Relationship between chronic pelvic pain and functional constipation in women of reproductive age.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of functional constipation on women with and without chronic pelvic pain (CPP).

Study Design: One hundred women ages 18-50 were separated into three groups: (A) women without CPP, (B) women with CPP but without functional constipation, and (C) women with CPP with functional constipation according to Rome III criteria. All participants were followed over 3 months, completing a questionnaire on pain and constipation daily. CPP was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS).

Results: In Group A, 16 of 31 women complained of lumpy or hard stools; 13 had symptoms of functional constipation. In Group B, 4 of 19 women had lumpy or hard stools. In Group C, 46 of 50 reported straining or incomplete bowel movements and 49 reported lumpy or hard stools. Regarding CPP, no significant differences were found in VAS pain score between Groups B and C; no changes were found in VAS pain score throughout the 12-week evaluation period. The most common diagnoses associated with CPP were idiopathic pain, endometriosis, and pelvic adhesions.

Conclusion: Functional constipation was significantly more prevalent in women with CPP than women without CPP; however, it does not appear to have a role in worsening the pain.