Nurses' role in the management of persons with chronic urogenital pelvic pain syndromes: A scoping review

Background: Pelvic pain has cognitive, behavioral, sexual, and emotional consequences. Nurses involved in pelvic floor rehabilitation clinics have contacts with patients reporting chronic pain and should know the most appropriate service for patient referral, to submit the problem to professionals capable of correctly assessing and managing the condition. Furthermore, in some countries nurses can use conservative methods to treat the painful symptoms inside a multidisciplinary team such as breathing retraining, biofeedback, and noninvasive neuromodulation. This paper aims to provide an overview of the literature regarding the role of rehabilitation nurses in dealing with patients suffering from chronic urogenital pelvic pain or urogenital painful syndromes, inside a multidisciplinary team.

Methods: Scoping review on Pubmed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science including trials, reviews, case studies or series, and other descriptive studies regarding the role of nurses inside the multidisciplinary team in the management of males and females presenting chronic pelvic pain (CPP) or chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).

Results: The 36 papers included in this review allowed answering research questions in four areas of nursing: collecting basic information, referring the person to appropriate services, evidence-based nursing interventions for CPP and CPPS, and proper documentation. Clinical history and assessment of breathing pattern, Muscular assessment and research of trigger points are the main points of data collection. Techniques for muscular relaxation and breathing retraining are important aspects of treatment, as well as biofeedback and noninvasive neuromodulation where the law allows nurses to practice such techniques. The McGill pain questionnaire and the pain inventory of the International Pain Society allow systematic data collection and handover.

Conclusion: Rehabilitation nurses work inside multidisciplinary teams when dealing with persons suffering from pelvic pain; further research is needed as our comprehension of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of CPP and CPPS evolve.