Osteitis Pubis

What is osteitis pubis?

Osteitis Pubis is not actually one single condition but a collection of things that occur when there is instability or disruption of the pubic symphysis (pubic joint) or the muscles and tendons that attach to it.

The pubic symphysis is the little joint at the very front of the pelvis where a lot of very strong muscles attach close by.

What causes osteitis pubis?

Because osteitis pubis occurs due to a disruption of the forces across the pubic joint, it can be caused by a wide variety of factors. It can occur due to a strain or weakening of any of the tendons that attach to that region (such as the adductor muscles), it can be due to excessive fast twisting and turning movements in training or it can be due to restricted hip joint range of movement.

How is osteitis pubis diagnosed?

Osteitis pubis is usually diagnosed with an expert clinical assessment without the need for scans. Occasionally scans can be useful if a case is particularly unusual, severe or slow to recover as it can help to understand the extent of any structural or associated damage.

How is osteitis pubis treated?

Because Osteitis Pubis often occurs due to multiple factors, treatment is always multifactorial. Treatment needs to involve stabilising the pelvis, strengthening the muscles that attach to the pubic bones and modifying training load enough to allow any bone bruising to settle but not too much so that deconditioning doesn’t further worsen the situation. Often the inflammation within the pubic joint needs to be treated and always the underlying causes need to be identified and resolved. A specialist Sport and Exercise Physician has the experience and expertise to guide you and your physiotherapist through this condition which can otherwise be very difficult to treat.