Chronic Pelvic Pain: The Neuropathic Pain Basis
- Provides rapid categorization of the etiology of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) as neurogenic versus nonneurogenic by using an accurate, purposeful physical examination for specific peripheral neuropathies
- Demonstrates the roles of peripheral neuropathies in the etiology of CPP:
- Pudendal neuropathy as the major source
- Multiple smaller peripheral neuropathies as associated causes
- Offers a platform for cooperative patient care among end-organ specialists, neurologists, psychologists, pain clinicians, and interventional radiologists
- Highlights successful, sequential treatments that can be immediately adopted by any physician
- Implies that all clinical research studies of CPP should define whether study participants have a peripheral neuropathic basis for their CPP. To date, this has not been done, limiting the value of published study results.