Central sensitisation in pelvic pain: A cohort study.

Area of Science:

• Pain Medicine
• Clinical Research
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Central sensitisation (CS) amplifies pain and complicates pelvic pain (PP) management.
• Identifying CS in PP patients offers potential for new treatment strategies and improved outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of questionnaire-predicted CS (QPCS) in patients with PP.
• To explore associations between QPCS and various clinical factors in PP patients.

Main Methods:

• An observational, cross-sectional study involving 111 women with PP.
• Validated questionnaires assessed CS (CSI), pain catastrophising, bladder pain syndrome (BPS), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Main Results:

• 74.8% of participants screened positive for QPCS.
• QPCS was significantly associated with pain catastrophising, BPS, IBS, longer pain duration (>2 years), and other pain symptoms (bladder, bowel, back, vulva).
• Patients with QPCS also reported higher rates of previous mental health disorder or IBS diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• Questionnaire-predicted central sensitisation is highly prevalent in patients with pelvic pain.
• QPCS is linked to more complex and prolonged pain experiences, suggesting a need for targeted assessment and management.