Interstitial Cystitis / Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic disease characterized by urinary urgency, frequency, and pain. Many IC/BPS patients also suffer from pelvic floor spasm or pelvic girdle musculoskeletal dysfunction, which causes pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and urinary hesitancy. The purposes of this study is to investigate the correlation of pelvic girdle musculoskeletal disorders in women with different symptom/ problem severity of female patients with IC/PBS.

Thirty four women aged from 20 y/o to 65 y/o who diagnosed with IC/PBS by urologists were recruited in this study. The pelvic girdle musculoskeletal disorder assessments, including muscle strength (rectus abdominis, gluteus medius and pelvic floor muscle), muscle flexibility (tensor fascia lata, rectus femoris and piriformis), myofascial tender point pain level (rectus abdominis, iliacus, tensor fascia lata, piriformis and pelvic floor muscle), screening examination of sacroiliac joint and hip joint, were conducted in this study. The subjects were divided into two groups according to their clinical symptom and problem severity which was defined by their self-reported total scores of The Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index (ICSI) and Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index (ICPI). The range of total scores is 0-36, with the higher scores the higher risk of having IC. The subjects with the total scores smaller than/ or equal to 23 were referred to group I (mild-moderate group, n=17), the total scores greater than 23 were referred to group II (severe group, n=17).  Independent-sample T test and Chi Square test were used to compare the differences between two groups. The correlation between symptom/ problem questionnaire scores and pelvic girdle musculoskeletal disorder assessments were also analysed for all subjects by Spearman's rho. Significance was set at p < 0.05.

The results shown significant differences between groups in abdominal muscle strength, as well as the myofascial tender point pain level of tensor fascia lata and puborectalis. The significant positive correlation was found between symptom/ problem sub-scores/ or total scores and sacroiliac joint screening examination, and myofascial tender point pain level (piriformis, puborectalis, and pubococcygeus). Whereas significant negative correlation was found between symptom/ problem sub-scores/ or total scores and abdominal muscle strength, abdominal muscle endurance, and piriformis flexibility.

Subjects with more severe self-reported IC/PBS related symptoms/ problems tended to have poorer abdominal muscle strength, more noticeable myofascial tender point pain level on tensor fascia lata, pirirformis and pelvic floor muscles, and more common abnormal finding on musculoskeletal exam.

Women with IC/PBS may also have pelvic girdle musculoskeletal dysfunction. As part of a multimodality approach to treating IC/PBS, pelvic girdle musculoskeletal assessment is recommended. The understanding of the pelvic musculoskeletal disorders in subjects with interstitial cystitis would be beneficial to provide a complete advice in treatment prescription.

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