The presence of abnormal palpatory findings in the sacrococcygeal area is correlated with chronic pelvic pain: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the prevalence of abnormal palpatory findings (APFs) in the different pelvic areas among individuals with chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPP-CPPS) and assesses correlations between APFs and clinical and psychosocial symptoms.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 326 participants (162 CPP-CPPS patients, 164 controls) underwent a standardized palpatory assessment of the sacroiliac, sacrococcygeal, and pelvic floor regions. The manual procedure was performed by two expert physiotherapists with a certification in osteopathic manipulation, following a consensus training. We assessed symptom severity and psychosocial variables using the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ). Correlation analyses explored relationships between APFs, the presence of pain, and psychosocial variables.

Results: APFs were significantly associated with CPP/CPPS, particularly in the sacrococcygeal (r = 0.609, p < 0.01) and pelvic floor (r = 0.620, p < 0.01) regions, indicating a moderate-to-strong correlation. The multivariate analysis confirmed that sacrococcygeal APFs (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.96-4.65, p < 0.001) and pelvic floor APFs (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.87-4.78, p < 0.001) were independently associated with CPP/CPPS, whereas sacroiliac findings showed a weak correlation. The correlations between APFs and psychosocial issues (anxiety, depression, fear-avoidance) were weak (r = 0.25).

Conclusions: Sacrococcygeal and pelvic floor APFs appear to be important clinical markers of CPP/CPPS. Their presence may help identify patients who could benefit from targeted manual therapy as part of multimodal management. Further research should evaluate the prognostic value of these findings.