Multidisciplinary approach to chronic pelvic pain

Abstract

Both diagnosis and management of CPP may be greatly facilitated by a multidisciplinary approach integrating specific medical interventions with cognitive-behavioral pain strategies and concurrent treatment of psychological morbidity. Available data suggest that measured outcomes, including pain severity, global health status, and somatization, associated with this approach are significantly better than those observed after isolated medical interventions. Because of the chronicity of many of the psychological and social variables predisposing to recurrent symptom formation, care must be continuous and longitudinal if recurrent adverse sequelae, including disability, inappropriate health care utilization, and depression, are to be prevented.