SEATTLE - One out of every six women in the U.S. live with chronic pelvic pain. For some, it's so bad they can't move or function normally. But, there are now three new options to help these women regain control over their lives.
Shannon Henderson considered herself a happy mom until she had surgery to remove an ovary. The pain was so severe, she considered the unthinkable.
"It was like a stabbing, burning pain. At some point, I just knew that if I didn't have a family, I didn't want to live," said Henderson.
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Prescription drugs didn't help. Some doctors said she was crazy.
"Chronic pain of any kind will cause symptoms like depression, suicidal thoughts, but it's never, ever all in their head. There's always a reason for pain," said Dr. Michael Hibner, gynecologic surgeon.
Hibner is pioneering new treatments for pelvic pain. In surgery, he cuts away scarring and ligaments that can press on nerves, then he puts a protective sheath around the nerve to keep the scar tissue and pain from coming back.
"Approximately 70 percent of patients do better after surgery," said Hibner.
Dr. Hibner also uses lidocaine or Botox injections to ease muscle spasms and nerve pain, for women who have chronic pain after having a baby or surgery.
"A lot of women with chronic pain develop muscle spasms in the pelvic floor. Botox is very good at relaxing those muscles," said Hibner.
Shannon had lidocaine injections. Within days, the pain started to subside.
"I want to live. I don't dread getting out of bed in the morning. I know that I can get through the day," said Henderson. "Every day, I'm grateful to be alive now."
Dr. Hibner, in Phoenix, is one of fewer than ten surgeons in the world who perform the pelvic pain surgery. He first recommends physical therapy and injections before an operation.
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