Effective Interventions for Idiopathic Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Systematic Review

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women is a debilitating condition with symptoms that affect both medical and psychological systems, yet for those with idiopathic CPP (i.e., those without a known physiologic cause), no consensus for intervention exists.

A systematic review was conducted to identify the effectiveness of current biomedical, psychosocial, and integrative interventions for idiopathic CPP (ICPP).

Five databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsycInfo, Web of Science) were systematically searched with multiple keywords for publications from 2008-2022. Articles were coded for sample characteristics, research design, type of intervention, and intervention outcomes.

Nineteen studies met criteria. The majority of the interventions (14 studies) were biomedical, either invasive (e.g., injections), or non-invasive (e.g., medications). Five studies evaluated integrative interventions that combined biomedical and psychosocial components (e.g., a multimodal pain treatment center). Invasive biomedical interventions were better at relieving short-term pain and non-invasive biomedical interventions were superior for long-term pain; integrated interventions reduced both short-term and long-term pain. Integrative interventions also improved mental health, sexual health, and QOL.

Although most interventions for ICPP have been biomedical, integrative interventions showed greater outcome effectiveness, suggesting a focus on integrative interventions in the future.