BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) - No matter what the original source of pain – bladder, vulvar area, pelvic floor, reproductive organs, or bowel – if the original insult (noxious stimulus) goes on long enough it will cause neuropathic changes in the sacral cord (central sensitization).
This marks the acute episode changing to a chronic pain disorder. This central sensitization is the hallmark to any visceral pain syndrome and these patients have both end organ sensitization pain and dysfunction as central pathology. The key to managing patients with visceral pain syndrome is to identify every pain generator (both at the periphery or end organ disease itself as well as central pathology).
I hope my article is helpful to shed light on how to approach patients with IC/PBS.
Written by:
Charles W. Butrick, MD as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.com. This initiative offers a method of publishing for the professional urology community. Authors are given an opportunity to expand on the circumstances, limitations etc... of their research by referencing the published abstract.
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