Changes in whole body pain intensity and widespreadness during urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome flares—Findings from one site of the MAPP study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate changes in whole body pain during urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) flares. Materials and Methods: UCPPS participants at one site of the multidisciplinary approach to the study of chronic pelvic pain research network reported their daily flare status and pain levels in 7 pelvic/genital and 42 extrapelvic body areas (scale = 0-10) for 10 days at baseline and during their first flare. Linear mixed models and conditional logistic regression were used to investigate symptom changes during flares. Analyses were stratified by chronic overlapping pain condition (COPC) status. Results: Fifty-five out of 60 participants completed the study, 27 of whom provided information on both nonflare (n = 281) and flare (n = 208) days. Pelvic/genital pain intensity (mean change = 3.20 of 10) and widespreadness (mean = 1.48) increased significantly during flares for all participants (all P interaction >.1), whereas extrapelvic pain intensity increased significantly only among participants with COPCs (mean = 2.09; P interaction