Symptoms

Undiagnosed Groin, Abdominal, and Pelvic (UGAP) pain is not an uncommon condition and millions of patients, both females and males suffer from it. It is a great masquerader mimicking several different lower abdominal, groin and pelvic conditions.
Let’s all think of UGAP pain in patients presenting with atypical pain over the lower abdomen, groin, and pelvis. This is one of the few enigmatic conditions where a diagnosis can be strongly suspected in the majority of the patients just on clinical examination.

Let’s help these “Silent Sufferers” and prevent them from doctor shopping, minimize expensive diagnostic workup and prevent unnecessary endoscopies and even unnecessary surgeries. In the process, we will be saving billions of dollars which are currently spent in diagnosing and treating these unfortunate patients.

Chronic groin, abdominal and pelvic (UGAP) pain is a combination of physical symptoms like pain, restricted mobility, nausea, loss of appetite and psychological / behavioral changes like depression, insomnia and change in relationships.

UGAP pain can affect other parts of the body like adjoining muscles and organs causing muscle tension and cause leg pain and back pain. Can cause pain over tailbone and sitting bones. It can affect bladder and rectal functions causing painful urination and painful bowel movements. It is commonly misdiagnosed as interstitital cystitis and proctalgia fugax.

It can cause dyspareunia (painful intercourse) in both sexes. Mobility like walking, standing or prolonged sitting can be painful and restricted. UGAP pain can affect all aspects of emotional life and may cause anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and sexual dysfunction and can cause problems with work and home life. Emotional distress makes the pain worse and likewise living with chronic pain makes the emotional distress worse. So, chronic pain and emotional distress frequently gets locked into a vicious cycle.

Chronic tension shortens the muscles of the pelvis floor and functions like a clinched fist. This leads to pain which in turn causes anxiety. Anxiety leads to tension. The cycle of tension, anxiety and pain plays a significant role in UGAP pain