I often get asked if other body pains are common in Prostatitis/CPPS (Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome) patients. The answer simply is yes, it is very common! And it will likely increase in ‘flare ups too!’ This is often the case with many chronic pain conditions. My patient population will commonly report pain in the following non-pelvic associated areas:

Headaches

Jaw pain TMJ

Tooth ache

Back pain

Neck pain

Foot pain

Leg pain

Abdomen (IBS)

In April 2018 the Multi-disciplinary Approaches to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) research network published an article in the Journal of Urology: “CHANGES IN WHOLE BODY PAIN INTENSITY AND WIDESPREAD-NESS DURING UROLOGIC CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN SYNDROME SYMPTOM (UCPPS) FLARES.” The hypotheses of the paper was to test if patients with centralised pain have increased pain in non-pelvic areas during flare ups. A flare up was determined as being ‘symptoms that are such worse than usual.’

Findings

All participants were asked to asses pain in 7 pelvic and 42 non-pelvic body areas using a 0-10 scale. Of the 60 participants 27 provided diaries of flare and non-flare days. Findings indicate that pelvic and whole body pain, intensity and diffuseness increased significantly during flare ups!

Although these findings are preliminary they do indicate that flare ups do increase pain in other body parts in CPPS patients. If you are a patient reading this then you are not alone. The findings suggest that there may be common biologic pathways that explain this increase in body pain. Central sensitisation is certainly one theory that may support and explain this.

Patient focus

The paper also suggests that better flare management strategies are essential in order to reduce the impact of CPPS flare ups. Flare ups can often be very challenging for individuals suffering with Prostatitis/CPPS at the best of times. As a result pain felt elsewhere in the body can be truly disconcerting and worrisome. This latest research indicates this a common phenomenon. I truly hope further research provides patient targeted strategies to manage and reduce the impact of flares should they occur.

Type III, non bacterial prostatitis or CPPS is a common condition, with 1 in 2 males expected to experience pelvic pain symptoms in their lifetime. Yet, it remains a very poorly treated, managed and understood condition in medical circles. Advances in modern pain science have lead to greater insights into the mechanisms involved in chronic pelvic pain presentations. These are central to my practice at The Pelvic Pain Clinic. We offer tailored and bespoke treatments to educate the patient on why they experience pelvic pan symptoms, what their triggers are and how to manage and avoid flare ups. For more details on what to expect in a session please click here