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Myofascial Trigger Points of the Pelvic Floor: Associations with Urological Pain Syndromes and Treatment Strategies Including Injection Therapy

  • Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Voiding Dysfunction (G Badlani and H Goldman, Section Editors)
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Abstract

Myofascial trigger points (MTrP), or muscle “contraction knots,” of the pelvic floor may be identified in as many as 85 % of patients suffering from urological, colorectal and gynecological pelvic pain syndromes; and can be responsible for some, if not all, symptoms related to these syndromes. Identification and conservative treatment of MTrPs in these populations has often been associated with impressive clinical improvements. In refractory cases, more “aggressive” therapy with varied trigger point needling techniques, including dry needling, anesthetic injections, or onabotulinumtoxinA injections, may be used, in combination with conservative therapies.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Robert M. Moldwin reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

Dr. Jennifer Yonaitis Fariello reported serving as a sub-investigator in an institutional trial funded by Allergan, Inc: "A Pilot Study: Botulinum Toxin Type A Injections into Pelvic Floor Muscles for Patients with Refractory High Tone Pelvic Floor Dysfunction" (Whitmore KE, Kellogg-Spadt S, Fariello JY, Iorio J, El-Khawand D, O'Hare P). Dr. Fariello did not receive any financial compensation for involvement in this trial.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, Pelvic Pain Treatment Center, The Arthur Smith Institute for Urology, North Shore-LIJ Healthcare System, 450 Lakeville Road, Suite M41, New Hyde Park, NY, 11040, USA

    Robert M. Moldwin

  2. Female & Male Pelvic and Sexual Medicine, The Pelvic and Sexual Health Institute, 207 N. Broad Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA

    Jennifer Yonaitis Fariello

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  1. Robert M. Moldwin
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Correspondence to Robert M. Moldwin.

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Moldwin, R.M., Fariello, J.Y. Myofascial Trigger Points of the Pelvic Floor: Associations with Urological Pain Syndromes and Treatment Strategies Including Injection Therapy. Curr Urol Rep 14, 409–417 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-013-0360-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-013-0360-7

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