Chronic pelvic pain: psychosomatic aspects and clinico therapeutical reflections

After describing the most common causes of chronic pelvic pain in women the Authors stress the importance of psychosomatic factors to the pathogenesis of chronic pelvic pain. Bearing this in mind it is easier to understand why the results of pharmacologic treatments often fail to come up to doctor's and patient's expectations. These limitations have often been stressed in the literature and several alternatives, like individual or group psychological treatment or, more recently, acupuncture, have been suggested. The Authors' proposal for treatment envisaged a dozen meetings to carry out skin reflexotherapy. Significant psychological elements came to light on those occasions and were subsequently discussed. The Authors' experience, though covering 15 cases only, is extremely encouraging and confirms the value of this reflexotherapeutical and psychosomatic approach which can really help patients who are chiefly alexitimic to overcome their problems.