Abstract
Background: Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction can cause pain in the pelvis, hips, and low back. Patients are referred to physical therapy for treatment of these issues. The purpose of this case report is to present a male patient who presented with pelvic pain that was of a nonmusculoskele- tal origin, and discuss the reasoning process leading to a referral back to the referring physician for further medical evaluation.
Study Design: This is a case study.
Case Description: This case report involved a 43-year-old man referred to physical therapy for pelvic floor myalgia.
Outcome: The patient was referred back to the referring physician and was ultimately seen by oncology with findings of a high-grade adenocarcinoma.
Discussion: This case stresses the importance of recognizing the potential signs of pathology, providing an appropriate medical referral, and the communication needed between a team of health care providers, which includes the physical therapist.