Conference Information

There seems to be no end in sight for the COVID-19 pandemic, but the IPPS is rapidly adapting.  I am happy to announce that the IPPS 23^rd Annual Scientific Meeting on Pelvic Pain will take place virtually through a series of online events from October 10-25.  We have taken this opportunity to innovate and ensure that this year’s virtual meeting provides the same high-quality education as our face-to-face meeting in a more accessible and cost-effective online format. Continue reading the welcome message by IPPS Chair Georgine Lamvu.

Pre-conference - Clinical Foundations: An Integrated Approach to the Evolution and Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain

Course Directors: Alexandra Milspaw PhD, Jorge Carrillo, MD, Georgine Lamvu, MD This course is designed to help healthcare providers obtain a basic understanding of how to evaluate and manage patients with chronic pelvic and dysfunction. The course is directed to all health care providers who treat patients with these conditions including physicians, physical therapists, nurses, psychologists, and  social workers. Specific emphasis will be placed on the role of musculoskeletal dysfunction in patients with chronic pain. In addition to reviewing the physiology of chronic pain, the course will discuss chronic pain conditions which overlap multiple body systems and contribute to abdominopelvic and sexual pain, such as IBS, IC/BPS, myofascial pain syndrome, vulvodynia, endometriosis and neuralgias. The course will review a biopsychosocial evaluation and multimodal treatment options. The participants will be encouraged to apply the learned concepts while interacting with a virtual patient during smaller interactive case review sessions. The course will also review chronic pain provider selfcare and tools to build an interdisciplinary team. Two interactive cases will be presented and with the guidance of a chronic pelvic pain moderators, teams will evaluate and discuss exam findings, order tests and treat the virtual patient. The course content will be delivered using webinar format as well as small interactive sessions over two days.

Main Conference - Expanding you Therapeutic Vision for Persistent Pelvic Pain

Course Directors: Erin Carey MD, Sara Till, MD and Georgine Lamvu, MD
A two-day interactive virtual educational experience that teaches health care providers about management of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and other associated chronic pelvic pain conditions such as Endometriosis, Vulvodynia, Painful Bladder Syndrome, Pelvic Myalgia, Fibromyalgia, Sexual Dysfunction and more.  The focus of the program is on biopsychosocial pain assessment and multi-modal treatment, emphasizing an integrated approach mind-body interventions. The course is intended to address a significant gap in health care provider knowledge about 1) physiology of overlapping pain syndromes, 2) evaluation and management of co-morbid chronic pain conditions and musculoskeletal dysfunction, 3) alternatives to opiate analgesia including non-pharmacologic ancillary modalities and, for patients having surgery, 4) appropriate type, strength and duration of post-operative analgesia 5) shared-decision making that involves patient choice in treatment selection, and 6) communicating pain management alternatives to patients and to other healthcare providers involved in care of chronic pain patients. Additionally, the program will exposure to up and coming research and allow providers with similar expertise to find each other and form collaborative networks for clinical care and research.

Post-conference - Merging East & West: Integrative Approaches for Pelvic Pain

Course Directors: Kathryn Witzeman MD, Amy Stein MD, Georgine Lamvu, MD
A two-day interactive virtual educational experience that teaches health care providers about alternative and non-traditional therapies for the management of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and other associated chronic pelvic pain conditions such as Endometriosis, Vulvodynia, Painful Bladder Syndrome, Pelvic Myalgia, Fibromyalgia, Sexual Dysfunction and more. The focus of the program is on biopsychosocial pain assessment and multi-modal alternative treatments (aromatherapy, nutrition and movement) emphasizing an integrated approach using mind-body interventions. The course will review evidence-based approaches for the use of these types of therapies. The course will also review Trauma Informed Care and explore the role of shame and blame in development and persistence of pain.