Meet Your New Jersey Pelvic Pain Specialist: Dr. Rakhi Vyas
Rakhi Vyas, DO is an expert in women’s and men’s health and sexual health and has extensive experience treating musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction in both hospital and outpatient settings. Pelvic pain conditions are often invisible on the outside, but they can literally wreck lives, keeping people from enjoying basic things that most of us take for granted. Dr. Vyas’s foremost goal is the improvement of bodily function and quality of life for each of her patients. She recognizes that everybody works differently, and the solutions that might be right for one patient may not be for another. Keys to her approach include listening, patience, and persistence in finding the right combination of treatments to help people accomplish goals such as reclaiming bodily autonomy and freeing themselves from chronic pain.GET TO KNOW YOUR DOCTOR
WHY DID YOU BECOME A DOCTOR?
I was always interested in science – especially wellness. Going into physical medicine and rehabilitation, my goal was to help people have better function, decrease pain, and participate in the things they want to. Being a pelvic pain specialist allows me to help an underserved patient population, focusing on the patients' medical, physical and mental wellness to improve their symptoms.WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO PELVIC PAIN?
The important part is getting a good history. While pelvic pain is in the pelvis, there are so many things we miss by not looking at the whole picture. We have to look at it historically, going into the patients’ full backstory and try to put a of pieces together, because the pelvis is connected to other parts of the body. There is a lot happening in a small place, so you have to look at all of it. I also talk to my patients about their goals and am sure to ask, “What do you want to get out of this?” The patient’s goal is always my goal.WHAT MAKES YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING PRM'S COMMUNITY OF PATIENTS?
Our community of patients is very underserved, under looked, and often dismissed. I think that when a patient comes in, we’re finally able to validate their experiences, and there are things we can do to help them – this means the world to the patient. Just helping those patients who are searching for care while they are suffering is why we do what we do, because no one else is really looking out for them.HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE PATIENT CARE?
I believe in getting to know the patient. I’m trying to give them individualized care, so I need to know how I can help them with what they are looking for. I talk to them about why they’re here and what it is that THEY want help with. It’s important to really get to know the patient and not just look at a part of the body. I encourage them to tell me what is most important to them, and why and how they want to get better, as there are often times so much more that you have to figure out within their experience.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR JOB?
Connecting with people, hearing their stories, and trying to figure out how I can be part of their journey. They are here for a reason, and I want to have a positive impact on what they are going through.WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HELPING THE POPULATION OF WOMEN SUFFERING WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS?
I believe they need to be heard by everyone. There are women suffering for years and it’s horrible – they need help so badly. It’s so hard to see patients suffering for so long without the care they really need, or they are being told inappropriate things that are not helpful. There are so many women out there are that are suffering from endometriosis, and we are advocating for them and telling them that what they’re going through is real – just because it doesn’t show up on imaging, doesn’t mean that there’s nothing going on. These women have been told that everything looks fine, that their pain is in their heads, and that they should just take certain medications. It’s an unfortunate thing that’s happening to real people, but there’s so much we can do for them at PRM.WHAT'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO ABOUT PELVIC HEALTH?
Everyone has a pelvis and a pelvic floor. But because we can’t see it, people don’t think of it, and it actually affects a lot of the function of your body. We want people to have awareness of their pelvic floor, just as they would with their back or hamstrings. Your pelvis is a very important part of the body, as it holds up your organs, and is an overall supporting structure. It's important for people to know that there’s actually something going on in there – and if there is something wrong, we need to address those issues.EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
She initially received her B.S. in Life Sciences at the New York Institute of Technology before enrolling at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, where she received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Vyas interned at Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center and went on to Temple University Hospital/Moss Rehabilitation for her residency, which she completed in 2018.PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS
American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Global Pelvic Health Alliance International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health International Pelvic Pain SocietyPRM CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Dr. Vyas has spoken on women’s health at events with topics such as women’s sexual health and postpartum. She actively provides educational content for PRM’s patients and social media audiences.Professional Medical Association Memberships
