title: Thiele massage as a therapeutic option for women with chronic pelvic pain caused by tenderness of pelvic floor muscles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Musculoskeletal system has been found to be involved in genesis and perpetuation of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and has strong evidences that up to 80% of women with CPP present dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. In this study, we report a series of women with CPP caused by tenderness of pelvic floor muscles successfully treated with Thiele massage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Were included in this study six women with CPP caused by tenderness of the levator ani muscle that underwent transvaginal massage using the Thiele technique, over a period of 5 minutes repeated once a week for 4 weeks. After 1 month, the women returned for follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median tenderness score for the six women evaluated was 3 at the first evaluation and 0 after 1 month of follow-up (P < 0.01). The mean Visual Analogue Scale and McGill Pain Index scores were 8.1 and 34, respectively, at the first evaluation, and 1.5 and 16.6 at follow-up (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thiele massage appears to be very helpful for women with CPP caused by tenderness of the levator ani muscle. However, these results are preliminary and a larger number of women are necessary to obtain more conclusive results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. montenegro_ml@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mary Lourdes Lima de Souza
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Montenegro
authors.forename: Elaine Cristine
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Mateus-Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Francisco José
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Candido dos Reis
authors.forename: Júlio César
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rosa e Silva
authors.forename: Antonio Alberto
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Omero Benedicto
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Poli Neto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008405:Massage / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*