I became hysterical and when my husband got home I fell down on the floor and just begged him to kill me because I couldn’t do my job, I couldn’t be a wife, I couldn’t take care of my child, and there was no reason for me to go on. – Jane (interviewee)
The doctors told me it was all in my head, that I really couldn't be having any pain because I was no longer testing positive for a urinary tract infection. I would pray before going to see each new doctor. I'd walk in the office thinking, "Please. I don't care if I have cancer at this point. Just tell me it's something so I can learn to deal with it or take steps to make it better." – Kat (interviewee)
I was diagnosed with vulvodynia when I was 20, but I know I had it much longer than that. My family physician had no idea that vulvodynia was a condition and even went so far as to tell me that the pain was all in my head. – A patient of Dr. Echenberg
When the pain first started, I silently continued intercourse. When the pain was severe, I just had to stop. We would try at times, but I couldn't stand the pain. Eventually, my husband quit going to bed with me. He would stay up at night watching porn and satisfying his needs. We were married only two years when the pain started. – Survey Respondent

 

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Welcome to the Institute for Women in Pain

This new entity is the “umbrella” organization for a number of different specialists who will assess, support, and treat all aspects of pain in women. Dr. Echenberg's established gynecology and pelvic and sexual pain program will continue at his same location in Bethlehem, PA. However, we will now be networking more closely with a variety of other modalities and practitioners in and around the Lehigh Valley. The providers in this venture will be chosen for their dedication in caring for, treating and honoring the specific needs of women in pain.

Click here to go to Dr. Echenberg's home page.

Our goal is to integrate as many established practitioners into a vibrant network of physicians, manual therapists, mental health providers, spiritual counselors and others to provide a more seamless approach to caring for chronic pain in women. Most of these practitioners, including Dr. Echenberg, also see male patients, and we would encourage men in chronic pain to seek this type of care within our network as well.

In our pelvic pain program we have seen much success with this type of multidisciplinary approach, and it is our hope that with this Institute will come an expansion of this concept and the ability to accomplish clinical research in the management of chronic pain that crosses multiple boundaries. 

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