[Incidence of postural disorders in patients with chronic pelvic-perineal pain]

Objective: Pelvic-perineal pain often accompanied by pain of the perineum and pelvi-trochanteric muscles, we sought to observe the frequency of postural disturbances in relation to the pelvi-perineal muscles in patients who consult for pelvic perineal pain compared to a control population free of these pain.

Material and methods: The prospective monocentric study was conducted during consultations of pelvic perineal pain in the urology department of Nantes and was based on 5 clinical tests successively looking for the presence of thoraco-lumbar hinge syndrome, myofascial syndrome in the pelvic diaphragm, pelvic instability, pelvic-pedic quadrilateral dysfunction and paravertebral muscle hypertonia.

Results: A total of 51 subjects were included in the study and divided into two populations: 26 patients, 25 controls. Thoraco-lumbar hinge syndrome was found in 28 % of patients vs 4 % of controls (P=0.024); myofascial syndromes were present in 68 % of patients vs 25 % of controls (P=0.005); pelvic instability concerned 76 % of patients vs 33 % of controls (P=0.002); the dysfunctions of the pelvic-pedic quadrilateral concerned 96 % of the patients vs 58 % of the controls (P=0.001); paravertebral muscle hypertonia was found bilaterally in 32 % of patients vs 4 % of controls (P=0.077) and unilaterally in 36 % of patients vs 0 % of controls (P=0.001).

Conclusion: Patients with chronic pelvic perineal pain had significantly more posture problems than non-pain patients. It seemed relevant to us that the postural assessment was integrated into their usual clinical examination.

Level of evidence: 4.