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Evaluating the Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Therapy and Manual Pelvic Fascial Release in Treating Myofascial Pelvic Pain

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Abstract

Introduction and Hypothesis

Myofascial pelvic pain (MFPP), characterized by sensitive trigger points in the pelvic floor muscles, leads to chronic pain and affects various aspects of life. Despite the availability of different treatment modalities, there is limited comparative research on their effectiveness. This study compares radiofrequency (RF) therapy and myofascial manual therapy (MMT) in treating MFPP. We aimed to evaluate pelvic floor muscle strength changes, clinical symptoms, and patient comfort during treatment.

Methods

The study involved 176 participants, divided equally into RF and MMT groups. We assessed pelvic floor pain using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), muscle strength using the Modified Oxford Scale (MOS) and surface electromyography (sEMG), clinical symptom improvement through questionnaires, and patient discomfort during treatment.

Results

Both RF and MMT groups significantly reduced pelvic floor and paraurethral muscle pain (VAS scores, p < 0.001). RF treatment significantly decreased vaginal laxity in its group (p < 0.001), with no notable change in the MMT group (p = 0.818). RF therapy also resulted in greater patient comfort than MMT (p < 0.001). Although both treatments improved clinical symptoms, there was no significant difference between the two (p = 0.692). MOS scores and pelvic floor sEMG values showed no significant differences between the groups before and after treatment (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Both RF and MMT effectively alleviate pelvic floor pain and improve clinical symptoms in MFPP patients. RF therapy, however, offers additional benefits in reducing vaginal laxity and enhancing treatment comfort.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the participants and staff of the related facilities who cooperated in this study.

Funding

Shaanxi Science and Technology Department (Grant No. 2021SF-215).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xi’an People’s Hospital (Xi’an Fourth Hospital), Xi’an, People’s Republic of China

    Dan Li, Meng Li, Lan Wu, Yuejuan Ma & Xinwen Zhang

  2. Xi’an International Medical Center Hospital, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China

    Guangping Wu

Authors
  1. Dan Li
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  2. Meng Li
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  3. Guangping Wu
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  4. Lan Wu
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  5. Yuejuan Ma
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  6. Xinwen Zhang
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Contributions

Dan Li: project development, manuscript writing; Meng Li: data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing; Guangping Wu: data collection, supervision on data collection; Lan Wu: data collection, data analysis; Yuejuan Ma: data collection, data analysis; Xinwen Zhang: project development, supervision on data collection and data analysis, manuscript writing.

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Correspondence to Xinwen Zhang.

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Li, D., Li, M., Wu, G. et al. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Therapy and Manual Pelvic Fascial Release in Treating Myofascial Pelvic Pain. Int Urogynecol J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-024-05763-x

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