EC Gynaecology

The pelvic floor consists of muscles, ligaments and fascia that extend from the urethral opening to the anus that support important organs like bladder, uterus and bowel. Muscle dysfunction can cause pain in the pelvis, hips, and lower back. The diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain is made after three to six months of pelvic pain and is often based on history or physical; finding the cause of chronic pelvic pain can take time and sometimes a clear reason for the pain may never be found or can be associated with sexual, intestinal, or urinary dysfunctions. Almost 80% percent of patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) exhibit dysfunction in the pelvic floor musculature and ninety-nine percent of all cases of chronic pelvic pain are in females [4].

Treatment/Management: Treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach, utilizing medications, physical therapy and pain education. Physical therapy focuses on the rehabilitation and functionality of the pelvic floor musculature, and we are also adjunct, non-pharmacological treatment should also be offered. Transvaginal PBM can provide as a resource to improve blood supply, collagen synthesis, oxygenation, inflammation reduction and analgesia.

 Keywords: Pelvic Physiotherapy; Myofascial Pain; Chronic Pelvic Pain; Photobiomodulation

1. Charles W Butrick and Georgine Lamvu. “Transvaginal photobiomodulation improves pain in women with pelvic muscle tenderness and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: A preliminary observational study”. Urology 170 (2022): 14-20.
2. Ralph Zipper., et al. “Transvaginal photobiomodulation for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain: A pilot study”. Women´s Health Report1 (2021): 518-527.
3. Pinto e Silva MP., et al. “Tratado de fisioterapia em Saúde de Mulher”. 2 edition, Rio de Janeiro: Roca (2019).
4. Zondervan KT., et al. “Chronic pelvic pain in the community--symptoms, investigations, and diagnoses”. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 6 (2001): 1149-1155.
5. Huang Y-Y., et al. “Biphasic dose response in low level light therapy”. Dose Response4 (2009): 358-383.