Association of coccygodynia with pelvic floor symptoms in women with pelvic pain.

BACKGROUND: Coccygodynia is a painful condition of the tailbone that occurs more commonly in females. The association of coccyx pain with pelvic floor symptoms and the prevalence of coccyx pain in women with pelvic pain has not previously been reported. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence of coccygodynia in women with pelvic pain and to describe the association of coccygodynia with pelvic floor examination findings and symptoms. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING: Tertiary medical institution. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-seven women presenting for outpatient pelvic floor physical therapy treatment who underwent vaginal and rectal pelvic floor examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of coccygodynia, pain scores, association of coccygodynia with other comorbidities and diagnoses, and association of coccygodynia with physical examination findings. RESULTS: Sixty-three (49.6%) of 127 women with pelvic pain presented with coccygodynia and 64 (50.4%) did not. Women with coccygodynia had significantly higher rates of muscle spasm (50.8% vs. 31.2%, p = .025) higher visual analog scale pain scores (median 5 vs. 3, p = .014), higher rates of outlet dysfunction constipation (31.7% vs. 10.0%, p = .032), and higher rates of fibromyalgia (15.9% vs. 3.1%, p = .014). On pelvic examination, women with coccygodynia were significantly more likely to have sacrococcygeal joint hypomobility (65.1% vs. 14.1%, p < .001), coccygeus muscle spasm (77.8% vs. 17.2%, p < .001), anococcygeal ligament pain (63.5% vs. 9.4%, p < .001), external anal sphincter pain/spasm (33.3% vs. 13.1%, p < .001), and impaired pelvic floor muscle coordination (77.8% vs. 57.8%, p = .016). CONCLUSIONS: Almost 50% of women seeking pelvic floor physical therapy for pelvic pain had coexisting coccygodynia. These women had higher pain scores, increased pelvic floor dysfunction, and significantly greater abnormal physical exam findings. This study demonstrates a strong link between coccygodynia, pelvic floor symptoms, and pelvic pain and highlights the importance of screening for and identifying coccyx pain when evaluating women with pelvic pain.

Impact of urinary incontinence on medical rehabilitation inpatients.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) and its association with rehabilitation outcomes in patients receiving inpatient medical rehabilitation in the United States. METHODS: A retrospective, cohort study of 425,547 Medicare patients discharged from inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) in 2005. We examined prevalence of UI at admission and discharge for 5 impairment groups. We examined the impact of demographics, health, and functional status on the primary outcome, change in continence status, and secondary outcomes of discharge location and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: Approximately one-quarter (26.6%) of men were incontinent at admission compared to 22.2% of women. In all diagnostic groups, continence status remains largely unchanged from admission to discharge. Patients who are older, have cognitive difficulties, less functional improvement, and longer lengths of stay (LOS), are more likely to remain incontinent, compared to those who improved, after controlling for patient factors and clinical variables. UI was significantly associated with discharge to another post-acute setting (PAC). For orthopedic patients, UI was associated with a 71% increase in the likelihood of discharge to an institutional setting after controlling for patient factors and clinical variables. UI was not associated with death at 6 months post-discharge. CONCLUSIONS: UI is highly prevalent in IRF patients and is associated with increased likelihood of discharge to institutional care, particularly for orthopedic patients. Greater attention to identifying and treating UI in IRF patients may reduce medical expenditures and improve other outcomes. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:176-183, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysis of Physical Therapy Intervention Outcomes for Urinary Incontinence in Women Older Than 65 Years in Outpatient Clinical Settings.

BACKGROUND: Conservative interventions provided by physical therapists for the treatment of bladder control problems in adult females are strongly supported in the literature and in clinical practice guidelines. However, physical therapy (PT) intervention outcomes specifically for women over the age of 65 with urinary incontinence (UI) in outpatient settings in the United States have not been extensively reported. OBJECTIVES: To provide preliminary PT intervention outcome data specific to female patients over the age of 65 receiving outpatient physical therapy for urinary incontinence. DESIGN: Preliminary retrospective analysis of a convenience sample of women ages 65 to 93. METHODS: Women over the age of 65 with UI who were referred to outpatient PT and answered "YES" to a UI screening question at intake completed 3 UI surveys (3 Incontinence Questions (3IQ), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire Short-Form (IIQ-7) and the International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire- Urinary Incontinence (ICIQ-UI). Patients received individualized treatment provided by a physical therapist. Physical therapists were asked to administer the surveys again during and/or after treatment. Demographic, clinical, and health related quality of life (HRQoL) data were collected. Frequency of UI types, UI symptoms, and impact of QoL were analyzed. Paired samples t-test was used to evaluate the change in measures between the initial survey and a follow up survey. RESULTS: Surveys were collected from 62 women. Significant changes in scores on two outcome measures (ICIQ-UI and IIQ-7) indicated significant reductions in UI symptom severity and improvements in UI- related HRQoL after undergoing individualized physical therapy treatment for UI. LIMITATIONS: The study population was a convenience sample. Data on treatment interventions was not collected. CONCLUSIONS: Individualized interventions provided by physical therapists have the potential to significantly improve symptom severity and HRQoL in women over age 65 with different types of UI.

Assessment and management options for women with vulvodynia.

Vulvodynia is a chronic pain disorder that affects sexual function in adult women. The etiology of vulvodynia is poorly understood, making the condition difficult to diagnose and treat. Women with vulvodynia often suffer significant psychological distress and have difficulty finding a compassionate and supportive health care provider. This article reviews the etiology, diagnosis, educational strategies, and treatment options for vulvodynia with the aim of increasing primary care providers' knowledge and assessment skills. Physical therapy and other nonsurgical treatment modalities are explored in depth.

A preliminary report of musculoskeletal dysfunction in female chronic pelvic pain: a blinded study of examination findings.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Female chronic pelvic pain is prevalent and causes disability. Can women with self-reported chronic pelvic pain (CPP) be distinguished from pain-free women by demonstrating a greater number of abnormal musculoskeletal findings on examination? METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, blinded examiners performed 9 physical exam maneuvers on 48 participants; 19 with CPP, and 29 pain-free. Frequency of positive findings between groups, total number of positive exam findings, cluster analysis, and sensitivity - specificity analyses were performed. RESULTS: Women with CPP presented with significantly more abnormal findings than pain-free women. By using two examination maneuvers, examiners correctly classified women with self-reported CPP from pain-free women 85% of the time. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal findings on musculoskeletal exam are more common in women with self-reported CPP. Women with CPP might benefit from a faster time to diagnosis and improved treatment outcomes if a musculoskeletal contribution to CPP was identified earlier.

Pelvic floor muscle examination in female chronic pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if women with self-reported chronic pelvic pain (CPP) were more likely to have positive findings on two vaginal pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tests compared to women without CPP when the examiner was blinded to pain status. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study. Blinded examiners performed two vaginal pelvic floor tests (tenderness and strength) on 48 participants: 19 with self-reported CPP and 29 who were pain-free. Relative frequency of positive findings between groups and the total number of positive physical examination findings were calculated. RESULTS: Women with self-reported CPP were more likely to have PFM tenderness (63.2% with physician [M.D.] examiners [board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation] and 73.7% with physical therapist [P.T.] examiners) as compared to pain-free participants (Fisher's exact test [FET]), 48 p < 0.001 with M.D., p < 0.001 with P.T.). PFM weakness was not more likely in women with CPP (31.6% with M.D., 42.1% with P.T.) as compared with pain-free participants (48.3% with M.D., 17.2% with P.T.) (FET, 48 p = 0.37 with M.D., p = 0.096 with P.T.). CONCLUSION: PFM tenderness is found more frequently in women with self-reported CPP than in pain-free women. PFM strength did not differentiate CPP from pain-free participants. Improved standardization of the PFM examination across disciplines may be helpful in distinguishing subgroups and treating women with CPP.