Thiele massage as a therapeutic option for women with chronic pelvic pain caused by tenderness of pelvic floor muscles.
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.
Montenegro
Mary Lourdes Lima de Souza
ML
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. montenegro_ml@hotmail.com
Mateus-Vasconcelos
Elaine Cristine
EC
Candido dos Reis
Francisco José
FJ
Rosa e Silva
Júlio César
JC
Nogueira
Antonio Alberto
AA
Poli Neto
Omero Benedicto
OB
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*