[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.