literature, chronic pelvic pain is that your monthly cyclic pain becomes a daily constant pain.
So in that case, it starts off with the same pain that you will have once a month with your cycle, and then instead of just coming once a month, it comes every day. So some people would say that that pain is coming from a gynecologic source whereas other people that I take care of that have chronic pelvic pain may have, let’s say, a muscle that is maintaining a contracted or a tightened position, and that’s what’s causing them to have chronic pelvic pain.
About Dr. Dugan, M.D.:
Dr. Sheila A. Dugan, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. She is a faculty member of the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Preventive Medicine. She is co-medical director of the Rush Program for Abdominal and Pelvic Health.
Dr. Dugan is multi board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, electrodiagnostic medicine and pain medicine. She is highly skilled in neurological and sports-related rehabilitation. Prior to medical school, she received her physical therapy degree from Northwestern University in 1986. She's currently pursuing development of a program focused on women's musculoskeletal care, including both their medical and rehabilitation needs.