Psychopathological Factors and Myofascial Findings in male and female Patients with Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) across the Life Span

Aims: Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a common pain condition with various psychosocial and somatic symptoms. Psychiatric co-morbidities and myofascial findings are frequent among these patients. Therefor the aim of the study is to analyze psychosocial and myofascial aspects of CPPS patients. Furthermore, the study focus on correlations between this aspects, gender and age differences respectively. Methods: A cross-sectional study at an interdisciplinary outpatient clinic for patients with CPPS at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Germany was conducted. Participants underwent a multimodal diagnostic algorithm inclusive psychotherapeutic evaluation and physiotherapeutic assessment. Those with a positive diagnosis of CPPS were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample and analyze the positive muscle findings. Bivariate correlations were calculated for the association between psychosocial factors, myofascial findings, and age respectively. Results: A total of N = 187 patients (56.7* female, mean age 49.06 years (SD 17.05)) was included. The patients showed a high psychosocial symptom burden. Furthermore, tender and trigger points are highly present in external and internal muscles. Women had a significant higher symptom severity and significant higher numbers offender and trigger points. Several significant correlations between psychosocial factors, myofascial findings and age exist Conclusion: There might be a link between psychosomatic aspects, myofascial symptoms and age in patients with CPPS; thus further studies are needed to confirm and explain the linkage. Nevertheless, the results stress the urgent need of a multimodal treatment including psychotherapy and physiotherapy in these patients.