title: [Anal stretching device for patients with chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a poorly understood and ill-treated condition. It is accompanied by the shortening and increase in tone of the pelvic floor muscles and is closely related to myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). This study aims to evaluate the utility of an anal stretching device (ASD) for improving the pain manifestations of chronic prostatitis (CP) and CPPS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one men(38.6 years ± 8.2) were consecutively recruited with an average monitoring period of 14.4 months (± 8.2). The treatment duration was between six months and three years. A clinical history was compiled along with a physical examination and neurophysiological tests. To evaluate pain, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used before and after treatment; at the final visit, the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement scale (CGI-I) was administered. The ASD is a device that is commercially available in different diameters and lengths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were diagnosed with MPS using neurophysiological tests. Significant differences were found before and after the treatment when evaluating the intensity of the pain using the VAS (6.1±2.1 vs. 1.9±1.3; p < .001). The CGI-I showed a total of 21 patients (70%) whose symptoms were improved or very much improved. Only one patient was worse after the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASD appears to be a safe and useful tool to treat the pain manifestations of CPPS without notable side effects.
authors.affiliation: Clínica del Dolor Pélvico, Madrid.Madrid, España. fitza1981@gmail.com
authors.forename: Fernandok
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Itza
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zarza
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salinas
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gómez-Sancha
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ximénez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004106:Dilatation; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D010147:Pain Measurement; D056888:Patient Positioning; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000628:therapy; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome