The focus of this research database is on how stress affects women's health,

and options for treatment using mind-body therapies. 

If you are not a health care professional, see new "Medical Glossary" below.  

To obtain full summaries of the articles, see "How to Get Abstracts" below. 

11349181 JA

Of 2304 randomly selected British women, 24% reported chronic pelvic pain. 50% of these women also had genitourinary or gastrointestinal symptoms, 81% also had dysmenorrhea and 41% pain with intercourse. Half of the women had never had the condition diagnosed, and the other half were told they had irritable bowel syndrome or "stress".

2001 Am J Obstet Gynecol 184;6:1149-55

Zondervan, K. T., Yudkin, P. L., Vessey, M. P., Jenkinson, C. P., Dawes, M. G., Barlow, D. H., and Kennedy, S. H.

11074956 JA

In women with benign gynecologic disorders, pain significantly decreased quality of life, and pelvic pain to a greater degree than other kinds of pain.

2000 J Womens Health Gend Based Med 9;8:897-903

Rannestad, T., Eikeland, O. J., Helland, H., and Qvarnstrom, U.

12007761 JA

In Dutch households where one family member suffered from chronic pain, besides decreased ability to work and therefore decreased income, spouses had to invest more time on household issues rather than time for personal needs or leisure. In addition, there were considerable out-of-pocket expenses for domestic help, especially when the patient was female.

2002 J Pain Symptom Manage 23;5:433-41

Kemler, M. A. and Furnee, C. A.

3820147 JA

Chronic pain was associated with problems in the marital relationship, as well as heightened distress and physical symptoms in spouses. These effects were related less to the chronic pain problem itself, than to the pain patient's mood and manner of coping.

1987 J Psychosom Res 31;1:63-71

Flor, H., Turk, D. C., and Scholz, O. B.

8038888 JA

Contrary to the authors expectations, patients undergoing laparoscopy for pain had more anxiety pre and postop than those with an infertility diagnosis.

1994 J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 15;1:45-52

Low, W. Y., Edelmann, R. J., and Sutton, C. J.

10497757 JA

Women with chronic pelvic pain and with chronic vulvar pain both showed significantly more depression than a control group. The chronic pelvic pain group also had significantly more history of sexual abuse.

1999 J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 20;3:145-51

Bodden-Heidrich, R., Kuppers, V., Beckmann, M. W., Rechenberger, I., and Bender, H. G.

10099770 JA

Case report of an elderly woman with escalating genital symptoms, seen by many MDs and having several procedures performed without benefit. "This case highlights that chronic pelvic pain in old age may be a clinically important symptom of depression and must be recognized as such...especially where no underlying organic pathology is found. It is well recognized that symptoms of mental disease in old age often present in significantly different ways compared to younger age groups."

1999 Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 39;1:127-30

Singh, S., Trivedi, A. N., and Veer, V.

7501783 JA

Of 100 women having diagnostic laparoscopy, 50 for chronic pain, and 50 for tubal ligation or infertility, the chronic pain patients had significantly higher rates of childhood and adult sexual abuse, depression, phobia, sexual dysfunction, drug abuse, and general physical and emotional distress.

1995 Psychosomatics 36;6:531-40

Walker, E. A., Katon, W. J., Hansom, J., Harrop-Griffiths, J., Holm, L., Jones, M. L., Hickok, L. R., and Russo, J.

8316381 JA

In this sample of 36 chronic pelvic pain patients, 19 reported a history of previous sexual abuse. The abused and non-abused groups did not differ with respect to pain description or decrease in function, however the abused group had higher levels of psychological distress.

1993 Pain 53;1:105-9

Toomey, T. C., Hernandez, J. T., Gittelman, D. F., and Hulka, J. F.

7501344 CT

Up to 40% of women who underwent hysterectomy for chronic pelvic pain continued to experience some degree of pain afterwards--5% reported unchanged or increased. This subgroup was more likely to have had no identifiable pelvic pathology at time of surgery.

1995 Obstet Gynecol 86;6:941-5

Hillis, S. D., Marchbanks, P. A., and Peterson, H. B.

9646974 R,T

The prevalence of chronic pelvic pain is 12-15%. It is the indication for 10-15% of new gynecology referrals, 25-35% of laparoscopies, and 10-15% of hysterectomies. A multidisciplinary approach, including attention to socioenvironmental problems, psychological stress, and education about cognitive-behavioral pain strategies (including relaxation and imagery) can decrease pain severity, disability, depression, inappropriate health care utilization and substance abuse.

1998 Clin Obstet Gynecol 41;2:422-35

Reiter, R. C.

2352765 CT

Chronic pelvic pain patients who underwent a 6-8 week interdisciplinary program showed dramatic decreases in reported levels of pain, and decreases in anxiety and depression. Psychosocial functioning improved, including return to work, increased social activities, and improved sexual activity. The program consisted of extensive testing, acupuncture, antidepressants as needed, trigger point injections, marital and sex therapy, and psychological therapy including relaxation skills, identification of stressors, stress inoculation methods, and pain management coping skills.

1990 Pain 41;1:41-6

Kames, L. D., Rapkin, A. J., Naliboff, B. D., Afifi, S., and Ferrer-Brechner, T.

1826544 RCT

106 chronic pelvic pain patients were randomized into two groups. In the standard-approach group, organic causes were excluded first via testing including diagnostic laparoscopy; if nothing was found, attention was given to psychological causes. In the second group an integrated approach was given from the beginning with equal attention to somatic, psychological, dietary, environmental, and physiotherapeutic factors. Laparoscopy was not routinely performed. At the end of one year, the second group had improved significantly more.

1991 Obstet Gynecol 77;5:740-4

Peters, A. A., van Dorst, E., Jellis, B., van Zuuren, E., Hermans, J., and Trimbos, J. B.