ABSTRACT
The first step in understanding chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women is to realize that it is a different entity entirely from acute pain, quite aside from its duration (CPP is generally defined as having been present for more than six months). The second is to recognize the referral patterns involved, the recruitment of surrounding organ systems, and the neurologic/ neuropathic components that are commonly part of pain that has been present for extended periods of time. These understandings have profound impact on the diagnostic and treatment processes brought to bear on this problem.
