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. 2023 May;66(3):230-240.
doi: 10.5468/ogs.22171. Epub 2023 Jan 20.

A novel radiofrequency modulation therapy versus routine physiotherapy modalities in treatment of myofascial pelvic pain syndrome: a pilot randomized trial

Elaheh Miri Ashtiani  1 , Nasim Shokouhi  2 , Mona Mohseni  3 , Nafiseh Saedi  4 , Ali Asghar Haeri-Mehrizi  5 , Mahmood Bakhtiyari  6   7
Affiliations

A novel radiofrequency modulation therapy versus routine physiotherapy modalities in treatment of myofascial pelvic pain syndrome: a pilot randomized trial

Elaheh Miri Ashtiani et al. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2023 May.

Abstract

Objective: The current study aimed to compare the effectiveness of novel radiofrequency modulation (RM) therapy with a tailored physiotherapy course for patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) of myofascial origin, also known as myofascial pelvic pain syndrome (MPPS).

Methods: We enrolled 46 patients with myofascial CPP to compare the effectiveness of a 10-session routine physiotherapy course versus a 6-session RM with an integrated device (HIGGS) in alleviating MPPS morbidity and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) rehabilitation. The primary outcome was reduction in pelvic pain after the final session and in the follow-up period 3 months after the final intervention session.

Results: The 6-session therapy in the RM group and the manual, biofeedback, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapies in the physiotherapy group were similarly effective in reducing pain and improving PFM endurance after the final intervention session in each group, whereas perineometer readings and PFM strength were associated with greater improvements in the physiotherapy group.

Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated comparable effectiveness of RM in the management of MPPS and improvement of PFM function compared to routine physiotherapy programs with fewer sessions of therapy.

Keywords: Diathermy; HIGGS; Myofascial pain syndromes; Pelvic floor disorders; Physical therapy modalities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of the study. Sixty participants were screened between September 2019 and March 2020 for eligibility. Forty-six patients were included in the study. TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Adjusted marginal means of outcome variables in three time periods for each group assignment. PFM, pelvic floor muscle; VAS, visual analog scale.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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