title: Randomized multicenter feasibility trial of myofascial physical therapy for the treatment of urological chronic pelvic pain syndromes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We determined the feasibility of conducting a randomized clinical trial designed to compare 2 methods of manual therapy (myofascial physical therapy and global therapeutic massage) in patients with urological chronic pelvic pain syndromes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 48 subjects with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome or interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome at 6 clinical centers. Eligible patients were randomized to myofascial physical therapy or global therapeutic massage and were scheduled to receive up to 10 weekly treatments of 1 hour each. Criteria to assess feasibility included adherence of therapists to prescribed therapeutic protocol as determined by records of treatment, adverse events during study treatment and rate of response to therapy as assessed by the patient global response assessment. Primary outcome analysis compared response rates between treatment arms using Mantel-Haenszel methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 23 (49%) men and 24 (51%) women randomized during a 6-month period. Of the patients 24 (51%) were randomized to global therapeutic massage, 23 (49%) to myofascial physical therapy and 44 (94%) completed the study. Therapist adherence to the treatment protocols was excellent. The global response assessment response rate of 57% in the myofascial physical therapy group was significantly higher than the rate of 21% in the global therapeutic massage treatment group (p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We judged the feasibility of conducting a full-scale trial of physical therapy methods and the preliminary findings of a beneficial effect of myofascial physical therapy warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. mfitzg8@lumc.edu
authors.forename: Mary P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: Rodney U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Potts
authors.forename: Christopher K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: J Quentin
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.forename: Rhonda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kotarinos
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cosby
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fortman
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neville
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Badillo
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Odabachian
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanfield
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Dougherty
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Halle-Podell
authors.forename: Liyi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cen
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chuai
authors.forename: J Richard
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Landis
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mickelberg
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barrell
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kusek
authors.forename: Leroy M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nyberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018856:Cystitis, Interstitial / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008875:Middle Aged; D026201:Musculoskeletal Manipulations; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000628:therapy*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D055815:Young Adult