ABSTRACT

Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon characterized by an interaction of sensory and emotional variables. Effective patient care can be facilitated by an understanding of the differences between acute and chronic pain and by recognition of its origins. The lack of visible pathology to explain the severity of symptoms should not be the basis for seeking psychological explanations or questioning the reality of the patient’s pain. The article examines some of the psychophysiological mechanisms evident in chronic pain syndromes especially when mediated by myofascial pelvic dysfunction.