Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain due to High-Tone Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Abstract

Context: Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a complex pain syndrome that affects 15%–30% of people of childbearing age (~10–20 million, US). Etiologies range from musculoskeletal conditions and visceral disease to neurological and psychological disorders. The interplay of many systems and disorders can manifest into a complex pathophysiology that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system is often involved in patients with CPPS, either as the cause of pain or the result of underlying disease or dysfunction. Hypertonicity of pelvic floor muscles, myofascial trigger points, and dysfunctional shortening of the levator ani group of muscles contribute to the structural and functional abnormalities involved in CPPS. Osteopathic physicians are in a unique position to directly address this somatic dysfunction with a nonpharmacologic, nonsurgical approach: osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to review the literature on manual treatment efficacy for high-tone pelvic floor dysfunction (HTPFD) and the standardization of diagnosis to provide rational, medically based treatments. The second purpose is to elucidate the steps that the medical, and specifically the osteopathic profession can take to standardize pelvic floor evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment in the primary care setting.

Methods: A search was conducted on the US National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database for studies involving manual therapy treatment for HTPFD. The authors excluded studies that described manual therapy interventions aimed at increasing pelvic floor muscle tone in patients with urinary incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse.

Results: For perspective, the initial search using the keywords “chronic pelvic pain syndrome” led to 2,281 publications since 1974; the addition of “osteopathic” led to 10 results since 2009. The search for “high-tone pelvic floor dysfunction” led to 30 publications since 1992; the addition of “osteopathic” yielded no results. To evaluate the efficacy of manual therapy for HTPFD, the search was expanded to include any manual therapy protocols. While the consensus in the literature is that manual treatment for chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is efficacious, the finding is limited by the lack of a comprehensive protocol to appropriately diagnose and treat the patient. The authors propose a system to standardize the assessment of a patient with CPP in the primary care setting by an appropriately trained physician so that pelvic floor dysfunction is recognized, properly diagnosed and treated, or referred to specialized care.

Conclusion: The literature supports that manual therapy is an effective treatment for CPP, and as primary care providers, osteopathic physicians are uniquely placed to recognize and treat patients with HTPFD, providing an empathetic, patient-centered approach. Standardization of the diagnosis and manual treatment of HTPFD is required to assess and monitor patients systematically. Development of an advanced training program for clinicians to learn diagnostic approaches and OMT
for the pelvic floor should be required since the techniques addressing the pelvic floor musculature are often not included in traditional training.