Chronic Visceral Pain and Functional Diseases

Editorial

A functional disorder is a medical condition that impairs the normal physiological function of organs without organic cause such as inflammation. The accumulation of abnormalities that limit body functions is a major risk factor for patients with functional disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP), Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS) and others. Often, functional disorders co-morbid by the concomitant decline in cognitive or motor performance.  Chronic visceral pain is the most immediate and dramatic consequence of functional disorders and is responsible for a very negative impact on quality of life. Interestingly, for patients with IBS, the most common co-morbid diagnoses include PBS or CPP. The complex interplay and co-morbidity between these disorders, aging, genetic and environmental factors may determine the outcome of the progression of the therapy.