Pelvic Pain and Dysfunction; a Differential Diagnosis Manual by Peter Philip

Dr. Peter Philip, a faculty member with the Herman & Wallace Institute, has published a new book! "Pelvic Pain and Dysfunction: A Differential Diagnosis Manual" is available now through Thieme Medical Publishers. We caught up with Dr. Philip to learn a bit more about his project.
Peter is also the author and instructor of two courses offered through Herman & Wallace. Sacroiliac Joint Evaluation and Treatment is an opportunity to learn an exercise and stabilization approach to pelvic girdle, sacroiliac joint, and pelvic ring dysfunction. This course is available twice in 2016; May 21-22 in Austin, TX and later on November 6-7 in Bayshore, NY. Peter's other course, Differential Diagnostics of Chronic Pelvic Pain: Interconnections of the Spine, Neurology and the Hips, expands the practitioner's diagnostic toolkit for complicated chronic pelvic pain patients. This course is available on August 19-21 in Nashville, TN. Don't miss out!

H&W: Thanks for doing this interview, Peter! What's new?
Dr. Philip: After years of research, and writing, my textbook has been published and is ready for the public.

H&W: That's great! What can you tell us about the book?
Dr. Philip: It's called Pelvic Pain and Dysfunction; a Differential Diagnosis Manual, and it has been published by Thieme. Thieme is based out of Stuttgart Germany and is the world’s largest distributor of medical textbooks and journals! The purpose of the book is to answer the questions that so many clinicians have as it relates to their patient’s pain, such as:

• Why are there muscle spasms?
• How can the pain seemingly spread from one organ to the next? Or even from one system to another?
• How can I effectively and efficiently evaluate my patients who suffer with pelvic, bladder, bowel, or visceral pain and dysfunction?
• And so much more

The textbook also outlines a revolutionary strategy that immediately provides the patient with a reduction in their pain, and often immediate resolution of tight “spasms” or “trigger points”. The mysteries of how and why our patients' pain changes and progresses are outlined in a clear, linear fashion that integrates into a practitioner's current practice. The purpose of the textbook is to provide a means of understanding where pain originates and how to isolate it to a specific region. Once isolated, the book instructs how to treat that region effectively.

H&W: you mean to tell me that you’ve created a method which allows a suffering patient to experience “immediate relief”?
Dr. Philip: Yes! And it's actually quite simple once you understand the anatomy, and the integration of the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, psychology, viscera, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.

H&W: Who is this textbook written for?
Dr. Philip: the textbook is written for all my colleagues who treat patients with pelvic pain. Medical Doctors and Doctors of Science in both the United States and Germany have reviewed the material and found the information, concepts and strategies to be useful.

H&W: how did you put this all together?
Dr. Philip: I realized years ago that the field of pelvic health did not take into consideration the multiple facets that may be involved in a patient’s pain. Many strategies employed simply address restrictions in tissue mobility by “stretching” or “massaging” without taking into consideration the reason these structures are limited in mobility, or have spasms. Knowing why a structure is limited in its mobility or is spastic will allow the clinician to immediately address the suffering patient's needs and promote healing, even if the patient has been suffering for decades.

H&W: but how did you come up with this process?

Dr. Philip: my background is in non-surgical orthopedic medicine. Having three degrees in orthopedic physical therapy, and a certification by the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine, I applied the differential diagnostic concepts of orthopedic medicine to the pelvic pain population with great success! Using the principles found within this textbook the clinician will have the opportunity to address the exact tissue at fault, provide a near immediate resolution of their pain, and provide a means for the patient to completely regain their wellness and move forward in their life.

H&W: I can see why you are so excited. Is this textbook available yet?
Dr. Philip: yes it is. It can be found at http://www.thieme.com/books-main/obstetrics-and-gynecology/product/3517-pelvic-pain-and-dysfunction. I put in a lot of effort to keep the book comfortably priced at $99.00! I know how tight cash can be for students and the working professional, so keeping it affordable was paramount to me.

H&W: What a fantastic project. Thank you so very much for taking the time to share it with us!

Dr. Philip: It's been a pleasure. Thank you to the Herman and Wallace Institute for allowing me to introduce my textbook and to teach these concepts and strategies.